MID-ATLANTIC THREE STARS: july 8
Plenty of racing action took place throughout the Mid-Atlantic this past week.
Here’s a look at the “three stars” of each track:
Region’s Best
![Honor D Lady](https://www.theracingbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/HonorDLady7-scaled.jpg)
FIRST STAR: HONOR D LADY. Delaware Park hosted their signature race on Sunday, as seven older fillies and mares battled over 1 3/16 miles in the Delaware Handicap. Honor D Lady, the winner of the Royal Delta Stakes earlier this year and the Remington Park Oaks last September, won as much the best. She struck the front on the final turn under Jose Ortiz and drew away to a 5 1/2-length victory. She improved her career record to 5-3-3 in 13 career starts with earnings of $708,167. She ran the distance over a fast, but tiring, main track in 1:59.86 for owners Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables LLC and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
SECOND STAR: WAR LIKE GODDESS. One race prior, multi-millionaire grass star War Like Goddess was sent off as the even-money choice in the 1 3/8-mile Robert G. Dick Memorial. She lived up to expectations, as she rallied from off the pace to win by a length under Junior Alvarado. She’s now a 12-time winner and 10-time graded stakes winner with career earnings of $2,775,184. She’s owned by George Krikorian and trained by Bill Mott.
THIRD STAR: AUTO GLIDE. The Sunday stakes action at Delaware kicked off with a thriller in the Battery Park Stakes. Movisitor opened up a long early lead and remained three lengths in front at the top of the stretch, but his strides quickly began to shorten. Meanwhile, Shaft’s Bullet began to close in on the outside, as did Auto Glide. The two of them raced towards the wire together and found themselves in a nosebob photo that took the judges several minutes to analyze. Eventually, it was revealed that Auto Glide won the photo by a nose for his fourth win in a row and first career stakes victory. He’s owned by trainer Greg Compton, Mark Dean, and Mike Cohea, and ridden by Julien Leparoux.
Laurel Park
- Deterministic rallies to win G3 Virginia DerbyJockey Manny Franco’s sixth win of the day at Colonial Downs came in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby aboard Deterministic, now a graded winner on turf and dirt.
FIRST STAR: SIR LONDON. Came up the rail to win a second-level route on the lawn on Friday, for Graham Motion’s eighth win of the meet in just 13 starts.
SECOND STAR: BRILLIANT ICE. Went gate-to-wire to take a second-level dirt route late on the Friday program; hard-knocking closer Armando R got up for second.
THIRD STAR: HORACIO KARAMANOS. Won three races on Saturday, including both co-features.
Charles Town Races
FIRST STAR: DIRECT THE CAT. Won an allowance by 15 1/4 lengths on Thursday in a performance that went viral on racing Twitter; looks like the best local hope for the Charles Town Oaks in some time.
SECOND STAR: STRYDA. Dropped back into allowance company and returned to the winner’s circle with a much-the-best win in an allowance dash earlier on the Thursday program.
THIRD STAR: RUNAWAY BEAUTY. Made a four-wide sweep and drew away to win a West Virginia-bred allowance contest on Friday.
Delaware Park
FIRST STAR: HONOR D LADY. Last year’s winner, Idiomatic, went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff; can Honor D Lady follow in her footsteps?
SECOND STAR: WAR LIKE GODDESS. Added another notch to her belt as she closes in on $3 million in career earnings.
THIRD STAR: AUTO GLIDE. Had to do it the hard way in the Battery Park, but still pulled it off.
Monmouth Park
FIRST STAR: HE’SPUREGOLD. Got up to win the Irish War Cry Handicap on Sunday for the fourth year in a row.
SECOND STAR: MIA’S CRUSADE. Won Saturday’s Jersey Girl Handicap in an exciting photo finish over odds-on favorite Riding Pretty.
THIRD STAR: PACO LOPEZ. Won four races on Friday and two more on Sunday as he inches closer to the 4,000-win mark.
Parx Racing
FIRST STAR: ONE MORE SCOOP. Came up the inside to beat a salty open allowance field on Wednesday in a 16-1 upset.
SECOND STAR: MIA TOSCA. Drew off to take a second-level dirt route on Monday for her second consecutive victory.
THIRD STAR: JEAN AGUILAR. Turned a hat trick in the saddle on Monday as he continued a solid rookie season.
- Wendell Fong’s long route to the finish lineIt was a long, twisting road for eight-year-old gelding Wendell Fong, but it’s ending up in the right place: with the retirement he’s earned.
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