9/27/09
Last updated: 9/26/09 8:22 PM
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Sumacha’hot took over the Maryland Million spotlight
(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) |
Hubert “Butch” Cave’s SUMACHA’HOT (Mojave Moon) wrapped up a
stellar day at Laurel Park on Saturday when rallying from last in the $190,000
Maryland Million Classic S. to deny defending champion Cuba (Not for Love) a
second straight win in the 1 1/8-mile test.
A crowd of 21,695 was on hand to watch the 6-1 fifth choice surprise
in the featured event of the 24th annual Maryland Million.
Jockey Grant Whitacre settled the four-year-old gelding in 10th and last for
the opening six furlongs while the filly Sweet Goodbye (Louis Quatorze) went up
to set the initial half-mile in :23 3/5 and :47 1/5. She began to fade, allowing
In the Juice (Rock Slide) to get his head in front through three-quarters in
1:11 4/5. The winner commenced his rally soon after. Running in the
five path down the lane, the dark bay took command and pulled away by 2 1/2
lengths on the wire, setting a final time of 1:50 1/5 on the fast dirt.
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“All I had to do was find him a hole and I was there,” Whitacre said. “This
horse never breaks good and he didn’t today. You just have to bide your time
with him and really pick your spots to get through. When the seven gave me a
little room, I squeezed through a tight hole and we got there.
“He runs his heart out,” Whitacre extolled his mount. “He’s a great horse and
today he proved it. We could have gone in the earlier race (starter stakes).
Everybody said we were passing up on a surefire win. We took a shot and it was a
good decision.”
“Three days after I claimed him I realized I had a great horse,” Cave said of Sumach’hot,
whom he also trains. “This race was always in our plans. We cross entered into
the starter, but Grant came out this week and watched him gallop and after we
watched we decided lets go for it.”
Sumacha’hot’s only other stakes try came in the Deputed Testamony Starter H.
on May 16 at Pimlico, a race he won by by 7 1/4 lengths. The former claimer has
now won or finished second in his last nine races, and improved his line to
20-8-6-1 to go along with $223,940 in earnings.
Repole Stable’s ROARING LION (Lion Hearted) denied another previous Maryland
Million winner when holding last year’s
Maryland Million Sprint H. champion Celtic Innis (Yarrow Brae) to second by
3 1/2 lengths in Saturday’s $118,750 running of the event. Jockey Ramon
Dominguez sent the Bruce Levine trainee to the early lead, and the pair were
never really threatened en route to stopping the clock in 1:08 3/5 for six
furlongs.
“A few horses went out with us, but once we got into a good position he was
just within himself,” Dominguez said. “The trainer had him ready for today.”
Roaring Lion was revisiting the site of his 2006 Maryland Juvenile
Championship S. score, his only other black-type victory. He ran second in the
Deputed Testamony S. in 2007, and was making only his third start of 2009 after
a layoff of more than a year. Undefeated now in three starts this campaign, the dark
bay gelding boasts a 22-9-3-3 career mark and has earned $311,350 in earnings.
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All Giving would not be denied in the
Distaff
(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) |
Concepts Unlimited Stable and Catherine Smith’s ALL GIVING (Allen’s Prospect)
gave her connections a nice gift when capturing the $118,750
Maryland Million Distaff H. earlier on the program. Trained by Flint Stites, the dark bay mare
stalked the early pace set by longshot Broad Bess (Allen’s Prospect), took over
nearing the five-sixteenths pole and pulled away to be 2 3/4 lengths clear of
her nearest pursuer on the line. Jockey Jonathan Joyce piloted the five-year-old
through seven furlongs in 1:23 1/5.
“The trip was perfect, exactly what Jonathan and I had talked about,” Stites
said. “Just settle behind the speed and stalk to the top of the stretch and then
ask her to go. She really took off today. She’s had some problems in the gate in
the past but Jonathan has worked hard with her.”
All Giving’s only off-the-board run this year came with a one-paced sixth and
last in the Honorable Miss H. (G2) at Saratoga on August 9, but she quickly got
back to her winning ways in this one. Second by 2 1/2 lengths in last year’s
Distaff, the dark bay added a sixth stakes to her resume with this one and
improved her her record to 35-13-6-4, $504,835, including eight black-type
placings.
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“This victory today was a great feeling, putting her over $500,000 in
earnings,” Stites added. “She doesn’t always win but she always shows up and
tries.”
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Target Sighted kept his eye on the Maryland Million prize
(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) |
The Maltese Cross II’s TARGET SIGHTED (Not for Love) kept his sights on
pacesetter Moon Ala Mode (Malibu Moon) while tracking in fourth during the
$118,750
Maryland Million Turf S. and ran down the longtime leader to capture his
second stakes in only his fourth career start. Trained by Francis Campitelli and
ridden by Jeremy Rose, the three-year-old gelding didn’t let the showery
conditions or an easing rival deter him from his goal, eventually crossing under
the line 1 1/4 lengths in front of Moon Ala Mode.
“It was a real nice trip,” Rose said. “We broke good, got close to the rail
and saved ground around the first turn. On the second turn, something happened
to Ramon’s (Dominguez) horse. I went out three wide so that I could get into my
horse and he started to run. When I let him go, he just went on with it.”
Dominguez pulled up Izzy Speaking (Partner’s Hero) nearing the far turn.
According to Maryland Racing Commission veterinarian Dr. David Zipf, the bay
four-year-old fractured the pastern bone in his right rear leg.
Target Sighted made his career debut in late May at Delaware Park, finishing
fourth, but hasn’t tasted defeat since, breaking his maiden at Penn National and
capturing the Humphrey S. Finney S. over Laurel’s turf prior to completing nine
furlongs on the firm turf this time around in 1:49. The dark bay has now banked
$121,430.
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“This horse is really classy,” Campitelli praised his charge. “In only his
fourth start he beat a pretty solid field of older horses. We thought we had
something special after he won the Finney. This horse just seems to always find
himself in the right spot in his races.”
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Talkin About Love gave her rivals something to talk about
(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) |
Kevin Sleeter’s homebred and trained TALKIN ABOUT LOVE (Not for Love) turned
her turf debut into a rallying victory in the $118,750
Maryland Million Ladies S. With Carlos Marquez Jr. aboard, the chestnut mare
patiently waited just off the rail in rear of the six-horse field before putting
in her move four-to-five wide entering the stretch. She took command inside the
sixteenth pole and drew off for the two-length win while stopping the clock in
1:47 4/5 for nine furlongs on turf.
“I decided to try her on the grass because she handles the off track so
well,” Sleeter explained. “I galloped and worked her on the turf and thought
this course would suit her for her first start on grass. She was where I
expected her to be throughout the race and she finished very strong.”
Seventh in last year’s Maryland Million Distaff, Talkin About Love wasn’t
able to immediately claim victory here as the rider of fourth-placer Amie’s
Legend (Not for Love) lodged an objection for alleged interference in the
stretch. The stewards also reviewed the stretch run after Little Harbor
(Unbridled Jet) broke down in the final yards, but no action was taken in either
circumstance. Little Harbor was humanely euthanized because of a compound
fracture of her right ankle, according to Dr. Zipf.
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Talkin About Love was set to make her grass bow in the Revidere S.
at Monmouth Park last out, but that race was moved to the sloppy main track. The
Grade 3-winning five-year-old posted a three-quarter length score regardless,
and has now banked $714,903 to go along with a 28-9-5-7 mark.
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Love That Dance showcased some winning moves in the Oaks
(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) |
Marquez began his day in fine fashion when guiding John Petrini’s homebred
LOVE THAT DANCE (Not for Love) to a front-running head win in the $95,000
Maryland Million Oaks. Trained by Ben Perkins Jr., the three-year-old lass
dug in during the stretch run and just held while completing one mile in 1:36 2/5.
“This is the first time we’ve been in the Maryland Million,” owner/breeder
Petrini said. “I guess it was beginner’s luck.”
Recording only her third stakes score in here, and her
first win since taking the Open Mind H. in late May, the chestnut miss moved her
record to 15-6-4-1, $266,249.
Taking Risks Stable’s NATURAL SEVEN (Partner’s Hero) split rivals in
midstretch of the $95,000
Maryland Million Turf Sprint H., responded to urging from jockey Dominguez
and pulled off the 1 1/4-length win for trainer Benny Feliciano Jr. Runner-up
Citifest (Citidancer) was a neck in front of heavy 3-5 favorite Heros Reward
(Partner’s Hero), who encountered traffic trouble in upper stretch, but it was
Natural Seven who stopped the clock in a new course record of 1:01 2/5 for 5 1/2
grassy furlongs. In the process, the five-year-old bay gelding both avenged his
nose second in last year’s running of this race after setting the early pace and
earned his first black-type victory.
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“We’ve been joking all week that we would win this race today,” Feliciano
said. “I guess we got lucky. His last race (when finishing ninth in the Turf
Monster H. at Philadelphia Park), if you watched it, it was unbelievable how
many times this horse had to get pulled up. He really came running at the end
(here). I knew he’d close.”
Natural Seven improved his career line to 22-8-4-4 and has accumulated
$248,930 in lifetime earnings.
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Toboggan Slide could find himself lining up in the Champagne next
(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) |
Daniel T. O’Ryan’s owned and trained TOBOGGAN SLIDE (Rock Slide) moved his
record to a perfect three-for-three with a 4 1/2-length score in the $95,000
Maryland Million Nursery S. under Walter Llagas. The dark bay juvenile, who
more than doubled his earnings to $106,000 when finishing up six furlongs in 1:09 1/5, was a
dead-heat winner of the First State Dash S.
following a two-length maiden win, both at Delaware Park. O’Ryan said after the
race he would nominate his charge to the October 10 Champagne S. (G1) at Belmont
Park.
Later on the card, the juvenile fillies took to the track in the $95,000
Maryland Million Lassie S., with Smith and Kokomo Stable’s homebred LIL
KIARA (Lion Hearted) earning the neck win. Giving rider Marquez his third winner
on the program, the Cathal Lynch trainee was determined to take her stakes bow
and ran six furlongs in 1:11 4/5.
“(Lynch) said to me on the phone, ‘I did all I could, now you have to bring
home the bacon,'” co-owner Bo Smith said. “This race was our target all along.”
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Lil Kiara, who trains at Philadelphia Park, ran second in her career bow at
Monmouth then returned at that track to take her first victory by 2 3/4 lengths
prior to this one. She’s now earned $92,600.
