Saturday at Laurel featured eight black-type events, with the Frank J.
DeFrancis Memorial Dash (G1) getting top billing. However, that didn’t make any
of the undercard races any less exciting.
Lawrence Goichman’s homebred J’RAY (Distant View) captured her second
straight stakes when taking the $125,000
Selima S.
over the firm turf despite running wide throughout the 8 1/2-furlong test. Trained
by Todd Pletcher, the chestnut miss raced in eighth while well off the inner
rail down the backstretch under jockey Jerry Bailey, then started gaining
momentum around the turn. Entering the stretch at least five wide, she easily overtook the leaders
and pulled off for the 3 3/4-length win.
J’Ray finished the grassy test for juvenile fillies in 1:41 4/5, adding this
to a win in the Jessamine S. at Keeneland in her last race. Her record now
stands at 4-3-0-0, $172,245, with her only loss coming on the dirt in her career
debut.
Sent off the 6-5 favorite in the Selima, J’Ray paid out $4.40, $3.20 and
$2.60 for her victory. Nice Nelly (Seattle Slew) came up along the rail in midstretch but could never reach the winner, giving back $6.20 and $4.60 at
nearly 5-1. Rasta Farian (Holy Bull) was another neck back in third and returned
$5.80.
Next across the line were Art Show (Out of Place), Philanthropy Lady (Desert
Style), Roaming Wild (Wild Again), Keep on Talking (Royal Academy), Ebony Rose
(Bernstein), Stylish Yankee (Yankee Victor), Shock and Awe (Royal Anthem) and
Love Comes First (Yankee Victor). Holly’s Kid (Pulpit), Interpretation (Freud)
and Whiteface (Exploit) were all withdrawn.
The $100,000
Anne
Arundel S. saw yet another favorite win in easy fashion, as John D. Murphy’s
homebred TRICKLE OF GOLD (Formal Gold) went wire-to-wire as the 3-5 choice. With
Jeremy Rose in the irons, the dark bay sophomore completed a mile on the fast
main track in 1:37 for trainer Michael Gorham and was 1 1/2 lengths ahead of her
nearest rival. Trickle of Gold captured the Safely Kept Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) as
well as the Ghost and Goblins S. this year and now owns $313,105 in accumulated
earnings to go along with a 12-7-1-3 career mark.
Gorham said after the race that he was going to point Trickle of Gold to the
December 31 La Brea S. (G1) at Santa Anita.
L. Pope McLean’s PRINCESS PELONA (El Prado [Ire]) earned one for the
longshots with a three-length victory in the $75,000
Stefanita S. under Ramon Dominguez. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the
five-year-old mare ran seven furlongs in 1:24 1/5 as the 16-1 longshot and
returned $35.60, $12.60 and $2.80. Princess Pelona posted her first stakes score
in this spot and now boasts a 25-7-6-1 record with $248,415 in earnings.
The race also featured Sensibly Chic (Distorted Humor), who
scratched out of the DeFrancis to run and finished third as the 4-5 favorite.
Roseland Farm Stable’s SMART N CLASSY (Smart Strike) was all out to take the
$75,000
April Run S., finishing a neck in front of Art Fan (Lear Fan) in a final
time of 1:47 4/5 for nine grassy furlongs. Trained by John Tammaro III and
ridden by Jose Velez Jr., the bay five-year-old won the Eatontown H. (G3) in
July and improved her record to 30-7-8-4, $410,609, with this score.
Trillium Stable’s multiple Grade 2 winner DREADNAUGHT (Lac Ouimet) also just
managed to get up in time at the wire, posting a head score in the $75,000
Laurel Turf Cup S. with Bailey in the irons. The Tom Voss-conditioned
five-year-old gelding, who just ran third in the Red Smith H. (G2) last
Saturday, stopped the clock in 1:47 2/5 for 1 1/8 miles on the green and moved his line to
22-6-5-3 with $423,744 in lifetime earnings.
The stakes action at Laurel started off in the $50,000
Maryland
Million Starter H., and it was in that race that the biggest shocker of the
day emerged. Michael Cascio’s SUM MARVAL (Polish Numbers) broke from the gate at
23-1 but easily outran his odds to post a 1 3/4-length win under Todd Glasser.
Conditioned by Martin Ciresa, the bay four-year-old completed a mile in 1:38 4/5
to pay $48.60, $19.20 and $7.80. He added a first stakes win to his record,
which now stands at 21-4-3-3, $140,147.