December 26, 2024

Dreamsgonewild upsets Ben’s Cat in Laurel Dash

Last updated: 9/27/14 7:17 PM











Dreamsgonewild registered his first stakes win in the Laurel Dash

(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)

In a blanket finish, Dreamsgonewild ran down the speed and held off 3-5
favorite Ben’s Cat to win the $100,000
Laurel
Dash
, the feature on a turf stakes-laden program Saturday at
Laurel.

Dreamsgonewild, a speedy son of Freud who was ridden by Trevor McCarthy and
trained by Bruce Alexander, covered six furlongs on firm ground in 1:07 4/5.
Bold Thunder finished second, only three-quarters of a length behind the winner,
while Ben’s Cat finished a neck farther back in third.

“We were going farther today than usual so my instructions were to take the
lead if we could get it. If not, stay just off,” McCarthy said. “He didn’t get
the lead so I stayed just off and we didn’t have any trouble in the race. He had
a lot left in the last eighth but I didn’t think I would get by the four. As we
approached the wire, the four got a little tired and my horse started to dig
back in. Ben’s Cat, coming on the outside also helped to push us along. We were
able to get up.”

Dreamsgonewild, who races for Paul Steckel, was winning for the seventh time
on the grass but this was his first stakes victory. He paid $16.

“This will pay for a lot of groceries,” Alexander said. “The four (Bold
Thunder) was in front but we didn’t want to be chasing him the whole way. Then
my rider heard Ben’s Cat coming and the horse pinned his ears back and won.”

Ben’s Cat, who became the seventh Maryland-bred to reach $2 million in
earnings this summer, was looking to win the Laurel Dash for the third time in
four years.

“He just didn’t have it today,” trainer King Leatherbury said. “I don’t know
why. He went into the race fine. I wasn’t worried about the field. He shouldn’t
have had any trouble if he had been himself. He got a perfect trip. No excuses.
This is a devastating loss. This race is right down his alley. No tigers in the
field, on his home course. It’s very disappointing. One race means something
because it’s very unlike him. It’s not like him to not have any excuse when he
runs like this.”

“He had a perfect trip the whole way,” said Ben’s Cat’s rider Julian
Pimentel. “No excuses. He always runs the same race, he just couldn’t get there
today.”

A New York-bred, Dreamsgonewild has earned $326,828 from a line of 22-7-4-3.










Manchurian High improved on his third-place finish in the 2012 Laurel Turf Cup

(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)

Manchurian High covered more ground than any other runner in the $100,000
Laurel
Turf Cup
over 1 1/2 miles, but it didn’t matter as he got up in time to win
the marathon test for his owner-trainer Lilli Kurtinecz.

Ahead of only one runner for most of the contest, Manchurian High carried
Sheldon Russell to victory in 2:27 4/5, beating Calvados by a neck with St.
Albans Boy another half-length back in third. The 6-1 fourth choice, Manchurian
High paid $14.20.

“He is a cool horse to ride,” Russell said. “He rarely shows any early speed.
At the start he was running straight to the turn and my job was to keep him out
of trouble and heap the momentum going. I knew the distance wouldn’t be a
problem. I kept him four to five wide the whole trip. I just wanted a clean trip
and it worked out perfectly today.”

The gelding finished third in the 2012 Laurel Turf Cup at odds of 97-1,
beaten by a neck in a three-way photo for the win, when in the barn of J.B.
Secor. Kurtinecz worked for Secor and purchased Manchurian High from her former
boss 10 months ago. In six starts this year, he has won twice in six starts and
was off the board just once, in the United Nations at Monmouth Park in July.

“I bought him as a jumper and I had him out jumping this morning before I
brought him to the track,” said Kurtinecz, after winning her first career stakes
race. “He’s been training for the Maryland Hunt Cup and that’s four miles so I
knew he could go a mile and a half. He’s my pet. He lives on a Baltimore County
farm and he’s turned out every day. He’s treated like a horse and I keep him
happy. I kiss this horse more than I’ve kissed any boyfriend I’ve every dated.”

A Florida-bred son of The Daddy, Machurian High has now earned $254,270 from
a line of 29-7-3-7.










Grade 3 winner Medea was winning her second stakes of the year in the Lady Baltimore

(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)

Medea came off the rail approaching the top of the stretch, moved to the
middle of the track and was up in time to win the $100,000

Lady Baltimore
for fillies and mares.

Forest Boyce guided the daughter of Danehill Dancer to a half-length score in
1:42 2/5 for the 1 1/16-mile distance. Party Started, a 70-1 shot, broke for the
lead at the start and managed to hold on to finish second. Scampering was a fast
closing third, while 3-1 favorite Chat finished 12th in the field of 14. Medea
paid $11.40.

“She broke sharp and I got her tucked in nicely down the backside behind the
two which is right where I wanted to be,” Boyce said. “At the top of the lane it
all opened up nice and she went on.”

Tres Abbott trains the Cornerstone Thoroughbreds-owned mare, who earned a
Grade 3 triumph in the June 21 Eatontown at Monmouth Park.

“She is a filly that needs fast ground,” Abbott said. “She has very bad feet.
Hard ground stings them. I thought there was a little bit of cushion here today.
Forest gave her a great ride. She got herself mid-pack where they were very
bunched up. She saved ground and because the straight here is very long she had
the opportunity to get her outside for clean run.”

Bred in Ireland by her owner, Medea has now earned $260,345 from a line of
14-4-3.










Cyclogenisis looked like a star in the making with an authoritative romp in the Laurel Futurity

(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)

Cyclogenisis left the field in his wake after he was set down to win the
$100,000

Laurel Futurity
for two-year olds. Trevor McCarthy guided the George Weaver
trainee to victory in 1:01 4/5 for the 5 1/2-furlong distance.

A winner in his debut at Saratoga August 18, the son of Stormy Atlantic broke
from post 8 but was able to secure a position along the rail around the turn. He
found ample room to wrest command at the top of the lane and pulled away to win
by 5 3/4 lengths and paid $2.80.

“We just kind of went right up the rail,” McCarthy said. “I asked him and he
went on well. There’s not much to say, he just annihilated this field. The
trainer said to get his mind on what he’s doing and he’ll take care of it.”

One Eyed Ray was second and Tazmanian Charlie finished a close third in the
field of eight.

“This horse has never shown us much in the mornings but he sure shows up when
it’s time to race,” said Tom Foley, assistant to trainer George Weaver. “He did
a nice job at Saratoga in his first start. He certainly ran well today. We will
soon be headed to Florida. The boss will check him over and see how he came out
of this race, then map out a plan.”

Cyclogenisis, who races for Matthew Schera, has now earned $109,800.










Miss Bullistic is two-for-two on turf following the Selima

(Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)

Miss Bullistic roared by the leaders in mid-stretch and drew away to win the
$100,000
Selima
for juvenile fillies.

Xavier Perez was at the controls as the Hamilton Smith trainee covered the
5-1/2 furlong distance in 1:02 4/5 over the firm turf to win by 1 1/2 lengths
and paid $25.40. Long shot Unhindered broke tardily but was along in time to
grab second, while Coco’s Wildcat surrendered the lead to both and finished
third. Harlan’s Honor, the 2-1 favorite, finished fourth in the field of 13.

“There was a lot of speed in this race with horses shipping in from New York
and Pennsylvania,” Perez said. “Ham told me to break sharp, stalk the pace and
run from quarter pole on. When she quickened off I got a good feeling. She was
dragging me the whole way around. The turf inside is much better on the outside
so when we got to the outside and switched leads we were clear and she won
easy.”

Miss Bullistic, a Maryland-bred daughter of Bullsbay who races for Kathleen
Willier, broke her maiden over the turf at Laurel in her previous start
September 6. Her record now stands at 4-2-0-0, $90,120.

“This horse has now won two in a row,” Smith said. “The main thing that
happened to her is that we moved to grass. She has more speed on grass. She’s
bred for grass. Her mother (Miss Lombardi) won the Maryland Million on grass. I
hope she’s the same. She’s done a fine job sprinting so far but I want to test
her long. Her daddy was a long runner.

“I have no definite plans but something in the Maryland Million (October 18
at Laurel). I suspect a bright future. She can’t do anything but go up from
here.”

Madame Giry held off a late rally by Monster Sleeping to repeat in the
$125,000
Jameela
for Maryland-bred and -sired fillies and mares.

Eddie Castro returned to ride the five-year old mare for trainer Cam
Gambolati after piloting her to a fifth place finish in the Smart N Fancy at
Saratoga last month. Madame Giry had to wait behind traffic at the head of the
lane, found a seam and slipped through to gain command but was under pressure to
hold off Monster Sleeping to win by a neck in 1:08 2/5 for the six furlongs on
the turf. Tizgale finished third.

“Cam told me to rate her off the pace then make my move,” Castro said. “Every
race is different with her but she runs well everywhere. We had a little traffic
trouble today, nothing too bad though and she finished up very good.”

Madame Giry, a multiple stakes-winning daughter of Castledale owned by Nutmeg
Stable, paid $3.40 as the 7-10 favorite.

“She was fortunate to get through,” Gambolati said. “She was in tight and she
was getting a little timid. Eddie kept looking for an opening, but I had
reminded him that they were going to the second wire. This horse is class. She
always gives her best. She is kind of a world traveler. Turf stakes are hard to
find. Now she’s going back to Florida for a stakes on November 1.”



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