Where Paradise Lay Takes Stakes Debut in $75,000 Star de Naskra

LAUREL, MD – Jockey Julian Pimentel put an exclamation point on his four-win afternoon by guiding favored Introduced to a half-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Miss Disco Stakes at Laurel Park.

The Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies and $75,000 Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds, both six-furlong sprints on the main track, were among four stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses worth $300,000 in purses on a 12-race Maryland Pride Day program.

Three of Pimentel’s four wins came in consecutive stakes races. He preceded the Miss Disco with victories in the $75,000 All Brandy on My Sistersledge and the $75,000 Find aboard English Minister.

“This is right up there,” said Pimentel, the long-time regular rider for late Mid-Atlantic legend and four-time Maryland Horse of the Year Ben’s Cat. “It’s very nice to win three stakes in one day, absolutely.”

Colts Neck Stables’ Introduced had made six of her first seven career starts on the grass, including a June 1 allowance victory at Laurel where she ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:00.55 to set the Dahlia turf course record. Most recently third as the favorite in the Stormy Blues Stakes July 14 at Laurel, her lone dirt win came last September at Laurel, a three-length triumph in a race originally carded for the grass.

Bunting was quickest from the gate and in front after a quarter-mile in 22.72 seconds pressed by Miss Guided and a half in 45.55, when Introduced picked up the chase on the outside. Always with clear run from their far outside post, Pimentel launched his bid near the quarter pole and gained the upper hand in the final eighth.

“I spoke to [winning trainer Jorge Duarte Jr.] this morning, and he told me to just let her do whatever she feels comfortable doing,” Pimentel said. “I just sat behind the speed and when it was time to go, she hustled after them and got it done.”

Bunting was a clear second in her stakes debut, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Past Perfect. Ten Oaks Miss and Miss Guided completed the order of finish. Never Enough Time, the 8-5 program favorite, was scratched.

Bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Miss Disco was a multiple stakes winner during her racing career but is best known as the dam of Hall of Famer Bold Ruler, winner of the Preakness (G1) and Horse of the Year in 1957 and sire of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. She was named Broodmare of the Year in 1958.

Where Paradise Lay Takes Stakes Debut in $75,000 Star de Naskra

Sagamore Farms homebred Where Paradise Lay, a winner over older horses earlier this year, returned to his own age group to turn away favored Distant Shore and hold off Tappin Cat and Hall Pass in the $75,000 Star de Naskra.

The Star de Naskra marked the stakes debut for Where Paradise Lay ($5.60), who completed the distance in 1:10.69. It was a half-length back to Tappin Cat in second, with Hall Pass third by another half. Distant Shore wound up fourth.

Sent off at 22-1 under Xavier Perez, Great Herman was quickest out of the gate from the rail post and took the field through a 22.85-second first quarter with Sky Magician to his outside. Where Paradise Lay sat behind in third, hemmed in by Trevor McCarthy and Distant Shore on their outside.

Great Herman began to drop back around the far turn, opening enough space for Where Paradise Lay to get through and be engaged by Distant Shore. After a brief tussle, Where Paradise Lay edged clear and had enough left to hold off the late comers.

“I just had to sit and be patient, and when Xavier dropped away, I got a dream trip through,” Lynch said. “Trevor had me in a good spot. He had me tight, but when the gap came, I was in a better spot.”

Where Paradise Lay, by Into Mischief and trained by Stanley Hough, is out of the mare Walkwithapurpose, also owned and bred by Sagamore. Walkwithapurpose won five of seven starts and nearly $300,000 in purses in 2012-13, including the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, Wide Country and Caesar’s Wish stakes at Laurel.

“Our team works so hard every day,” Sagamore chief of staff Jocelyn Brooks said, “and to have not just a homebred but a second generation homebred follow in his mom’s footsteps and win big here at Laurel, on Maryland Pride Day, probably a team that has as much pride as anybody in Maryland coming right from our owner. We’re so proud of him and of our entire team and Stan Hough and the job he did getting him ready. It’s just a huge day for us.”

The Star de Naskra is named in honor of the 1979 champion sprinter bred and owned by Carlyle Lancaster. He had a record of 15-10-4 and purse earnings of more than $580,000 from 36 starts between 1977-79, winning eight stakes and three graded-stakes, the latter during his championship season.