Second Stakes Win for Motion-Trained Favorite in Turf Sprint
Team Russell Doubles Sunday, Live Racing Resumes Friday
LAUREL, MD – Wertheimer and Frere homebred Toupie, making just her second start of the year, collared pacesetter El Terreno in mid-stretch and pulled clear to a popular 2 ¼-length victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Stormy Blues at Laurel Park.
The 16th running of the 5 ½-furlong Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies was the first of 16 stakes worth $1.5 million in purses during Laurel’s 33-day summer meet and the headliner on a special Father’s Day program.
Toupie ($4.40), favored at 6-5 in a field of 13, covered the distance in 1:01.66 over a firm Exceller turf course layout to give trainer Graham Motion and jockey Jorge Ruiz their second win together following Active ($4.60) in Sunday’s opener.
“I was a little shocked, to be honest,” Motion said about drawing near the far outside of a full field. “But I’ve got a lot of confidence in this filly. She’s really improved this year. I think she’s turning into a really nice filly.”
El Terreno broke alertly from her rail post and scooted to the lead under jockey Jaime Rodriguez, going the opening quarter-mile in a brisk 22.09 seconds pressed to her outside by Shuangxi and tracked by 34-1 longshot Parola Secura along the rail and Toupie in the clear in fourth.
Rodriguez and El Terreno were still in front as the field crowded around the far turn and straightened for home, but Ruiz began to set Toupie down for a drive and the daughter of champion Uncle Mo responded with a rush down the center of the track to catch the leader after going a half in 44.81 seconds. Toupie continued strongly to the wire with plenty left to turn back Parola Secura and a dramatic late rush from early trailer Cap Classique.
Parola Sicura was a half-length better than Cap Classique for second. It was another length back to Discreet Ops, making her grass debut after finishing third last out in the Miss Preakness (G3) May 17 at historic Pimlico Race Course, followed by El Terreno, Amidst Waves, Shuangxi, Miss Harriett, Roanan Goddess, Carmelina, Low Mileage, Concerti and My Girl Ginger. Caress, entered for main track only, and Independenceavenue were scratched.
“Actually I said to Jorge before [the race] I thought that [Post 10] was probably a better spot for her,” Motion said. “The only bad race this filly has ever had was when I messed up and tried to stretch her out at Keeneland. Otherwise, she hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Toupie broke her maiden in debut last July on Laurel’s main track and was third or better in four of five starts as a 2-year-old, rebounding from a 10th-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland with a 2 ¼-length triumph in the Stewart Manor sprinting six furlongs on the Aqueduct turf. She was second by less than a length in her 2024 season opener, the 5 ½-furlong Mamzelle May 11 at Churchill Downs.
“I think the extra half a furlong probably helps her,” Motion, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., said. “You’re so limited with these fillies where to go, so this was a great opportunity to run her here close by, close to home.”
The Stormy Blues is named for one of the top 2-year-old fillies of 1994 trained by late Hall of Famer Scotty Schulhofer whose four wins in six starts that year included the Matron (G1), Sorority (G3) and Selima (G3), the latter at Laurel Park.
Notes: The husband and wife team of jockey Sheldon Russell and trainer Brittany Russell teamed up for a pair of popular winners Sunday with Nielson ($2.60) in Race 3 and Rominski ($3.80) in Race 7 … SF Racing and partners’ 4-year-old Nielson, an $850,000 son of Hall of Famer Curlin making just his fourth start and second off a 504-day layoff, led all the way and graduated by 4 ¼ lengths at odds of 1-5 in Race 3, a claiming event for maidens ages 3, 4 and 5. The winning time was 1:02.42 for 5 ½ furlongs over a firm Bowl Game turf course … The Elkstone Group’s 5-year-old Rominski, racing for the first time since being claimed for $55,000 May 25 at Pimlico, was a front-running winner of the open six-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds in up in 1:09.14 over a fast main track, his fourth straight victory and 10th from 21 career starts … 10-pound apprentice Anthony Radcliffe earned his third career win and first in Maryland in Sunday’s finale aboard Heads Or Tails ($24.20) for trainer Derrick Parram. Radcliffe’s first win came on Bar Down Express May 29 at Delaware Park, and he also won with Bonnie Bill June 14 at Charles Town … The summer meet resumes at Laurel Park with a live nine-race card Friday, June 21 starting at 12:25 p.m.