LAUREL, MD—The biggest tell on Halloween Saturday at Laurel Park came on the first tote board flash in Saturday’s sixth race, a state-bred or -sired maiden for 2-year-olds at six furlongs.
Musashi, a first-time starter trained by Hugh McMahon, opened at 1-2. As the late, great racing personality Harvey Pack would say, Musashi was apparently the “fastest horse in the world.”
Musashi drifted to 2-1 at post time, still the favorite in a field of twelve promising youngsters. He ran like he was 1-2, showing sharp early speed under jockey Charlie Marquez, setting fractions of 22.50 and 46.01, then cruising home with mere hands-and-heels urging to prevail by eight lengths in 1:12.02 on the fast track.
Side Hug finished second, two lengths ahead of Replicate. Sunday Legacy, Tony Stark, Midnight Mosey, Diminuto Burrito, Emperor Ming, Bourbonontheporch, Foolish Lover, Uptomom, and Golden Gavin followed.
Musashi paid $6.80 to win.
McMahon credited Marquez, who leaves next week for a winter riding stint at Tampa Bay Downs.
“I told Charlie we need to be in a forward position because there’s a lot of activity there, and you might have to work for it. He did a good job warming him up and getting him ready for a good break.”
Musashi, a homebred owned by SAB Stable, is by Great Notion, Maryland’s perennial leading active sire before he was pensioned late last year, and out of Samurai Steph (by Lea). Great Notion has won with 13 of his last 45 debut runners, a 29% strike rate.
His second dam, Sassy’s Dream (by Flower Alley), was stakes-placed on turf.
McMahon has won with 4 of his last 11 juvenile debut runners (36%).
“He was very awkward at the beginning because he had a growth spurt,” he said of Musashi. “His back end was really high, and his front end was really inferior, and he had a lot of growing up to do. My owner’s really patient, so we just took our time with him. The last couple of months, he started blossoming.”
McMahon likes to give his horses long, steady breezes rather than short, fast workouts. Musashi worked five times at five furlongs before tuning up for Saturday’s race with a one-mile breeze in 1:45 on October 23.
“[The mile works] are kind on them,” McMahon said when asked last year about that specific training regimen. “I like to go two turns because they go to their left lead around the turn, then to their right lead. They’re doing that throughout. We go 14 [seconds] to the pole, and then in the last three-eighths we split them into a breeze and try to do 12’s at the end and get some wind in their lungs.”
McMahon was very impressed with Musashi’s demeanor.
“In the paddock today, he was really composed, just like he’s been doing this his entire life,” McMahon said. “When you go to work on him, he’ll be a bit strange in the stall. But, other than that, he’s got a good mind.”
*Around the track:
Jockey Forest Boyce rode two turf winners on the card. She nursed Bushido ($5.80) on the lead in the third race and had just enough to fend off rail-skimming Forest Glow for trainer Lacey Gaudet. Boyce then worked out an inside-out closer’s trip aboard Synergism ($7.20) in the seventh race.
Trainer Jamie Ness saddled two winners. He struck in the opener with favored Mischievous Twins ($3.60), ridden by jockey Mychel Sanchez, then teamed up with jockey Martin Chuan for Law School ($6.20) in the eighth race.
Jockey Carlos Lopez swept the late daily double. Mongolian Apple ($13.80) wired the field in the ninth race for trainer Renaldo Richards, while Igaming ($3.40) rallied from off the pace for trainer Brittany Russell.
Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race program. Gates open at 11 am ET, and the first post time is 12:05 pm ET. Two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. The Sunday guide is available. Click here to view it.
Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.
Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.
Visit the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center in Reisterstown on Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 8 pm for a special screening of “Pimlico from the Heart.” Produced by Eclipse Award-winning racing writer John Scheinmann and featuring fellow Eclipse Award-winning racing writer Vinnie Perrone, the film follows the two friends as they revisit the historic Pimlico racetrack one final time before its demolition, reminiscing about the horses, people, and events that made “Old Hilltop” so special. Reserve your spot here.