Sibelius Records First Stakes Win in $100,000 Lite the Fuse
Swayin to and Fro Captures $75,000 Shine Again
LAUREL, MD – Given a masterful ride by jockey Forest Boyce, Stuart Janney III’s homebred filly In a Hurry slowed things down early and came running home late to turn back a bid from Grade 2 winner Plum Ali and earn her first career stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 All Along at historic Pimlico Race Course.
The 51st running of the 1 1/8-mile All Along on the grass was the second of four stakes worth $475,000 in purses on a 10-race program headlined by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3).
Unlike her name In a Hurry was in no rush as Boyce, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey’s go-to rider in Maryland, settled her on an uncontested lead through a quarter-mile in a leisurely 26.79 seconds and a half in 52.65 with Gladys, a full sister to Hall of Fame mare Rachel Alexandra, and even-money favorite Plum Ali giving closest chase.
“It actually all worked out pretty well. I thought there would be two horses to go with us but luckily they left us alone and we kind of had it all our way, which was nice,” Boyce said. It was the second win of the day for Boyce after capturing Race 2 on West Newton, a 6-year-old gelding bred in England by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Sept. 8 at age 96.
“It feels great,” Boyce added, “especially with this horse because we keep knocking on the door and we hadn’t quite gotten there yet. It’s pretty special today.”
In a Hurry straightened for home in command with Capital Structure making a bid on the far outside and Plum Ali advancing up the rail as six furlongs went in 1:17.59. In a Hurry dug in determinedly and held Plum Ali at bay to win by a half-length in 1:52.71 over a firm turf course.
In each of her three prior races, In a Hurry tracked the pace and finished third in the July 16 Big Dreyfus at Laurel Park, Aug. 15 Old Nelson at Colonial Downs and May 21 Gallorette (G3), the latter on the undercard of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1).
“I thought [going to the lead[ made whole lot of sense, particularly if it wasn’t going to be contested. She likes to get into a nice gallop and she’ll finish. She doesn’t want to trail way behind I don’t think. This was perfect for her,” Janney said.
“We really wanted to win a stake with her and this looked like a good spot. We’ve been close. She’s got a lot of black type but she just hadn’t won a stake,” he added. “Obviously, Forest did a wonderful job today. I thought to myself when she was crossing the finish line that there had been any number of times when somebody else had done that to us, and it’s kind of nice to be on the better side of that.”
Lake Lucerne was a length and a half behind Plum Ali in third, a head in front of Gladys, followed by Youens and Capital Structure. Champagne Toast was scratched.
The All Along is named for the French-bred filly that won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Rothmans International, Turf Classic and Laurel’s Washington D.C. International in the span of 41 days in 1983 en route to becoming the first foreign-based horse to be voted U.S. Horse of the Year. A winner of nine races and more than $3 million in purses from 21 starts, she was inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1990.
Sibelius Records First Stakes Win in Lite The Fuse
Jun Park’s and Delia Nash’s 4-year-old gelding Sibelius won his first stakes race when he led throughout to win the $100,000 Lite The Fuse by 7 ½ lengths over favored multiple stakes winner Jaxon Traveler.
Sibelius, who had won one of his last six races, all coming against allowance optional claimer company, broke cleanly from the gate and took the lead from Jaxon Traveler shortly after the break. Under jockey Junior Alvarado, the son of Not This Time was pressed past fractions of :22.76 and :45.43 by Quick Tempo before Jaxon Traveler moved three-wide entering the stretch and took aim on the leader. But Alvarado had plenty left under him, and Sibelius drew of down the stretch.
Ridden by Junior Alvarado and trained by Jeremiah O’Dwyer, Sibelius covered the six furlongs in 1:09.30.
“When I started the race I thought they’d be a little more speed, but he came out of the gate running and I didn’t want to take anything away. He was traveling very nicely. He was going it easily for him,” Alvarado said.
“It was a great effort by him today,” O’Dwyer said. “He’s a 4-year-old now, and I think this is his year. He’s put it all together.”
O’Dwyer said he would consider running Sibelius next in the $350,000 Phoenix next month at Keeneland.
Swayin to and Fro Captures Shine Again
Swayin to and Fro, claimed in May by trainer Mario Serey Jr. and Baxter Racing Stable for $16,000, gamely held off the 6-5 favorite Oxana to win the $75,000 Shine Again by a neck while covering six furlongs in 1:10.93. It was another 5 ½ lengths back to Canoodle in third.
Since being claimed by Serey, Swayin to and Fro has won five of six starts. Jockey Grant Whitacre has been aboard for all of the starts.
“I’m claiming guy,” Seray said. “Sometime when you claim a horse it’s lucky. Sometimes you have a good horse sometimes no. I think with this filly, every time she runs, she gives me a little more and more. I think we got a good choice when I took this filly.”
Swayin to and Fro chased Oxana past fractions of :23.87 and :46.81. Despite a game performance by Oxana, who came into the race off a third-place finish at Parx in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial in August, Swayin to and Fro was the best on this day.
“I had a ton the whole way,” Whitacre said. “She likes to be in hand and just pull you along.”
The Shine Again is named after the 2003 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year and multiple Grade 1 winner trained by H. Allen Jerkens and owned by Bohemia Stable. Shine Again placed first or second in 24 of 34 starts for earnings of $1.271 million.