LAUREL, MD—Sewanee Inn never looked like a loser in Thursday’s featured sixth race at Laurel Park, a $47,000 maiden special weight for juvenile fillies at a mile.
Laurel Park ran a special nine-race program on Thursday, a normally dark day for live racing, after the remnants of Hurricane Isaias forced the postponement of Sunday’s card.
Ridden by Jorge Ruiz for trainer Graham Motion, Sewanee Inn broke well and pulled herself forward to contest the pace with a hard-sent News of the Week while racing well off the inside.
News of the Week, a 111-1 outsider on the tote, set fractions of 24.54 and 49.15 seconds before Sewanee Inn decided to put her hoof down. She spurted to a clear lead after six furlongs in 1:14.26 and drew off under a steady drive to prevail by ten lengths in 1:40.19 on the fast track.
Jesse Marie rallied to finish a well-beaten second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Always Ours. Hugh’s Legend, News of the Week, Good Wishes, favored She’s the Moament, Souper Taylor, A.P. Class, and Dr. Evans completed the order of finish.
Sewanee Inn, the fourth choice in the betting, returned $12 to win.
“We really liked this filly,” said Motion’s assistant, Anne Sinchak. “She handles the dirt really well, and she’s classy. That was really nice.”
Sewanee Inn finished third in her career debut, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park on August 29, then faltered as the favorite, finishing seventh of nine in a similar event at six furlongs on September 16.
“She was just learning a lot in that last race,” Sinchak noted. “More and more [racing] with her will help.”
She really seemed to appreciate today’s added ground.
“She’s a big, long-striding filly, so it seemed to definitely help her today,” Sinchak said. “There was no pace in there. She could do that all day long.”
A homebred owned by the Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Kentucky-bred Sewanee Inn is by Upstart, out of Piney Point (by Curlin). Her dam is a half-sister to Grade 2-winning turf router Significant Form, and Grade 3-winning turf sprinter Hay Dakota.
“She can get a little silly here and there, but she loves her job,” Sinchak admitted. “She’s lovely. I love this filly. She’s such a sweetheart.”
*Around the track:
Live racing resumes Friday with eight races. First post time is 12:00 pm, and 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. Friday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.
Join us at Laurel Park on Saturday, October 17, for “Cigars & Bourbon On The Rail,” presented by WBAL News Radio 1090 AM/101.5 FM. Your all-inclusive ticket includes the finest cigars, bourbon, and whiskey selections at the premium bar, a chef-prepared trackside luncheon, and live Thoroughbred racing. For the menu and tickets, click here.
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.