Believe in Royalty Easy Winner of Sunday Feature; Rainbow 6 Carryover $2,251 for Monday Program
Believe in Royalty Easy Winner of Sunday Feature; Rainbow 6 Carryover $2,251 for Monday Program
Spill Forces Third Race to be Declared No Contest, Wagers Refunded
Rainbow 6 Carryover $2,251 for Monday Program
LAUREL, MD – Believe in Royalty, a $900,000 yearling facing winners for the first time, got out to an easy lead and opened up on his rivals in the stretch before hitting the wire 3 ¾ lengths in front in Sunday’s featured fifth race at Laurel Park.
Owned by Robert Baker, William Mack and breeder Brereton Jones and trained by Larry Jones, Believe in Royalty ($6.60) ran one mile in 1:37.59 over a fast main track for his second straight victory.
Under jockey Daniel Centeno, subbing for injured Alex Cintron, Believe in Royalty was quickest from the gate and was unpressured through a quarter-mile in 24.50 seconds and a half in 48.22. The 2-year-old Tapit colt out of the Proud Citizen mare Believe You Can took a seven-length lead entering the stretch and powered home under a hand ride in the $42,000 optional claiming allowance for juveniles.
Rivington, the 3-5 favorite for trainer Graham Motion making his second start, was a clear second, eight lengths ahead of stablemate Moveslike Molasses.
“It was real impressive,” said Jones’ assistant Andre Stock. “For the first time against winners, it was nice to see. Mr. Motion had the favorite and anytime he ships one up here you know he’s serious. We’re just blessed to have a nice horse like this by Tapit out of Believe You Can, who we won the [2012 Kentucky] Oaks with. Hopefully he can do half as good as them.”
Believe in Royalty began his career running third by a length in a one-mile maiden special weight Aug. 28 at Delaware Park. In his previous start, he dueled for the lead before edging clear to win a similar spot by 2 ¼ lengths Oct. 9 at Laurel.
Spill Forces Third Race to be Declared No Contest, Wagers Refunded
A spill involving 6-5 favorite Leather Goods and jockey Alex Cintron caused Sunday’s third race, a $24,000 starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up at about 1 1/16 miles on the main track, to be declared a no contest.
Cintron and Leather Goods, trained by Hamilton Smith, broke from Post 2 and were trailing the seven-horse field heading into the first turn when the 3-year-old gelding stumbled and fell, tossing his rider.
Both horse and rider remained on the track as the race progressed and were unable to be moved by the time the field, still unaware of the incident, entered the stretch. Riders eased up as they approached the wire and were steered away from the spill by outriders.
After several minutes, Cintron walked onto a waiting ambulance and was taken to the hospital for evaluation of a possible broken nose, according to Clerk of Scales Frank Saumell. Leather Goods also got to his feet and was taken from the track by horse ambulance.
Win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta and Super Hi-5 wagers were all refunded, as well as the third and fourth race daily double. A consolation double for races two and three was paid, and Race 4 was treated as an ‘all’ for Pick 3, Pick 4, early Pick 5 and Rainbow 6 wagers.
Cintron was replaced on his three remaining mounts including Cincy Belle ($12) in the fourth race and Believe in Royalty ($6.60) in the fifth, both ridden by Daniel Centeno.
Rainbow 6 Carryover $2,252 for Monday Program
No one solved the 20-cent Rainbow 6 Sunday to grow the jackpot carryover to $2,251.48 for Monday’s nine-race program. First race post time is 12:30 p.m.
Tickets with five of six winners in the popular multi-race wager returned $91.22.
Monday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-8 and includes the featured eighth, a $42,000 entry-levell allowance for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the main track that attracted a field of 10 led by 2-1 program favorite Winning Road, unraced since a neck victory at the distance April 29 at Laurel.
Notes: Jockey Jomar Torres bookended the card with wins, taking the first race on Boyfriend Material ($13.80) and the ninth on Scarlett’s Ransom ($10). Trainer Mike Trombetta sent out back-to-back winners with Lacrostix ($7.80) in the sixth and Truly Hot ($39.40) in the seventh.
