Winter Extends Streak to Three in $75,000 Maryland Racing Media

LAUREL, MD – Four weeks after closing to be second behind Page McKenney in the Native Dancer, late-running Bodhisattva turned the tables on the popular claimer-turned-millionaire with a 22-1 upset of Saturday’s $75,000 John B. Campbell at Laurel Park.

The 63rd running of the John Campbell for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and its sister race, the $75,000 Maryland Racing Media for females 4 and up at about 1 1/16 miles were among of six stakes worth $850,000 in purses on the 10-race Winter Carnival program.

Highlighting Saturday’s card were the $300,000 Barbara Fritchie (G2) for older females and $250,000 General George (G3) for older sprinters. They were joined by a pair of 3-year-old stakes, the $75,000 Miracle Wood and the $75,000 Wide Country, the latter for fillies.

Unhurried early from Post 8 in the field of nine older horses under jockey Carlos Quinones, Bodhisattva ($47.80) earned his third career stakes win from 28 starts and second in Maryland, 22 months after his victory in the Federico Tesio earned him a trip to the Preakness (G1), where he ran eighth.

“I was surprised he was 22-1. He just ran second to that horse last time he ran,” winning owner-trainer Jose Corrales said. “The jockey rode a very good race. I just didn’t want the horse close to any horses in the beginning. I said to just make one move and when you make it, just make sure you’re in the clear.

“He rode a very good race. Last time he finished second and today just do the same thing,” he added. “I just don’t want to see him close to another horse because it’s not going to benefit the horse at all. I think this horse has got a good future and I think he’s as good as any horse if you ride him the right way.”

Cosmic Destiny set a spirited pace of 24.37 and 47.76 seconds chased first by Warrioroftheroses and then Snuggley Bear while Page McKenney rode the rail near the back of the pace and Bodhisattva well behind trailing the field.

Page McKenney, whose Native Dancer victory came nine months after his previous start, found a seam along the inside and surged to the lead with three furlongs to run while Bodhisattva began to pick it up in the clear on the outside. The two horses hooked up approaching the eighth pole with Page McKenney digging in but unable to resist the oncoming Bodhisattva, who hit the wire 3 ¾ lengths in front after 1:50.78 over a fast main track.

Page McKenney was a clear second, 8 ¾ lengths ahead of Charitable Annuity, followed by Souper Lucky, Cosmic Destiny, Snuggley Bear, Turco Bravo, Warrioroftheroses and Double Whammy.

Winter Extends Streak to Three in $75,000 Maryland Racing Media

Matthew Schera’s Winter put away heavy favorite Wait Your Turn leaving the backstretch and ran down stubborn pacesetter Bawlmer Hon before drawing away to her third consecutive victory in the $75,000 Maryland Racing Media.

It was the second straight stakes win for the 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Again, following her 2 ¾-length triumph in the Nellie Morse Jan. 21 at Laurel. Sent off at 3-1, Winter ($8.20) ran 1:44.95 over a fast main track.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy settled Winter in the clear two wide in third as 24-1 long shot Bawlmer Hon ran a quarter-mile in 24.18 seconds and a half in 47.98, with Moon Virginia in pursuit. Wait Your Turn, the bettors’ choice at 1-5 in a field of seven, went four wide around the first turn before being positioned in fourth by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

“She had a nice momentum coming into the stretch. It was a nice, I had a little breather from Irad at the half-mile pole and once I kind of opened up away from him I knew I had to catch the one in front of me and she would keep running at the end,” McCarthy said. “She just seems like the farther she goes the bigger her stride gets. She’s a cool filly and she’s really coming along nice.”

McCarthy set Winter down as they straightened for home and took aim at Bawlmer Hon, slinging past in mid-stretch and going on to win by 4 ¼ lengths. Bawlmer Hon stayed on for second ahead of late-running 40-1 shot Love Came to Down. Wait Your Turn finished fifth.

“We expected [Wait Your Turn] to be 1-9 or something like that but when she wasn’t on the lead, I was relieved. We expected that horse on the lead with [Bawlmer Hon] so when she wasn’t there I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to play out,” Lynch said. “It worked out good for us. She’s doing well. She’s a nice filly and hopefully she gets her due. She’s just getting better and better.”