Connemara Coast Springs Upset in Sunday Feature
Connemara Coast Springs Upset in Sunday Feature
Ghost Hunter Sets Track Record in Allowance Victory
Jockey Gomez a Winner in Return to Action
Multiple Carryovers for Friday’s Twilight Program
LAUREL, MD – Dumbarton Farm’s Connemara Coast, making his first start in nearly seven months, led from start to finish to upset stakes winners Mr Palmer and Noteworthy Peach in Sunday’s eighth race at Laurel Park.
The longest shot in a field of seven at 26-1, Connemara Coast ($54.60) had not raced since ending his 6-year-old season by finishing sixth behind Noteworthy Peach in the Jennings Handicap Dec. 26 at Laurel.
“He’s a nice older horse. You never know off a seven-month layoff how they’re going to come back,” winning trainer Tim Keefe said. “He’s always been a little bit quirky but we hoped he’d run well. We put him in a spot we hoped to win with, Taylor rode him great and we’re very happy.”
A gelded son of Grade 1 winner City Zip bred in Maryland by Barbara Graham and Joseph Keelty, Connemara Coast bobbled at the start from post 1 but quickly recovered and showed uncharacteristic speed to take the field through fractions of 24.15 seconds for the quarter-mile, 47.77 for a half and 1:12.42 after six furlongs, tracked by recent allowance winner Old Upstart.
Connemara Coast was in front by 1 ½ lengths after straightening for home and turned back a late final challenge from Old Upstart to sprint clear in the final 50 yards and win by 2 ¼ lengths in 1:36.92 for a one-turn mile in the $47,000 optional claiming allowance event.
Old Upstart was a clear seconds, 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Mr Palmer. Noteworthy Peach, the Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male of 2015 making his first start since Jan. 30, finished fifth.
It was the fifth win from 24 career starts for Connemara Coast, who now shows a record of 5-4-3 from 15 lifetime tries at Laurel Park. It was also Keefe’s meet-leading fifth victory from 15 starts during the 24-day summer stand that opened July 1.
“I wasn’t doing well before. There’s something to be said about walking right out of your stall and not having to get on a van. It’s our home court,” Keefe said. “The horses are all kind of coming together now. We’ve been pretty lucky with great rides from all the riders that have been riding for us.”
Ghost Hunter Sets Track Record in Allowance Victory
Jagger Inc.’s Ghost Hunter earned his first grass victory in record-setting fashion, catching pacesetter Souperfast in deep stretch and edging clear to win Sunday’s co-featured seventh race.
Ridden by Daniel Centeno for trainer Jamie Ness, Ghost Hunter ($18) ran 1 1/16 miles over firm ground in 1:39.00, breaking the All Along Turf Course record of 1:39.4 set by Warning Glance on June 18, 1995.
“I was watching the first few races and the inside course was really fast today,” Centeno said. “Speed was holding. I wanted to break and follow the speed a little closer and make one run, and it worked out pretty good. My horse handled the ground really, really good.”
A gelded 6-year-old son of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs, Ghost Hunter rated in fourth along the rail as Souperfast ran a quarter-mile in 23.68 seconds, a half in 46.77 and six furlongs in 1:09.95. Centeno swung two wide approaching the eighth pole and ran down Souperfast to win by a length in the $47,000 optional claiming allowance.
Souperfast was second, two lengths in front of Syntax. Grade 1 winner Chiropractor, the 9-5 favorite, finished last of nine.
It was the second straight win and 12th from 37 career starts for Ghost Hunter who had been 0-for-5 with three seconds in his previous tries on grass, finishing second by a nose in a similar spot and distance April 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Jockey Gomez a Winner in Return to Action
Apprentice jockey Kevin Gomez, who missed his final two mounts after being thrown during Saturday’s third race, returned to ride on Sunday’s program.
Gomez, 22, won with one of his four mounts, Golden Mila ($11.40) in the fifth race. One of his scheduled mounts, American Progress, was scratched from Race 6 as a main track only entrant.
Gomez was taken by ambulance to the hospital complaining of neck pain when his mount, even-money favorite Whiskey Sour, appeared to clip heels with Mr. Beer Goggles approaching the far turn and dropped the rider. Whiskey Sour was uninjured.
Multiple Carryovers for Friday’s Twilight Program
There will be carryovers in the 20-cent Rainbow 6, 50-cent Late Pick 5 and $1 Super Hi-5 greeting bettors when live racing returns to Laurel for Friday’s nine-race twilight program.
First race post time is 3:40 p.m.
Rebellious Warrior’s upset of Sunday’s ninth-race finale at 10-1 meant no bettor had all five winners in the Late Pick 5, creating a carryover of $5,071.08. Tickets with four of five winners were worth $563.40.
No one had all six winners Saturday in the Rainbow 6, which will have a carryover jackpot of $1,228.57. Tickets with three of six winners returned $28.10.
The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Friday’s Rainbow 6 covers Races 4-9 and includes a $45,000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the All Along Turf Course that drew a field of 10 including stakes winner Flash McCaul, entered for main track only.
The Super Hi-5 will have a carryover of $1,389.94 for Friday’s opener.
Notes: Jockeys Daniel Centeno and Yomar Ortiz each posted riding doubles Sunday. Centeno was first with Gursky ($4.20) in the second race and Ghost Hunter ($18) in the seventh, while Ortiz won aboard Delightful Erin ($16.40) in the fourth and Available ($25.20) in the sixth following the disqualification of first-place finisher Thirteenth Avenue.
