Determined Vision Sees Way to $75,000 White Oak Farm Win
Determined Vision Sees Way to $75,000 White Oak Farm Win
Altamura Takes $75,000 M. Tyson Gilpin with Late Rally
Jockey Carrasco Wins First Race of Comeback Saturday
LAUREL, MD – D Hatman Thoroughbreds and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Vision lived up to his name in his turf and stakes debut, leading all the way for a hard-fought half-length upset of Saturday’s $75,000 White Oak Farm Stakes at Laurel Park.
The 5 ½-furlong White Oak Farm was the last of four $75,000 stakes restricted to Virginia-bred/sired horses 3 and up over Laurel’s world-class turf course on the 11-race Commonwealth Day program. It was preceded by the Nellie Mae Cox and M. Tyson Gilpin for fillies and mares and one-mile Edward Evans.
Determined Vision ($24.80) and rider Jevian Toledo had to survive objections from both Christian Hiraldo, aboard runner-up Available, and Julian Pimentel on fourth-place finisher and 7-5 favorite Fly E Dubai before both claims were dismissed.
Fitted with bright blue earmuffs for the first time in just his fifth career start, the 3-year-old Jump Start gelding set a blazing pace of 21.72 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, chased by Hatteras Bound, before going a half in 44.65 seconds with Available pressing to his inside.
The group remained tightly bunched going around the far turn and Determined Vision was still in front after five furlongs in 56.11. Set down for a drive through the stretch by Toledo, they were able to outrun Available and hold off late-running Lime House Louie, who was a half-length back in third and a head in front of Fly E Dubai.
“My experience is that there hadn’t been a lot of Jump Starts that like the grass but moreso than that, he’s an a-other-than running against horses that are two-other-thans and that’s a tough ask for a horse,” Schoenthal said. “But, at the end of the day, the race didn’t seem like it was that tough and we didn’t think that there was a lot of speed in there. We thought maybe we’ll get out there and steal it. It worked out awesome.”
Lime House Louie finished third for the second straight year in the White Oak Farm. Rounding out the finishers were Homespun Hero, 11-year-old Two Notch Road, the 2016 White Oak winner, Hatteras Bound and Braxton.
Toledo dismounted Determined Vision on the turf course following the race so the tack could be readjusted for their return to the winner’s circle. Schoenthal credited the jockey for a superb ride.
“He’s kind of a high-strung horse. We put the earmuffs on him in the morning and it really seemed to calm him down so we added the earmuffs for the race today and he seemed like he relaxed and took a deep breath and ran well despite having his saddle slip,” Schoenthal said. “Hats off to Toledo. A lot of riders would have pulled him up out of the race for their own safety and he rode the hair off him, anyway. It was really Toledo’s win more than anything else.”
Altamura Takes $75,000 M. Tyson Gilpin with Late Rally
Making her stakes debut fresh off a maiden triumph eight days prior, also over the Laurel turf, Altamura barged between horses in mid-stretch and came with a strong rally on the far outside, emerging from a four-way photo finish with a head victory in the $75,000 M. Tyson Gilpin.
Ridden by Horacio Karamanos for trainer John Stephens, who co-owns the 3-year-old filly with Frederick Seitz and Danny Ward, Altamura ($18) ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:02.05 over the All Along layout.
A daughter of Artie Schiller, Altamura went unraced at 2 and didn’t debut until May 12 in an off-the-turf maiden special weight at Monmouth Park. She gave Thompson his first career stakes win.
“She’s just really improved from her first start and we’ve been very pleased with her. We gave her the time last year to mature, so we’re very excited,” Stephens said. “Truthfully, I think she can go longer; this spot just kind of fit her.”
Virginia Fable was in front after a quarter-mile in 22.36 seconds but was passed by Northern Eclipse, who went the half in 44.93 while Up Hill Battle gave chase on the inside and Altamura settled in mid-pack. Karamanos made his move at the top of the stretch and had to squeeze between Northern Eclipse and defending champion Do What I Say before gathering momentum once clear to catch Virginia Fable near the wire.
Up Hill Battle was another neck back in third, a neck ahead of Sister Says. What the Beep, the 3-2 favorite, Northern Eclipse, Do What I Say and Dixie Dazzle completed the order of finish.
“The filly broke really good out of the gate,” Karamanos said. “When the turn was coming I was a little tight so I sat in behind a little bit and when I asked her she gave me a really nice kick. At the eighth-pole the horse was coming through and horses started to squeeze her a little bit but she was coming with nice action and she came on at the end really strong.”
Jockey Carrasco Wins First Race of Comeback Saturday
No Guts No Glory Farm and Marisa Gino’s Ten Hut found room between horses in mid-stretch and sprinted clear to win Saturday’s ninth race and give jockey Victor Carrasco the first victory of his latest comeback.
Carrasco, 25, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2013, returned from more than nine months away from competitive riding June 17 at Laurel, after breaking the fibula and tibia in his right leg in a race-day spill at Delaware Park.
Ten Hut ($10) was the seventh mount back for Carrasco, a multiple meet champion at both Laurel and legendary Pimlico Race Course.
“This is a very, very special win for me. Coming from an injury this serious and being able to get back to do what I love, it means a lot to me,” Carrasco said. “Nobody knows how hard I worked to be here today. It’s a very, very special win for me.”
A 5-year-old gelding trained by Jerry Robb, Ten Hut won the $23,000 claiming event by 1 ¾ lengths in 1:36.11 for one mile over a main track rated good. Hours earlier, Carrasco finished second with Vow’s Son in the second race at Delaware Park.
“We’re getting back to it. I worked very extra hard in physical therapy … but the only way to get fit is riding races and this was only my seventh horse that I rode,” Carrasco said. “Every time I ride I’m getting fitter and fitter and people are going to see that I’m getting my confidence back, and hopefully I’m going to keep winning.”
Carrasco is named in three of 10 races at Laurel on Sunday, which will feature carryovers of $6,858.92 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 1) and $630.02 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 5-10). First race post time is 1:10 p.m.
