Dirty Makes Clean Getaway in Laurel Friday Feature
Dirty Makes Clean Getaway in Laurel Friday Feature
Super Hi-5, Late Pick 5 Carryovers for Saturday’s Stakes-Filled Card
Laurel to Host Groom Elite Program’s Basic Grooming Class June 25-29
LAUREL, MD – Tom O’Grady’s Maryland-bred Dirty, racing for the first time in his home state, split horses at the top of the stretch and caught front-running Jarvis Steel at the eighth pole before drawing away to a five-length victory in Friday’s featured ninth race at Laurel Park.
It was the second straight win, both over older horses, and third from four starts since being moved to the grass for the 3-year-old Dirty ($5.60), who ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:01.88 over a Dahlia turf course rated firm in the $35,000 restricted allowance for 3-year-olds and up.
A gate-to-wire winner of an open six-furlong allowance May 25 at Belmont Park, Dirty and jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. got away slowly and settled in fifth as Jarvis Steel and stakes-placed Expedited Vision – making his first start in more than 10 months – dueled through a wicked opening quarter-mile in 21.70 seconds and a half in 44.70.
Jarvis Steel took command once straightened for home but Vargas was able to steer Dirty deftly between horses leaving the far turn and opened up finding daylight in mid-stretch to catch Jarvis Steel and sprint clear. Oldies But Goodies came with a late run to edge Jarvis Steel by a nose for second, with Victory Chimes getting past Joseph by a head for fourth.
“I watched his races and he looked pretty fast out of the gate. Today … he kind of slipped himself out of there so I just let him get himself together and when he did I just had to drive him,” Vargas said. “The turf today is pretty good for all the rain that we had early.”
Pia Kirkham’s Day, a homebred son of Broken Vow making his race debut, was a last-to-first winner of Race 8, a $33,000 waiver maiden claimer for 2-year-olds, flying down the center of the track to reel in 70-1 long shot leader Grand River and get up by a half-length. Trained by Claudio Gonzalez and ridden by Jomar Torres, Day ($11.40) ran five furlongs in 58.75 seconds over a main track rated muddy.
Super Hi-5, Late Pick 5 Carryovers for Saturday’s Stakes-Filled Card
There will be carryovers in the $1 Super Hi-5 and 50-cent Late Pick 5 for Saturday’s 11-race program that features four Virginia-bred/sired stakes worth $300,000 in purses scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course.
First race post time is 1:10 p.m.
Saturday’s opener, a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up on the Dahlia turf course, will offer a carryover of $9,575.74 in the Super Hi-5.
The Late Pick 5, featuring an industry-low 12 percent takeout, returned $719.20 for tickets with four of five winners Friday, with a $6,473.17 carryover into Saturday. The sequence covers Races 7-11 and includes the $75,000 M. Tyson Gilpin (Race 7), $75,000 Edward Evans (Race 8) and $75,000 White Oak Farm (Race 10).
Also on Saturday is the $75,000 Nellie Mae Cox in Race 5.
Laurel to Host Groom Elite Program’s Basic Grooming Class June 25-29
The highly regarded Groom Elite Program comes to Maryland for the first time with its introductory course, Basic Grooming 99, to be held Monday through Friday, June 25-29 at Laurel Park.
Basic Grooming 99 is a 16-hour course devoted to preparing people for entry-level jobs such as hot walker or groom, providing four days of hands-on instruction and a final day of evaluation and job placement assistance.
Class size is limited to 24 students, with exceeding numbers placed on a waiting list. No tuition is charged for the class, which is sponsored by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.
The Lexington, Ky.-based Elite Program will hold its flagship course, Groom Elite 101, at Laurel at a future date. Groom Elite 101 features 40 hours of education over several weeks and is the only nationally recognized groom certification program.
Former trainer Chris Grove, a multiple graded-stakes winner based in Maryland during his career, is helping coordinate the Groom Elite Program at Laurel.
To sign up for the course or for more information, visit www.groomelite.com/index.shtml or contact the MTHA directly at 410-902-6842 or info@mdhorsemen.com
Notes: Jockey Jevian Toledo bookended Friday’s card with wins, taking the opener aboard Talkless Smilemore ($7.20) and the 10th-race finale with Dashing Lou ($).
