Comeback Performance Creates Options for Laurel Winner Escapade
Live Racing Returns Thursday, Aug. 8 with $20,746 Rainbow 6 Carryover

LAUREL, MD – Fitzhugh LLC’s Maryland homebred English Minister, better than ever at the age of 9, extended his win streak to three with a record-setting triumph over Grade 1 winner Force the Pass in Sunday’s featured seventh race at Laurel Park.

Making his 53rd career start, the last 39 coming for trainer Mike Trombetta, English Minister ($11.80) ran down millionaire Force the Pass in the stretch and pulled clear by 2 ¼ lengths in 1:40.41 for 1 1/16 miles over a firm Bowl Game turf course layout.

The final time eclipsed the course mark of 1:40.47 set by 7-year-old Heiko on July 24, 2016. English Minister had won only one of 14 previous tries over Laurel’s world-class turf course, but entered the race with back-to-back wins on the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs.

“He’s a very nice horse,” winning rider Julian Pimentel said. “They took him over to Presque Isle and he won a couple over there and got his confidence back, so it’s good for him.”

Grade 3 winner Archaggelos was keen on the early lead and held it through brisk early fractions of 22.68 and 45.42 seconds pressed by Force the Pass, with English Minister unhurried in third. Force the Pass cruised to the front on the turn after six furlongs in 1:09.47 and English Minister, who followed his move, came with a steady run down the center of the track to prevail.

“They came out running, both of those horses, and I just sat chilly and waited for my turn to run,” Pimentel said. “I was very confident. When I was coming around the turn, I had a ton of horse.”

Force the Pass was a clear second, 10 ½ lengths ahead of Gunnison with Archaggelos fourth. Multiple stakes winners John Jones and Phlash Phelps were scratched.

In Sunday’s co-feature, Goodonehoney ($6) pressed popular pacesetter Varanasi into mid-stretch, forged a short lead inside the eighth pole and withstood a furious bid from late-running Scatrattleandroll to get her nose down on the wire in Race 5, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up.

The winning time was 1:38.90 for one mile over a fast main track. Rosario Montanez was aboard for Parx-based trainer Michael Moore.

Goodonehoney, a 4-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Great Notion, began her career with trainer Jason Egan and won the Weber City Miss in 2018, earning an automatic berth in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), where she finished fifth in only her third start. She returned to the races in March, won the Serena’s Song May 11 at Monmouth Park and was second in the June 15 Obeah at Delaware Park before being a well-beaten eighth in the Delaware Handicap (G2) last out.

“I thought she was overmatched in the Del ‘Cap. The way Elate won that race was impressive,” Moore said. “As far as today, she’s a filly that needs to be into the race. We told Rosario, ‘She always seems to break a step slow. You can’t decide to let her sit. You’ve got to send her up there and get her in the race.’ He did that perfectly. To me, from about the quarter pole home she looked beat, but she kept on digging and digging and she ran well.”

Comeback Performance Creates Options for Laurel Winner Escapade

Following Escapade’s comeback triumph Saturday at Laurel Park, trainer Jonathan Thomas was doubly pleased with the performance by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ 4-year-old filly.

Not only was it Escapade’s first race in seven months, but the typically front-running daughter of Grade 1-winning millionaire More Than Ready was content to sit a stalking trip under Sheldon Russell before taking over in mid-stretch and powering home to a 2 ½-length score.

“I was really, really pleased with her,” Thomas said Sunday from Saratoga. “She had a small injury that the owners were very patient with, and she came back and showed a completely different dimension yesterday.

“I never could quite get her past five furlongs effectively and for her to stretch out like that, I was really happy,” he added. “There was plenty of speed in front of her and Sheldon did a great job of just sitting there and pouncing. I was very, very, very pleased with her.”

Laurel was the sixth different racetrack from seven career starts for Escapade, a list that includes Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Park West, Belmont Park, Saratoga and Suffolk Downs. She has been worse than third only once, with four wins – all since joining Thomas’ string last year – and two seconds.

“That [effort] actually opens up some dimensions now,” Thomas said. “I always wanted to run her here [at Saratoga]. I was always scared of the 5 ½ [furlongs], but I’m not now. So, I don’t know where we’ll go.”

Live Racing Returns Thursday, Aug. 8 with $20,746 Rainbow 6 Carryover

Live racing returns to Laurel Park with an eight-race program Thursday, Aug. 8 featuring a 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot of $20,746.48.

Post time is 1:10 p.m.

No single bettor solved the Rainbow 6 Sunday. Multiple tickets with all six winners each returned $621.92.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 3-8. The card includes a $40,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds going one mile over the Kelso turf course in Race 2, which attracted a field of seven.

There will also be a carryover of $1,879.44 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for Thursday’s opener.

Notes: Jockeys Rosario Montanez and Alex Cintron each rode two winners Sunday. Montanez was first with Bucks Vow ($9.60) in Race 2 and Goodonehoney ($6) in Race 5, while Cintron scored on Avocado ($4.80) in Race 4 and He’s Not Curly ($4.60) in Race 8.