Ghoul’s Night Out Sharp Maiden Winner Monday at Laurel

Ghoul’s Night Out Sharp Maiden Winner Monday at Laurel

Rainbow 6 Carryover for Return of Live Racing Friday, Jan. 19
 
LAUREL, MD – Ghoul’s Night Out, a chestnut daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, broke her maiden in her 4-year-old debut with an impressive 2 ¼-length triumph on Monday’s special Martin Luther King Jr. holiday program at Laurel Park.
 
It was the fifth career start and third since joining trainer Hamilton Smith last fall for Ghoul’s Night Out ($6.60), the 2-1 second choice of seven fillies in the $40,000 maiden special weight for 4-year-olds and up.
 
Purchased for $150,000 as a 2-year-old in training in April 2016, Ghoul’s Night Out was fourth in her lone juvenile start that December. After finishing off the board in her second start, she went unraced from January to November 2017 when she was third first time out for Smith. In her previous start, she finished second in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight Dec. 22 at Laurel.
 
“The filly is improving every week for us, getting better all the time. Hopefully that will continue,” Smith said. “We had to work on her a little bit when we first got her but she’s doing fine right now. We sent her down to South Carolina to regroup a little bit and brought her back. Most probably we’ll just take the next step with her and not rush her into anything.”
 
Jockey Elvis Trujillo settled Ghoul’s Night Out behind fractions of 23.57 and 47.40 seconds, forged a short lead at the head of the stretch and powered down the stretch to win in 1:11.64 over a fast main track. Sister Patricia was second, a half-length ahead of My Chesa Charm.
 
The win was the second straight on the card for Mens Grille Racing, which also took the third race with Crookit ($11.20).
 
There will be a 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot carryover of $5,980.03 when live racing returns to Laurel Friday, Jan. 19. Multiple tickets with all six winners Monday returned $914.84.
 
Notes: Jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. and trainer Kieron Magee teamed up for a pair of winners Monday with Crystal Pier ($7) in the second race and Keep Your Distance ($6.40) in the eighth. Apprentice Carlos Carrasco won aboard Crookit ($11.20) in the third and Ask Me I Might ($8.80) in the fifth. Trainer Horacio DePaz sent out two winners for Sagamore Farm, Proportionality ($4.40) in the sixth and Annapolis Class ($16.80) in the ninth.