Gonzalez, Carrasco Clinch Laurel Summer Meet Titles
Gonzalez, Carrasco Clinch Laurel Summer Meet Titles
Toledo Rides Four Winners on 24th Birthday
Mandatory Payouts in Rainbow 6, Late Pick 5, Super Hi-5
Live Racing Returns to Laurel’s 60-Day Fall Meet Friday, Sept. 8
LAUREL, MD – Claudio Gonzalez picked up two winner on Sunday’s 11-race closing day program at Laurel Park to edge Kieron Magee, 21-19, and earn leading trainer honors at the 33-day summer meet.
Victor Carrasco went winless with his only three mounts on the afternoon but finished as the leading rider with 36 victories, three more than Jevian Toledo, who rode four winners Sunday on his 23rd birthday to cap a six-win weekend.
It is the fourth title in Maryland for the 40-year-old Gonzalez and the first since taking Laurel’s 2015 winter meet. He also led Laurel’s 2014 fall meet and was part of a four-way tie atop the standings in that year’s winter stand.
Magee, the state’s leading trainer the past three years, had won four of the last six meets at Maryland Jockey Club tracks including both the winter-spring meet at Laurel and the Preakness Meet at Pimlico to open 2017.
“I feel good. It’s a good feeling, but I have to thank all my workers and my owners and all the people that help me, the jockeys, everybody. It’s a team,” Gonzalez said. “If it’s not for them, I don’t get it done.”
Gonzalez and Magee entered Sunday with 19 wins apiece. Gonzalez, who had four horses entered Sunday, clinched at least a tie when Martywiththeparty ($6.20) captured the fifth race, and became the sole winner when Magee ran second with Swingstage in the sixth. Magee’s only other starter of the day, Gottagottagiggle, was scratched when the third race came off the turf.
Sunday marked the fifth time during the meet that Gonzales sent out two winners on the same card, also scoring with Rarefied Air ($7) in the ninth race. Second by one win to Linda Rice in the winter-spring meet, Gonzalez had a streak of eight wins from 14 starters between July 9 and 28.
“I have a lot of new owners, and they understand the game. When we put them in the right spots, the horses have a big chance to win,” Gonzalez said. “Every win is nice. Whenever I win a race, it’s big for me. It’s great.”
Carrasco, 25, had his summer ended prematurely by injuries the past two years but finished this summer strong to earn his fourth Maryland riding title and first since Pimlico’s 2015 spring meet. He entered Sunday leading Sheldon Russell by six wins and Toledo by seven.
Toledo swept the first two races to move into second place with 31 wins, one ahead of Russell, who was unseated by his mount, maiden filly Steve Said Don’t, exiting the gate for the third race and took off the rest of the day as a precaution.
Carrasco, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2013, missed nearly six weeks with a fractured shoulder blade suffered in an April 2 spill at Laurel, returning to win with his first mount back May 11 at Pimlico.
“It’s always good to be on top. I’m just coming back from an injury and I’m glad. It always takes time to start over again,” Carrasco said. “People want to see you riding and see you confident and doing your best. We started off a little slow but then we started picking up business and now we’re on top. I’m very grateful to all the trainers and owners and all the hot walkers and grooms and exercise riders in the mornings, and here I am.”
The state’s third-leading rider in 2016 that finished in the top four in all four MJC meets last year, Carrasco had nine days with at least two wins this summer. Represented by agent Tom Stift, he won three races three times, most recently Aug. 13, had a four-win day on the first Saturday of the meet, June 10, and captured the Mister Diz with Phlash Phelps June 24.
“My agent and I have been together since I first got to Maryland four years ago. We’re really happy with what we’ve been doing. He’s part of my winners and I really want to thank him for all his hard work,” Carrasco said. “We’re looking forward to the fall meet here at Laurel.”
Toledo bookended Sunday’s card sweeping the opening daily double aboard Broken Bridle ($6) in the first race and Barcraft ($4) in the second and the late double with If I Was a Boy ($5.60) in the 10th and Odlum in the 11th ($10.40).
“Nothing better than that,” Toledo said. “Thank God for everything, to keep me healthy and give me another year. Thanks to the owners and trainers for the opportunity and everyone that does the job in the morning. They put me on the right horses. My agent [Marty Leonard] does a great job and I just do the riding. The races looked even but I always like my horses. I always give 100 percent and try really hard. I asked them today and they gave me everything they had.”
Gonzalez, Carrasco and Toledo plan to take their momentum into the Maryland State Fair Meet at Timonium that runs Aug. 25 to Labor Day, Sept. 4. Gonzalez was the leading trainer last year with five wins.
Laurel Park opens its year-ending 60-day fall meet Friday, Sept. 8.
Mandatory Payouts in the Rainbow 6, Late Pick 5, Super Hi-5 Sunday
Closing Day meant mandatory payouts in the 20-cent Rainbow 6, 50-cent Late Pick 5 and $1 Super Hi-5 wagers Sunday.
The Late Pick 5, which offers an industry-low 12 percent takeout, began with a carryover of $4,830.03 from Saturday’s 12-race Maryland Pride Day program. A total of $23,349 was added to the pool Sunday and multiple tickets with all five winners were worth $1,331.
Multiple tickets with all six winners in the Rainbow 6 returned $1,901.40, while the $1 Super Hi-5 in the 11th race-finale paid $198.80.
Notes: Trainer Gary Capuano saddled a pair of winners Sunday with Both Broken Bridle ($6) in the first race and Intrepid Citizen ($14.60) in the eighth. Jockey Julian Pimentel had gone winless with his first 13 mounts since returning from knee and back injuries Aug. 10 before taking the fifth on Martywiththeparty ($6.20) for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez.
