Secret Message Returns a Winner in $100,000 Dahlia
Dirty Sets Track Record in $100,000 King T. Leatherbury Win
Laki Gets Better of Lewisfield in $100,000 Frank Whiteley Jr.
Ms Locust Point Hangs on for $100,000 Primonetta Triumph

LAUREL, MD – Isabelle de Tomaso’s Grade 3-winning homebred Irish Strait, older half-brother to multiple graded-stakes winner Irish War Cry, was resolute through the lane holding off challenges on both sides to emerge from a four-way photo finish with a neck victory in the $100,000 Henry S. Clark Saturday at Laurel Park.

The one-mile Clark, presented by Fidelity First and James Blackwell Real Estate, for 3-year-olds and up anchored an 11-race Spring Stakes Spectacular program featuring seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses highlighted by Alwaysmining’s emphatic victory in the $125,000 Xpressbet Federico Tesio.

Irish Strait ($5.80) finished up in 1:33.94 over a firm ground, just missing the All Along Turf Course record of 1:33.43 set by Blacktype in the 2016 Commonwealth Turf Cup (G3). The 7-year-old gelding gave jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. his third win of the day, all in stakes.

“It was a beautiful trip. I was stalking them and he was very comfortable on the backstretch,” Vargas said. “When I asked him he was there for me. I knew he was going to dig in because he likes to fight, and he did.”

In a field comprised of four graded-stakes winners and a pair of two-time Maryland Million Turf winners, it was Real Story that opened up a comfortable lead through fractions of 24.25 and 48.08 seconds. Irish Straight, the 9-5 favorite over six rivals, was second but gradually closed the gap and launched his bid on the turn.

Irish Strait had to hold off multiple stakes winner O Dionysus and Maryland’s 2017 Horse of the Year Just Howard on his outside and Real Story on the rail to earn his third career stakes win including the 2017 Red Bank (G3). He opened this year winning an optional claimer and running sixth, beaten 1 ½ lengths, in the Tampa Bay (G3) over the winter at Tampa Bay Downs.

“I give Jorge a lot of credit. I think he’s really got him figured out. I’m glad we could reward him for going down to Florida to ride him a couple of times,” winning trainer Graham Motion said. “He likes the ground being a little firm, and I think this is a great trip for him. He loves the mile. It’s a great family. It’s Irish War Cry’s family and this has been a great producing family.”

Real Story finished second, a nose in front of O Dionysus. Just Howard was another half-length back in fourth.

Secret Message Returns a Winner in $100,000 Dahlia

Madaket Stables, ERJ Racing, Elayne Stable 5 and Bouchey Thoroughbred Ventures’ Secret Message, winner of the Pucker Up (G3) last summer at Arlington Park, made a triumphant 4-year-old debut by nailing even-money favorite La Moneda on the wire in the $100,000 Dahlia.

Ridden by Trevor McCarthy for trainer Graham Motion, Secret Message ($11.80) ran one mile in 1:35.25 over a firm Dahlia Turf Course in her Laurel debut. It was another neck back to Viva Vegas in third, with 23-1 long shot Enchanted Ghost fourth.

“Trevor and I talked about it. We didn’t want to rush her; it was her first race back this year,” Motion said. “Her best race she ran was at Arlington when she came from far back. This filly has improved. She’s a big, strong filly and she ran a big race today.”

McCarthy settled Secret Message in mid-pack as 80-1 long shot So Innocent outsprinted the field from her far outside post to lead through fractions of 25.15 and 49.10 seconds, tracked by Souper Striking. La Moneda got to the front once straightened for home with sights set on the wire, but Secret Message split horses in mid-stretch and came with a steady run on the outside for the win, while Viva Vegas launched a bid up the rail.

“The plan was to kind of just let her fall out of there and get comfortable. Going into the first turn I was able to ease her back and sit in behind two horses that I wanted to sit behind,” McCarthy said. “I just had to wait around the turn and push the button turning for home. I knew it was close, but I thought I got it.”

The 17th running of the Dahlia for fillies and mares 3 and up was the last of four consecutive races that launched the second year of the revived Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series, which is set to resume June 1 at Penn National.

Dirty Sets Track Record in $100,000 King T. Leatherbury Win

Tom O’Grady’s Maryland-bred Dirty, trailing by nine lengths with 2 ½ furlongs to run, swung to the far outside for a steady drive through the stretch to catch Completed Pass late for a record-setting triumph in the inaugural $100,000 King T. Leatherbury presented by B & B Commercial Interiors.

Dirty ($13) completed 5 ½ furlongs in 1:00.65 over the firm going in his seasonal debut, breaking the Dahlia Turf Course mark of 1:01.25 set by a 4-year-old Mendassity on Oct. 5. 2013.

It was the second win in as many tries over the Laurel grass for 4-year-old Dirty, who previously captured a conditioned allowance at the same distance last June for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. Jorge Vargas Jr. was aboard for the first of back-to-back stakes wins on the afternoon.

“He’s been tearing down the barn and he’s been in his feed tub constantly,” assistant trainer Talie Lynch said. “He’s just been really, really happy and had some really good works with Jorge.”

American Sailor and Completed Pass dueled on the lead through blazing fractions of 21.01 and 42.96 seconds before Completed Pass put a head in front at the top of the stretch. With a long run to the second finish line, Vargas put Dirty in the clear and set him down for a drive.

“This horse, I worked him last week and he worked really good. They were going quick because I was pretty far behind them and my horse is quick. When I ducked him out, he just took off,” Vargas said. “The long stretch helps a lot, it does. The second wire is a long way turning for home and you have to measure it. If you’ve got the horse, you’re going to get there.”

Honoring the 86-year-old Hall of Fame horseman stabled at Barn 1 at Laurel and entering his 60th season as a trainer, the Leatherbury for 3-year-olds and up was the first of three stakes over Laurel’s world-class turf course and part of the MATCH Series.

Leatherbury watched the race from the winner’s circle and presented the trophy to the winning connections. He is best known as the breeder, owner and trainer of late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben’s Cat, a 26-time stakes winner of more than $2.6 million in purse earnings, many in turf sprints.

“It’s very unique. I don’t think it’s ever happened in the state of Maryland,” Leatherbury said. “What can I say? I’m glad I’m here to enjoy it.”

Laki Gets Better of Lewisfield in $100,000 Frank Whiteley Jr.

Hillside Equestrian Meadows’ Laki ($8.20) got the upper hand in his longstanding rivalry with Linda Zang’s Lewisfield Saturday at Laurel Park, rolling to an off-the-pace 3 ½-length victory over the even-money favorite in the $100,000 Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes.

The Damon Dilodovico-trained 6-year-old gelding had previously finished five lengths behind a victorious Lewisfield while finishing third in the Not For Love Stakes March 16 but showed a considerably more competitive spirit in Saturday’s six-furlong sprint.

“Going into his last race, in his breezes he was just kind of doing it, but he wasn’t into it,” said Dilodovico after jockey Horacio Karamanos guided the son of Cuba to his eighth career victory in 19 starts. “Horacio had a couple ideas about giving him some targets to run at. We tried that in his most recent breeze coming into the race and he really picked it up. It picked him up a little bit more going into the race.”

Laki rated off the pace set by longshot Tradfest through fractions of 22.06 and 44.54 seconds for the first half-mile while pressed by Lewisfield, who would take over on the far turn and open a clear lead at the top of the stretch. However, Laki made a wide sweeping move on the turn into the homestretch and blew past his archrival on his way to a comfortable victory.

Laki ran six furlongs in 1:08.47 over a fast main track. Lewisfield finished second under Jevian Toledo, 3 ¾ lengths ahead of Rockinn On Bye and jockey Victor Carrasco.

The six-furlong Whitleley for 3-year-olds and up, named for the Hall of Fame horseman and Maryland native best known as the trainer of ill-fated champion filly Ruffian, kicked off Saturday’s MATCH Series races.

Ms Locust Point Hangs on for $100,000 Primonetta Triumph

 Cash is King LLC and Jim Reichenberg’s Ms Locus Point hung on gamely to hold off a late bid by Cairenn Saturday at Laurel Park after setting all the fractions on her way to victory in the $100,000 Primonetta.

The John Servis-trained multiple stakes winner, who was sent to post as the even-money favorite in a field of nine fillies and mares, set fractions of 21.95 and 45.09 seconds for the first half-mile of the six-furlong stakes. After opening a clear lead in mid-stretch, Cairenn loomed as a major threat after a ground-saving drive under Trevor McCarthy. Ms Locus Point held strong to prevail by a nose and post her fifth victory in seven starts at Laurel.

“She’s the Queen of Laurel,” Reichenberg said in the winner’s circle.

Ms Locus Point, who counts the 2017 Barbara Fritchie (G2) among her successes over the Laurel racing surface, ran six furlongs in 1:10.11 under Jorge Vargas Jr.

“She’s quick. I just let her go along and she had enough left to win the race,” said Vargas, who rode Dirty to victory in the $100,000 King Leatherbury Stakes in the race prior to the Primonetta. “She kept going. I was confident.”

Carienn, who won the Shine Again over the Laurel track last September, finished two lengths clear of third-place finisher Startwithsilver, who saved ground under Junior Alvarado.

The Primonetta for fillies and mares 3 and up was the third of four consecutive MATCH Series races on the program.