Jockey Carrasco Set to Launch Comeback Sunday at Laurel
Jockey Carrasco Set to Launch Comeback Sunday at Laurel
Goldwood Powers to Victory in Friday Feature
Special Father’s Day Buffet Sunday at Laurel
LAUREL, MD – Journeyman rider Victor Carrasco, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2013 sidelined for the past nine months by injury, will launch his latest comeback with a pair of mounts on Sunday’s 10-race program at Laurel Park.
Ranked among Maryland’s leading riders since coming to the U.S. from his native Puerto Rico in March 2013, Carrasco has not ridden in a race since breaking the fibula and tibia in his right leg in a five-horse spill at Delaware Park Sept. 14, 2017.
Carrasco, who turns 26 June 28, is named aboard Three Ms Racing’s Mythos, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Jonathan Maldonado, in Sunday’s fifth race, a $17,000 claiming event for 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs, and Fitzhugh LLC’s Maryland homebred Another Broad, a 3-year-old filly from the barn of trainer Mike Trombetta, in Race 7, a $33,000 waiver maiden claiming event at six furlongs.
“I wanted to wait until I was 100 percent because I didn’t want to be 80 percent or 90 percent and get back on horses and then have to stop again or get hurt,” Carrasco said. “I tried to keep myself in shape and keep my body busy during the week. I wanted to stay busy and stay away from the track so I didn’t make any stupid decisions.”
Carrasco was hurt when his mount, Really, fell while leading the field in the one-mile turf race. Four other jockeys were thrown including 53-year-old Jose Ferrer, who was able to return from major internal injuries over the winter in Florida.
A painstaking rehabilitation followed for Carrasco that included swimming, cycling, jogging and extensive physical therapy at the Dorsey Hall Medical Center in Ellicott City, Md., part of Medstar’s National Rehabilitation Network. He first began getting back on horses again May 22.
In his brief career Carrasco has been sidelined by a broken hand in 2015, foot injury in 2016 and fractured shoulder blade in 2017. His four career riding titles have come during Laurel’s 2013 fall, 2015 summer and 2017 summer stands as well as the 2015 spring meet at legendary Pimlico Race Course.
Goldwood Powers to Victory in Friday Feature
Colts Neck Stables homebred Goldwood, racing for the first time in more than three months, made a successful return to competition with a half-length victory in Friday’s featured ninth race.
Ridden by Jevian Toledo for trainer Alan Goldberg, Goldwood ($6.80) rated behind pacesetter Keep Your Distance through a quarter-mile in 22.64 seconds, took over the top spot after a half in 45.31 and held off Sylphide through the lane to win the $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance in 1:02.55 over a firm Kelso turf course.
It was the first start for Goldwood, a 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, since returning from a winter in South Florida where she won a pair of optional claiming spots before finishing sixth in the Captiva Island Stakes last out March 10, all at Gulfstream Park.
Each of her last three wins have come since the addition of blinkers. She now has four wins and two seconds from 10 lifetime starts, and is two-for-three with a second in her career at Laurel.
“She had a good winter down in Florida. We put the blinkers on and it seemed like she liked that,” Goldberg’s assistant Jorge Duarte said. “She likes Laurel and we like to run here. It worked out good today.”
Sylphide, coming off six straight races in stakes company, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Dare to Be in third, followed by narrow 2-1 favorite Deer Valley, Daylight Ahead, Anna’s Bandit, Elusive Joni and Keep Your Distance.
Even-money favorite Magical ($4.20) dueled with Slim Fit into deep stretch before putting that rival away and withstanding a late run on the far outside from Steamy Hot to win co-featured Race 7, a $42,000 entry-level allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up in 1:37.14 for one mile. The Peter Blum homebred is trained by Brittany Trimble and was ridden by her fiancé, Sheldon Russell.
In a pair of $40,000 maiden special weight events, Monmouth shipper Altamura ($7.40) was a one-length winner of Race 6, a 5 ½-furlong sprint for Virginia-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up on the Fort Marcy turf course, while Bass Rock ($12.60) rolled to a five-length victory in Race 8, going six furlongs in 1:11.63 over the main track.
Notes: Jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. had a pair of winners Friday with King’s House ($7) in the second race and Bass Rock ($12.60) in the eighth … Jevian Toledo swept the late double aboard Goldwood ($6.80) in the ninth and Fabulista ($27) in the 10th … Apprentice rider Ezequiel Lara, 21, won his eighth career race and first in Maryland aboard 3-2 favorite Flankenstein ($5) in Friday’s third. Lara began his career at Remington Park last fall and rode at Sam Houston, Will Rogers Downs and Lone Star before heading east this spring … In addition to a card of 10 live races, a special Father’s Day buffet will be served from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday in Laurel Park’s Garden Terrace. The cost is $27 per person for a variety of salad, entree, carving and breakfast stations.
