Apprentice Dedicates Victory to Son of Trainer Phil Schoenthal
$100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes Tops Holiday Monday Card
Maryland Racing Media Association to Honor Winners Monday

LAUREL, MD – Morgan’s Ford Farm, Linda Walls and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Pink Pearl forged a short lead after a half-mile and drew off to a 4 ¼-length upset of Sunday’s opener at Laurel Park to give jockey Victor Rosales his first career riding victory.

Rosales, 29, dedicated his milestone triumph to Emerson Schoenthal, the 4-year-old son of winning trainer Phil Schoenthal who is home and doing well following heart transplant surgery Jan. 18.

“This race is for Emerson,” he said. “They are caring for him.”

Pink Pearl ($15.60), a Virginia-bred daughter of 2012 Kentucky Derby (G1) and 2013 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Animal Kingdom, ran seven furlongs over a fast main track in 1:25.77 in the $22,000 maiden claiming event for 3-year-old fillies.

“It’s amazing. It’s what I’ve been working for, to get something like that,” Rosales said. “I want to thank everyone at the barn and all the team who helped, and the owners.”

Breaking from Post 5 in the field of 7, Pink Pearl saved ground along the inside pressing Simmard Shenanigan through a quarter-mile in 23.48 seconds, wrested the lead away after a half in 47.23 and extended her advantage down the stretch to win in her third career start for trainer Phil Schoenthal.

Though he was aboard Pink Pearl in a race for the first time, Rosales, 29, became familiar with her in his regular role working for Schoenthal in the mornings at Laurel.

“I feel comfortable on the filly,” Rosales said. “I know the filly and I’ve been working with her and I thought we had a big shot today.”

A native of Mexico who rides with a 10-pound weight allowance, Rosales won with his ninth career mount and fifth of 2019. He rode his first race July 21, 2018 at Parx, finishing fourth but being placed third aboard Ronald Glorioso-trained Joe the Boss following the disqualification of runner-up Daddy’s Placer. He had two mounts at Laurel in November and one in December.

“I’ve been galloping for 14 years. I started galloping in Florida at the Ocala horse complex and then I came back here to Maryland,” Rosales said. “I always wanted to be a jockey. I was just taking my time.”

$100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes Tops Holiday Monday Card

Laurel stakes winners Timeless Curls and Isotope will vie for favoritism in the $100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes, highlighting a special nine-race Presidents Day holiday program Monday. First race post time is 12:30 p.m.

Sookdeen Pasram’s Timeless Curls takes a four-race win streak into the about 1 1/16-mile stakes for fillies and mares 4 and up, all under 2018 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice Weston Hamilton, the most recent a 3 ¾-length score in the Jan. 12 Nellie Morse Stakes at Monday’s distance.

Timeless Curls’ third win of her streak came by a neck over Acqua Nova Stable’s Isotope in a third-level optional claimer Nov. 29 going seven furlongs. Isotope returned to capture the one-mile Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes Dec. 29 in his latest effort.

The Maryland Racing Media will go off as Race 5 (2:30 p.m.). There are also four $55,000 starter handicaps for older horses on the program, two at six furlongs and two at 1 1/8 miles (Race 4, 6-8).

Maryland Racing Media Association to Honor Winners Monday

Longtime Maryland trainer J. William Boniface, jockey Weston Hamilton, breeders Angie and Sabrina Moore, and Grade 1 winner Glorious Empire will be honored Monday at Laurel Park as after having been chosen as award winners by the Maryland Racing Media Association.

Boniface was voted the organization's highest honor, the Humphrey S. Finney Award for lifetime achievement in Thoroughbred racing in Maryland. Boniface will always be linked with 1983 Preakness Stakes winner, Deputed Testamony, a horse he also bred via his family's Bonita Farm operation.

Hamilton, son of jockey Steve ‘Cowboy’ Hamilton, was selected recipient of the Dale Austin Newsmaker Award following a season where he won 120 of 930 mounts and more than $3.5 million in purse earnings to become the 11th Maryland-based rider to be named champion apprentice.

Angie Moore and her daughter Sabrina Moore will receive the Nancy Alberts Breakthrough Award after emerging on the scene this year courtesy of Knicks Go, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland and runner-up behind Game Winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs. Glorious Empire, trained at Fair Hill by James ‘Chuck’  Lawrence II for owner Matthew Schera, will receive recognition as Maryland-based Horse of the Year after winning the Sword Dancer (G1), Fort Lauderdale (G2) and Bowling Green (G2) and being named an Eclipse Award finalist for champion male turf horse.

Notes: There will be a jackpot carryover of $7,212.19 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 for Monday, spanning Races 4-9. Multiple tickets with all six winners each returned $94.28 Sunday.