LAUREL, MD. 12-07-13---Konrad M. Wayson’s Joint Custody broke alertly, quickly assumed the lead and then turned back all comers as he raced to victory in the Marylander Stakes for 2-year olds.

Wesley Ho was aboard for trainer John Robb as the son of Outflanker completed the seven furlong distance over the muddy going in 1:25.38 and won by 1-3/4 lengths. Post time favorite Jessethemarine raced behind a wall of horses before rallying into second, while Classic Giacnroll took third.

Joint Custody paid $7.80.

“His last race was a great schooling experience for this horse,” said Ho. “Today he had the perfect post position. The game plan was to go to the lead and go as easy as you can for as far as you can. It worked out just right. He rated perfectly for me. When I turned for home I asked him to go on and he just opened up very easily, very willingly. He gets to the lead and he’s starts waiting for competition. He wants another horse. I had to tap him a few times in the stretch to keep his mind on his business. He’s still a little green, but this horse has got a lot of talent and I think he’s going to move forward off of this effort.”

“We are aiming for the Juvenile (Maryland Juvenile Championship – December 28^th),” said Robb. “We had confidence today. We schooled him the last time. We took him back and he learned how to run in the dirt. His mother loved the mud and he had a good mud number. I told Wesley that he has as much speed as anything in here, to stay outside of the rest of them and let them run on the deeper part of the track. In the stretch he ended up going to the rail anyway. He looked good today.“

This was Joint Custody’s first stakes win. His previous best was a runner-up finish in the Maryland Million Nursery.