Page McKenney Prevails in $100,000 John B. Campbell Handicap with Late Kick
Lunar Surge Surges Late to Capture $100,000 Maryland Racing Media  

           
            LAUREL, MD. 02/14/15---Mrs. Frank P. Wright’s Lady Sabelia demonstrated an affinity for Laurel Park’s racing surface once again Saturday, speeding to her fourth-straight victory over the main track to run away with the $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (G2), a seven-furlong event for fillies and mares.

            The daughter of Majestic Warrior ($7.20) had previously won three straight races over wet surfaces at Laurel but had no difficulty outrunning 10 rivals over a fast surface Saturday.

            “She is cool and relaxed about everything.  Whatever you ask her to do she does,” said Robin Graham, the winner’s Laurel-based trainer. “This one is good for the home team.”

            After breaking sharply from the starting gate to assume a quick early lead under Horacio Karamanos, Lady Sabelia was never threatened thereafter while posting fractions of 22.67 seconds, 45.61 and 1:10.18 for six furlongs on her way to a final clocking of 1:23.14.  The 5-year-old mare scored by 1 ½ lengths over Princess Violet and jockey Jose Ortiz, who checked in a length ahead of Expression, a 60-1 longshot ridden by Wilmer Garcia.

            “She has natural speed.  She wanted to go to the front. There was nothing to cover me up so I let her go,” Karamanos said. “She took the lead so nice and easy and had plenty left at the wire. She breezed so nice and comfortable last week in 58 (seconds) that I was expecting big things today. This is special for me and Maryland today.”

            Southern California-based Sam’s Sister, a Grade 1 stakes winner trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, finished an even fourth as the 2-1 favorite.

            “My horse never picked it up today,” said jockey Elvis Trujillo, who ventured from Southern California to ride Sam’s Sister. “The winner ran easy on the lead.”

            Lady Sabelia collected her fourth career stakes win and 10th victory overall in 15 career starts, including back-to-back stakes scores in the What a Summer and Willa on the Move in her last two starts. The victorious homebred’s first graded-stakes victory was worth $180,000, boosting her career bankroll over $450,000.

            .”We haven't thought past today. We wanted to see where this goes.  I will consider taking her to bigger things,” Graham said. “I don’t give Horacio a lot of instructions. He knows not to get into a fight with her.”

            It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Lady Sabelia, who raced only four times last year after missing five months of competition.

            “She only ran four times last year because of an eye problem,” Graham said. “Whenever she is off that is why. She’s been getting better since a year and a half ago.”

            Princess Violet, the 5-2 co-second choice with the winner at 5-2, chased the early pace but continued gamely to the end.

            “I thought there would be more speed in the race,” Ortiz said. “Karamanos’s filly is nice.  She got loose on lead and kept going.  My horse ran a great race today.”

            Page McKenney Prevails in $100,000 John B. Campbell Handicap with Late Run

            Adam Staple and Jalin Stable’s Page McKenney registered his first victory in nine starts over the Laurel main track Saturday, capturing the $100,000 John B. Campbell Handicap with a late stretch run.            

The ultra-consistent 5-year-old gelding, who came into the 1 1/8-mile event with a record of nine wins and nine seconds in 31 lifetime races, had only four second-place finishes and a third to show for his previous Laurel Park experience. However, the Mary Eppler-trained gelding fought hard Saturday to finally get to the winner’s circle first.

            “This horse is so honest. He does everything you ask of him. He has a great heart and he is the easiest horse to train,” Eppler said. “Horacio has always ridden him well and rides him whenever he is in Maryland. I wasn't really planning on this race. I sort of got backed into it and it worked out. I think he has been off the board twice since I had him.”  

            The 3-1 favorite was rated off the pace by jockey Horacio Karamanos as Cerro set fractions of 24.74 seconds, 48.56 and 1:12.82 for the first six furlongs. Turning into the stretch, Karamanos asked the devout closer for his run and the son of Eavesdropper responded to out-finish Behemoth by a neck. Behemoth, a 19-1 longshot ridden by Jose Ortiz, finished another head over A.P. Cino, a 70-1 outsider ridden by Kaylia Albright.

            "This horse is unbelievable. He broke sharp and showed early speed. I didn't want to go to lead because I didn't want to fight with leader at beginning of the race. So I took position right behind where he was nice and comfortable,” said Karamanos, who came right back to capture the Barbara Fritchie aboard Lady Sabelia. “Turning for home he picked it up and had a nice kick to end.  Today he showed me he has a big heart."

            Page McKenney, the co-starting highweight with also-ran Sailor’s Revenge at 115 pounds, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.88. Claimed for $16,000 in 2013, the Pennsylvania-bred gelding earned $60,000 to push his career earnings to nearly $450,000. The Campbell was Page McKenney’s first start since finishing a close second in the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 6.

                        Lunar Surge Surges Late to Capture the $100,000 Maryland Racing Media

            Jim and Susan Hill’s Lunar Surge was the beneficiary of a ground-saving trip under Jose Ortiz Saturday at Laurel Park on her way to victory in the $100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile route for fillies and mares.

            As South Florida invader Flores Island set the pace, Lunar Surge was in last place in the 10-horse field after the first quarter of a mile and advanced steadily while never venturing away from the rail. Flores Island was loose on the lead while setting comfortable fractions of 24.36 (seconds), 48.88, 1:14.34 and 1:39.85 during the first mile and appeared to be on her way to victory under Gulfstream Park-based jockey Edgard Zayas. However, Lunar Surge, the 5-2 favorite, had plenty of energy in reserve due to his ground-saving journey and kicked in late to post a length victory.

            “She broke well but got in trouble on the first turn. I had to relax her a bit so I took her back and she came out of it good,” Ortiz said. “I tried to save all the ground I could. I had an option to go four or six wide or wait and take a chance on rail. My move paid off. When I cut in and asked her for run, she took off.” 

            Flores Island held second money by three-quarters of a length ahead of Luna Time, the 3-1 second choice ridden by Sheldon Russell.

            Lunar Surge, who finished third in the Maryland Media Stakes last year, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.41 to capture her first stakes victory, which was also her first win in nearly 11 months.

            “We brought her here yesterday because last year when she finished third in this same race, she got nervous in the paddock when we brought her down the day of the race. She just needs to come here and be pampered,” said assistant trainer Blair Golden, who saddled the Kentucky-bred mare for Weaver. “We galloped her this morning after we decided to do it right this time.   She has had a good run of bad luck.  She was always beaten by small margins.”
 

            Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.comor call 954.457.6451.