Laurel-Loving Honor the Fleet Dominant Winner in Monday Feature; Rainbow 6 Carryover for Return of Live Racing Friday, Oct. 27
Laurel-Loving Honor the Fleet Dominant Winner in Monday Feature; Rainbow 6 Carryover for Return of Live Racing Friday, Oct. 27
G3-Placed Colt Pointed to $100,000 City of Laurel Stakes Nov. 11
Twocubanbrothersu Earns 19th Career Victory in Co-Feature
Rainbow 6 Carryover for Return of Live Racing Friday, Oct. 27
LAUREL, MD – Frank V. DeMarco’s Grade 3-placed Honor the Fleet had a successful prep for his return to stakes competition next month, dominating his elders with a front-running 6 ¾-length victory in the featured fifth race Monday at Laurel Park.
A 3-year-old son of To Honor and Serve from the barn of Louis Albertrani, best known as the trainer of 1999 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Artax, Honor the Fleet ($3) ran seven furlongs in a sharp 1:22.40 over the fast main track.
Negrito, a winner of his previous two starts, was a distant second with multiple stakes winner and program favorite Dr Blarney third in the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up.
Honor the Fleet, sent off as the 1-2 favorite, broke sharply under jockey Steve ‘Cowboy’ Hamilton from Post 3 and was pressured to the outside by Negrito through a quarter-mile in 23.42 seconds and a half in 46.48
Hamilton and Honor the Fleet remained in command around the far turn as Negrito was joined in the chase by Cozze Cat and Dr Blarney, but the leader extended his advantage with ease after straightening for home and ended a four-race losing streak that began when Honor the Fleet ran fifth but was placed fourth in the Sir Barton May 20 at historic Pimlico Race Course, his stakes debut.
“We gave him a little break, a little breather during the summer. He had a couple of tough races and we’re shipping him all the time, basically,” Albertrani said. “We thought, ‘Let’s give him a little breather.’ He worked great the last two works before this race and I said, ‘He’s ready for this one.’ I’m happy for him. I’m so excited for this horse.”
Honor the Fleet was racing for the first time since Aug. 31 after finishing third to multiple Grade 3 winner Timeline in the Pegasus (G3) June 18 at Monmouth Park, and second behind No Dozing in the seven-furlong Concern July 22 at Laurel.
All three of his wins from eight career starts have come in five tries at Laurel, where he also has run second twice. Albertrani, whose brother, Tom, trained Honor the Fleet’s grand sire, champion Bernardini, plans to bring his colt back in the $100,000 City of Laurel for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs Nov. 11.
“He loves this track. He loves Laurel, and the distance, too, seems to be what he prefers, too,” Albertrani said. “We’ll come back for the City of Laurel. It’s seven again, so this was a nice prep for that race.”
Twocubanbrothersu, a 7-year-old gelding owned and trained by John Rigattieri, came with a five-wide move down the stretch to pass pacesetting Hickory Hill and draw off to a three-length win in Race 8, a $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up.
It was the 19th win from 49 career starts for Twocubanbrothersu ($3.80), who ran one mile in 1:35.76 under jockey Daniel Centeno. Hickory Hill, with Hall of Famer Edgar Prado up, was a clear second, 5 ¼ lengths ahead of Sea Raven.
Centeno and Twocubanbrothersu have teamed up for six wins from nine starts over the past two years at tracks in Delaware, Florida and, now, Maryland. They were also second in the 2015 Claiming Crown Iron Horse.
“I know him very well. He can run any way you want. I thought I was going to be on the lead but I saw Edgar send a little bit so I just sat a little bit off the pace and waited to the quarter pole to make a run,” Centeno said. “For a second I thought Prado had plenty of horse for the end but as soon as my horse switched leads he took off. He’s a nice horse. He always tries.”
Pin Oak Stud homebred Point System went last to first under Prado to capture Race 10, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and older. A 3-year-old Broken Vow filly trained by Graham Motion, Point System ($12.40) finished in 1:46.21 for about 1 1/8 miles on the Bowl Game Turf Course.
Morgans Ford Farm homebred River Deep ($21.20), racing first time for trainer Phil Schoenthal, led from start to finish and held on by a neck over Shortlist to upset Race 9, a $40,000 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time for 1 1/16 miles on the Bowl Game layout was 1:42.98.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved on Monday, growing the jackpot carryover to $8,834.76 for the return of live racing Friday, Oct. 27. Tickets with five of six winners returned $2,270.84.
Friday’s Rainbow 6 spans races 4-9. First race post time is 12:30 p.m.
Notes: Jockeys Sheldon Russell, Daniel Centeno, Edgar Prado and Steve Hamilton each posted riding doubles Monday. Russell was first aboard Aunt Esther ($12.80) in the second race and River Deep ($21.20) in the ninth, Centeno won on Brindabella ($29.80) in the fourth and Twocubanbrothersu ($3.80) in the ninth, Prado scored with Flight Pattern ($6.20) in the third and Point System ($12.40) in the 10th, and Hamilton reached the winner’s circle with Honor the Fleet ($3) in the fifth and Sassy Irene ($21.80) in the 11th. River Deep and Sassy Irene are both trained by Phil Schoenthal.
Rainbow 6 Carryover: $8,834.76
