Lebda Cruises to Victory in $100,000 Private Terms
Lebda Cruises to Victory in $100,000 Private Terms
Princess Cadey Runs Away with $100,000 Beyond the Wire
Meet-Leading Trainer Gonzalez Sweeps 3-Year-Old Stakes
LAUREL, MD – Euro Stable’s Lebda, unhurried in the early going, cruised up to pacesetter Took Charge approaching the stretch and rolled past to notch his second straight stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Private Terms at Laurel Park.
The 31st running of the Private Terms for 3-year-olds at about 1 1/16 miles and the 32nd renewal of the $100,000 Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies going one mile were among four stakes worth $400,000 in purses on an 11-race National Pi Day program.
Second in Laurel’s series of sophomore stakes, the Private Terms and Beyond the Wire serve as respective preps for the $200,000 Federico Tesio and $125,000 Weber City Miss April 18. The Tesio is a ‘Win and In’ race for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the $1.5 million Preakness (G1) May 16, and the Weber City Miss earns the winner an automatic berth in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 15, both at Pimlico Race Course.
Sent off as the even-money favorite for winter meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez and jockey Alex Cintron, who was also aboard for his victory in Laurel’s one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 15, Lebda ($4.20) completed the distance in 1:44.87 over a fast main track in his second try around two turns. In the first, he was third behind Dennis’ Moment in the Iroquois (G3) last fall at Churchill Downs.
It was the second of three wins on the day for both Gonzalez and Cintron. Gonzalez also won the Beyond the Wire with Princess Cadey, giving him a sweep of Saturday’s 3-year-old stakes, while Cintron took Race 4 aboard Jefazo. Jockey and trainer teamed up to win Saturday’s finale with Galerio.
“We’re yet to find out [how good he is], but today he answered a big question. The question was whether he could get two turns,” Gonzalez’s assistant trainer Troy Singh said. “He ran a pretty good race in Kentucky and he ran with Dennis’ Moment over there. Today was a big question and Alex gave him a perfect ride. He got him to settle and he got him home.”
Took Charge cleared the field into the first turn from his far outside post and opened up a five-length lead after going a quarter-mile in 23.72 seconds, and was still four lengths in front following a half in 48.36. Lebda, who used similar tactics to win the Miracle Wood before hanging on to win by less than a length, settled in second pressed to his outside by Big City Bob, with My Friends Beer leading the third flight further back.
Lebda ranged up to Took Charge leaving the backstretch, drew to even terms on the bend and eased past at the top of the stretch, steadily pulling away through the lane to win by 4 ¼ lengths over late-running My Friends Beer. It was another half-length back to Miracle Wood runner-up Mine Not Mine in third, followed by Took Charge, Big City Bob – racing for the first time since his third-place finish behind Tiz the Law in the Champagne (G1) Oct. 2 – and Awesome Party.
“We knew the outside horse had speed and we didn’t really have to be on the lead. Last time he was on the lead going 22 and 45 [seconds], but he was doing it easy. He’s the kind of horse that can be off the pace, too. I really love this horse. I think he’s one of the best horses I’ve ridden so far,” Cintron said.
“He’s so nice. On the backside I had to let him run a little bit because I had [Big City Bob] coming to me and then when I opened up on that horse I just settled again,” he added. “When I asked him to take off again he really moved forward.”
Lebda is attempting to duplicate the success last year of Alwaysmining, who captured the Miracle Wood, Private Terms and Tesio leading up to his run in the Preakness. By Raison d’Etat, Lebda is not Triple Crown nominated.
“We will enjoy this one. Hopefully he comes out good,” Singh said. “He likes Laurel so we’ll keep him here and try to follow the same plan.”
Private Terms raced in the colors of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Janney’s Locust Hill Farm, winning 12 races, nine stakes and more than $1.2 million from 1987-89 including the 1988 Federico Tesio (G3) and Wood Memorial (G1) and 1989 Mass Cap (G2). His track record of 1:47 1/5 in winning the 1989 Never Bend Handicap at Pimlico still stands. He sired Grade 1-winning millionaires Soul of the Matter and Afternoon Deelites.
Princess Cadey Runs Away with $100,000 Beyond the Wire
Magic Stable’s Princess Cadey, exiting a runner-up finish behind Naughty Thoughts in the Wide Country four weeks ago, turned the tables on that rival with a dominant seven-length victory in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire.
It was the first stakes victory for Princess Cadey ($11.80) and third in five starts since being claimed by winter meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez for $16,000 Dec. 8. The winning time was 1:38.24.
Co-third choice in the betting with Gonzalez-trained stablemate Ankle Monitor, Princess Cadey raced in mid-pack along the rail under first-time rider Angel Cruz while Miss Tap Dance went a quarter-mile in 24.48 seconds and a half in 47.46 pressed by 8-5 favorite Naughty Thoughts to her outside.
Princess Cadey gained ground inside and moved into a contending position approaching the stretch then opened up and drew off once straightened for home. Naughty Thoughts finished second, with stakes winner Bella Aurora third and She’smysunshine fourth. Ankle Monitor, Mama’s Grey Ghost and Miss Tap Dance completed the order of finish.
“She sat comfortable behind the speed and that was the instruction, to sit close. She handled it good and she was going perfectly for me,” Cruz said. “I saw a seam on the inside and I went through, and she just went on.”
Cruz replaced Alex Cintron on Princess Cadey after Cintron opted to ride Ankle Monitor. The two horses had their last works together March 6 at Laurel, with Princess Cadey going a half-mile in 48.xx seconds and Ankle Monitor five furlongs in a bullet 1:01.xx.
“The last work I worked her with Alex Cintron in company and she worked really good and I liked her for this race,” Cruz said. “She felt really good for the work and coming into this race.”
Gonzalez indicated after the race that he would take a look at the Weber City Miss, contested at about 1 1/16 miles.
“She can run with any of those horses, she proved it today,” Cruz said. “Claudio has done a really good job with her and I think she’ll be able to compete with those horses.”
Founded in 2017, Beyond the Wire is an industry-wide initiative between the Maryland Jockey Club, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland jockeys designed to facilitate safe and enriching placements for retired Maryland-based racehorses.
