Majestic Reason Becomes a Stakes Winner in $75,000 Miss Disco
Majestic Reason Becomes a Stakes Winner in $75,000 Miss Disco
Whereshetoldmetogo Runs Streak to Three in $75,000 Star de Naskra
Among Four Stakes Worth $300,000 on Maryland Pride Day Program
Mandatory Payouts in Rainbow 6, Late Pick 5, Super Hi-5 Sunday
LAUREL, MD – Hillwood Stables and Richard Golden’s Majestic Reason became a stakes winner in just her third career start, powering through the stretch for a 1 ¼-length triumph in the $75,000 Miss Disco presented by Ourisman of Clarksville at Laurel Park.
The Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies and the $75,000 Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds, both contested at six furlongs over the main track, were among four stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses worth $300,000 in purses that helped comprise the 12-race Maryland Pride Day program.
Also on the card were the $75,000 Ben’s Cat for 3-year-olds and up and the $75,000 Jameela for fillies and mares 3 and older, each at six furlongs over Laurel’s world-class turf course.
A narrow second choice in the field of eight at 2-1, Majestic Reason ($6.60) improved to 2-0 under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr., finishing up in 1:10.80 over a fast main track. Pacesetting favorite Zorally held on for second, a nose ahead of Caught Dream’n. It was 3 ¼ lengths back to Deep Red in fourth.
Unraced at 2, Majestic Reason debuted with a 1 ¾-length maiden special weight victory June 8 going the Miss Disco distance, then was a well-beaten second as the favorite when stretched out to seven furlongs in an open entry-level allowance over older horses July 14, both races coming at Laurel.
“Jorge had a lot of confidence in her. I was a little concerned after coming back and getting beat in the a-other-than but she had done well since and she ran a really good race today,” winning trainer Graham Motion said. “She kind of had to take the worst of it. They did go quick which obviously helped her. I don’t know exactly what this filly is going to want to do. I would imagine she’d go further, but she’s pretty quick.”
Zorally, wearing blinkers for the first time in her stakes debut, broke running and sailed through an opening quarter-mile in 21.99 seconds. Multiple stakes winner Limited View, Maryland’s champion juvenile filly of 2017, and Deep Red tracked early and moved up to challenge around the far turn after a half-mile in 44.89.
Vargas and Majestic Reason saved ground along the rail in the early stages, found room in the center of the track behind Limited View before shifting back to a wide gap inside, then tipped outside Zorally in the final sixteenth of a mile for the drive to the wire.
“The first time I rode her she showed me that she could run a little bit,” Vargas said. “The race set up perfect for me. She wasn’t that far and when I asked her, she just took off. Limited View, she’s a filly that likes to be in the middle of the racetrack or so, so I didn’t panic. I just stayed there to see what happened. I had the room, so I took advantage of it. The pace was fast and that helped me.”
Limited View checked in fifth, followed by Buff’s in Love, What the Beep and Shes Julia Child.
Bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Miss Disco was a multiple stakes winner during her racing career but is best known as the dam of Hall of Famer Bold Ruler, winner of the Preakness (G1) and Horse of the Year in 1957 and sire of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. She was named Broodmare of the Year in 1958.
Whereshetoldmetogo Runs Streak to Three in $75,000 Star de Naskra
Black Cloud Stable’s Whereshetoldmetogo swept past Nico Bree N Teej and pacesetter Onemoregreattime in mid-stretch and sprinted to a two-length triumph the $75,000 Star de Naskra Stakes.
It was the third straight win and second consecutive stakes for Whereshetoldmetogo ($3.20), following a rail-skimming victory in the seven-furlong Concern July 7 at Laurel. The winning time was 1:09.11.
“He’s a nice horse,” said jockey Jeremy Rose, aboard for all three wins. “[With] good horses, [you] stay out of their way and let them do their thing. I had the best horse; just get him out there and don’t do anything cute.”
Sent off the 3-5 favorite over five rivals, Whereshetoldmetogo raced in the clear four wide as Onemoregreattime went in 22.31 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.96 for the half, under mild pressure from Nico Bree N Teej. Rose launched his bid around the far turn and straightened for home with sights set on the leaders, drawing on even terms past the eighth pole and edging clear.
Onemoregreattime was second by two lengths over Nico Bree N Teej. Lngtermrelationship, multiple stakes winner Whirlin Curlin and For the Moment completed the order of finish.
“I think shortening him up [has helped], because I was trying to stretch him out,” winning trainer Anthony Pecoraro said. “He’s been training very well. He had a little issue at Charles Town with one of his feet, but everything’s OK now.”
Whereshetoldmetogo, a sophomore son of El Padrino, began his win streak with a 10 ½-length romp over older horses in a six-furlong optional claimer June 9 at Delaware Park. Saturday was the first time he had made back-to-back starts over the same track since the winter, when he was fourth in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes and won the restricted American Fabius at Gulfstream Park.
“I don’t know [how good he is]. I guess we’ll soon find out,” Pecoraro said. “We’ve had a couple offers, but nobody came through.”
The Star de Naskra is named in honor of the 1979 champion sprinter bred and owned by Carlyle Lancaster. He had a record of 15-10-4 and purse earnings of more than $580,000 from 36 starts between 1977-79, winning eight stakes and three graded-stakes, the latter during his championship season.
Mandatory Payouts in Rainbow 6, Late Pick 5, Super Hi-5 Sunday
Laurel Park will close its 40-day summer meet with a 10-race card Sunday that features mandatory payouts in the 20-cent Rainbow 6, 50-cent Late Pick 5 and $1 Super Hi-5 multi-race wagers.
First race post time is 1:10 p.m.
The Rainbow 6 saw its jackpot carryover grow to $18,072.12 after going unsolved on Saturday’s Maryland Pride Day program. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $152.40.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. However, on days when a mandatory payout is scheduled, the entire pool is shared by those holding tickets with the most winners.
Sunday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 5-10 and includes a $40,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds going one mile in Race 6 and a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up at 1 1/16 miles in Race 9, both over the Bowl Game turf course.
Racing shifts to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium Aug. 24-26 and Aug. 31 to Labor Day, Sept. 3 before returning to Laurel for the calendar year-ending fall meet starting Friday, Sept. 7.
