Matt King Coal Takes $75,000 Harrison Johnson
Matt King Coal Takes $75,000 Harrison Johnson
Laki Makes It Four in a Row in $75,000 Not For Love
Jockey Davis, Next Best Thing Break Stakes Maiden in $75,000 Conniver
LAUREL, MD – Lady Shelia Stable’s Matt King Coal survived a stretch duel with Afleet Willy and an inquiry and objection to win Saturday’s $75,000 Harrison Johnson at Laurel Park.
The 32nd running of the Harrison Johnson for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and the $75,000 Not For Love and $75,000 Conniver for Maryland-bred/sired sprinters 4 and older were among five stakes worth $425,000 in purses on an 11-race Maryland Jockey Club Celebration Day program.
Also run were the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Caesar’s Wish for 3-year-old fillies, both at about 1 1/16 miles, along with Laurel’s inaugural Fantasy Owners Day designed as an introduction to prospective Thoroughbred owners.
Matt King Coal, a son of Cool Coal Man and the 4-5 favorite, was making his second start of the year. He won his 4-year-old debut at Laurel Feb. 18 for trainer Linda Rice.
Breaking from the No. 9 post in the Harrison Johnson, Matt King Coal left running and was taken to the front by Karamanos and set fractions of :25.01, :50.27 and 1:14.58 while Afleet Willy and jockey Victor Carrasco sat behind the leader.
“He shot out of the gate,” Karamanos said of Matt King Coal.
Entering the stretch Afleet Willy drew alongside Matt King Coal and the race was on. The two raced gamely side-by-side, with some contact down the stretch, before Matt King Coal got the win by a nose while covering the distance in 1:51.07.
“I didn’t bother him,” Karamanos of Afleet Willy. “I think Victor’s horse was laying on me. He’s touching my horse behind. My horse never bothered him. Good finished. We finished strong to the wire. My horse has a lot of talent. Nice finish.
Laki Makes It Four in a Row in $75,000 Not For Love
Laki, owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows and trained by Damon Dilodovico, took the lead from pacesetter Nicaradalic Rocks at the head of the stretch before driving off to victory in the $75,000 the Not For Love Stakes.
Ridden by Horacio Karamanos, Laki has now won four consecutive starts sprinting on Laurel’s main track after finishing off the board in his debut on the turf.
A son of Cuba – who is a son of Not for Love – Laki covered the six furlongs in 1:09.56 while finishing 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Sonny Inspired. Nicaradalic Rocks held on for third.
Entering the Not For Love off a 1 ¾-length victory Feb. 18 against allowance conditions, Laki chased Nicaradalic Rocks past fractions of :22.94 and :45.96 before taking over entering the stretch under Karamanos.
Dilodovico said he entered Laki, who returned $6.40, after talking to Karamanos.
“I had to talk it over with Horacio a couple days ago to make sure he had the confidence,” Dilodovico said. “Timing worked out for us, I guess.
“Mentally, he’s just kind of coming together,” he added. “He always showed spurts here and there but not consistently, but since the turf race he’s kind of put it together.”
Jockey Davis, Next Best Thing Break Stakes Maiden in $75,000 Conniver
MCA Racing Stable’s veteran campaigner Next Best Thing split horses leaving the backstretch, opened a clear lead down the lane and held off late-running If I Was a Boy to win the $75,000 Conniver by a length.
It was the first stakes victory for jockey Katie Davis, who escaped injury in a late-race spill one week ago, and Next Best Thing ($8.60), a 7-year-old mare making her 55th lifetime start for meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez.
“It’s amazing. I couldn’t thank Claudio’s crew and everybody enough; they pretty awesome to give me this opportunity,” Davis said. “I’m super excited for my first stakes.”
One Proud Gal ran the first quarter-mile in 24.34 seconds with 4-5 favorite Bawlmer Hon and Next Best Thing right behind. Davis, aboard for a one-mile optional claiming win March 4 at Laurel last time out, guided Next Best Thing between One Proud Gal and Bawlmer Hon after a half in 47.86 and took over the top spot, extending their lead around the turn.
Davis kept busy on Next Best Thing in the final furlong as If I Was a Boy made a late run along the inside but held sway, finishing in 1:24.40. Bawlmer Hon was 3 ½ lengths behind If I Was a Boy in third.
“She’s not an easy filly to ride. Just like in the morning, she’ll just rip your arms right out,” Davis said. “When I saw the opening I had to go or I knew I would be right up on them. I made the decision to scoot between them and she went right on by.”
NOTE
Jockey Trevor McCarthy, who won three races Friday, added the first three races Saturday. McCarthy won the early double with Whiskey Sour ($7.40) in the first, Seeing’n’believing in the second ($2.40) and C B Bodemester ($4.20) in the third.
