Saturday Feature Sees Connections Hit One ‘Outofthepark’
Next Live Racing Programs Friday & Saturday, July 3 & 4

LAUREL, MD – Champion jockey Trevor McCarthy swept the late daily double on a pair of Jamie Ness-trained horses to complete a four-win day Saturday at Laurel Park.

McCarthy, 26, split horses at the top of the stretch and went on to win with favored It’s a Journey ($4.40) in Race 10, then came with a rally on the far outside to edge Lucky Ramsey and 10-year-old Chocolate Ride at the wire aboard Minister’s Strike ($15) in Race 11.

Earlier on Saturday’s program, McCarthy finished first with Cal Lynch-trained Eloquent Lady ($5) in Race 3 and Anima Gemella ($6.80), racing first time for trainer Graham Motion, in Race 6.

Minister’s Strike, owned by Ness’ Jagger Inc., earned his ninth career win in the finale, a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up on the Kelso turf course. The 6-year-old son of champion English Channel, who went 4-for-8 in 2019, emerged from a three-way photo finish on top.

“He kicked pretty good for me at the top of the stretch when I pulled him out, and I just stayed right on Chocolate Ride’s heels the whole way. He was the horse to beat. I just was following him every single step,” McCarthy said. “This horse has been such a warrior. We had such an awesome year with him last year. He’s a huge barn favorite, my favorite. Usually he doesn’t love this kind of ground, but he showed how much of a warrior he is and how much class he’s got. He gave it all he had today.”

Represented by agent Scotty Silver, McCarthy is an 11-time meet titleholder in Maryland and the state’s four-time leading rider (2013-14, 2016, 2019) who has dominated since returning to the circuit full-time in the fall of 2018.

“It was a great day. I’m super happy. I just want to thank everybody – Graham and Cal and Jamie for the double. Everything went really smooth, so I was very happy with the day,” McCarthy said. “My agent is doing a great job and it was just one of those days. Everything just kind of clicked. I was very privileged to ride some nice horses today and everything worked out well.”

Saturday Feature Sees Connections Hit One ‘Outofthepark’

A belated start to 2020 hasn’t slowed Hillwood Stable’s Outofthepark, who ran his 4-year-old record to 2-0 with a come-from-behind victory over pacesetter Papal Law in Saturday’s featured seventh race at Laurel Park.

A Maryland-bred son of 2014 General George (G3) winner Bandbox, Outofthepark ($6.40) was relentless through the stretch to reel in a stubborn Papal Law and edge past near the wire for a three-quarter-length score in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up over Laurel’s world-class turf course.

The winning time for one mile on a firm Kelso course layout was 1:35.57.   Victor Carrasco was aboard for trainer Rodney Jenkins and Hillwood’s Ellen Charles.

“We were real pleased. Mrs. Charles was with me today and it was exciting,” Jenkins said. “That horse has come a long way since he was a 3-year-old. He was running at the end. He wasn’t just playing around.”

Carrasco settled Outofthepark in the clear in fifth as Papal Law, one of three horses entered for a $35,000 tag, led through fractions of 24.96 and 49.07 seconds, pressed to his outside by 35-1 long shot No Bull Addiction. While Papal Law started to gain separation from the field once straightened for home, Carrasco began to roll on Outofthepark around the turn and steadily gained ground on the leader to earn his third win in the last five starts.

Papal Law was a solid second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of 9-5 favorite Taxable Goods, who came on to edge No Bull Addiction by a neck for third.

Winless in his first nine career starts, including a third in the 2018 Maryland Million Nursery second time out, Outofthepark through with a waiver maiden triumph last September, running fourth in the Maryland Million Turf in his subsequent start.

Outofthepark went unraced for seven months before returning with a three-quarter-length score using similar tactics in an entry-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles over a yielding turf at Laurel June 5. Jenkins trained Bandbox to four stakes wins and more than $390,000 in purse earnings for Charles from 2010-14 and hasn’t been surprised by his son’s development. Since being moved to the turf, Outofthepark has a record of 3-2-1 from seven starts.

“I think that’s a Bandbox trait – the older they get, the better they get. They get stronger, they get competitive,” Jenkins said. “I just think it’s a growing-up period and if you’ve got an owner that’s patient, you’ll see that more than you would with someone that would run this horse at first and then tell the trainer to get rid of him.”

Live racing returns to Laurel Park for programs Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4. Post time both days is 12:40 p.m.

Notes: South Bend, owned by Sagamore Farm of Reisterstown, Md., rallied to be second in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) Saturday at Thistledown in Ohio. Laurel Park-based Lebda, a two-time stakes winner over his home track this winter, dueled for the early lead before finishing sixth in the field of 13.