Mosler Juvenile Gelding Depository Graduates in Style Saturday
Mosler Juvenile Gelding Depository Graduates in Style Saturday
Hanalei’s Houdini Escapes Tattooed for Allowance Feature Victory
Double Carryovers for Return of Live Racing Thursday, Sept. 3
LAUREL, MD – Hope H. Jones’ homebred gelding Depository, a rallying second in his eventful unveiling three weeks prior, avoided trouble under a smart ride from Lauralea Glaser and drew off to an impressive seven-length victory Saturday at Laurel Park.
Depository ($9.20) ran one mile in 1:40.05 over a muddy and sealed main track in the maiden special weight for 2-year-olds, originally carded for Laurel’s world-class turf course that has been inundated this month with rain.
Unlike in his debut, when he got shuffled far back out of the gate before weaving greenly through traffic to close for the place in a five-furlong maiden sprint, Depository settled in the clear as House Impeachment and Cyclo tussled through splits of 23.83 and 47.63 seconds. Glaser kept Depository four wide on the outside of third-place runner Fire’s Finale as they launched a bid midway around the far turn, sweeping to the lead at the top of the stretch and sprinting clear.
“I think he got a little overwhelmed in the first start. He got a little fractious in the gate and didn’t get off well, and being five furlongs with all those first-timers there was a lot of speed and he just kind of got left behind,” Glaser said. “Once he got his footing and got rolling again, he was green but he put in a good effort. This time I was pretty confident with him, having that experience and getting to stretch him out, that he was going to be able to settle and really get a good run.
“I was super thrilled with the way he ran,” she added. “Ideally I wasn’t planning on making the lead as early as I was because I was worried he was going to get to the front and get a little green on me, but he got to that point and he had done it so easily and on his own that I just had to keep rolling with it. He was very, very professional. I’m very proud of him.”
Romp, a first-time starter by Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb from the barn of Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, raced last in the field of eight through a half-mile before making a late bid to get up for second, It was 1 ½ lengths back to Cyclo, who held off narrow 3-1 favorite Fire’s Finale by a nose for third.
Out of the Malibu Moon mare Moon Valley, Depository was the second winner for freshman sire Mosler, following Heir Port’s victory Aug. 9 at Monmouth Park. Mosler, a $1.05 million yearling by War Front, won two stakes including the 2016 Laurel Dash in 18 starts from 2013-16 and currently stands at Country Life Farm in Bel Air, Md.
It was the 10th win from 27 starts (37 percent) for Glaser during Laurel’s extended summer meet and third on a 2-year-old, following fillies Tiz Ferguson, also bred and owned by Jones, Aug. 8 and Maxis Stable’s Kewpie Doll Aug. 21. Overall, Glaser has finished in the top three 20 times (74 percent) and banked purses of $240,858.
“I get on all these horses in the morning and I’m fortunate to be able to build a good relationship with them, so they know me and I know them,” Glaser said. “I kind of know where their strengths are and maybe where their weaknesses are and help them build those up, and it really pays off.”
Depository is eligible for the six-furlong Maryland Million Nursery for 2-year-olds Oct. 24 at Laurel.
“He seems like he’s pretty versatile. He’s a big, good-feeling horse, and he’s fun to ride in the morning. He just takes whatever’s handed to him and tries his best,” Glaser said. “He galloped out really nice. I think he did shut down a little bit not having anybody running with him that last sixteenth of a mile but I don’t’ think it was a fitness thing. I think it was more just him being out there on his own.”
Collinsworth Thoroughbred Racing’s Hanalei’s Houdini ($3.20) outfought Tattooed through the lane and edged clear late to capture Saturday’s eighth race, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going one mile that was rained off the grass. The same two horses finished 1-2 four weeks earlier in a similar spot that was also taken off the turf, but Hanalei’s Houdini was disqualified to second for interference. The winning time was 1:36.49.
Notes: Jockey Horacio Karamanos registered back-to-back victories Saturday aboard He’s One Wild Dude ($11.20) in Race 2 and Odds On ($7.40) in Race 3. Xavier Perez also doubled with Seven On the Rocks ($5.60) in Race 1 and Hanalei’s Houdini ($3.20) in Race 8 … No one had all six winners in Saturday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6, growing the carryover jackpot to $4,810.16 for the return of live racing Thursday, Sept. 3. Tickets with five of six winners Saturday were each worth $30.60. There will also be a carryover of $2,743.95 in the $1 Super Hi-5 Thursday.
