G3 Pimlico Special Next for Cordmaker After Thursday Feature Win
Rainbow 6 Carryover Stands at $46,930 for Friday Program          
Gran City Sets Exceller Turf Course Record in 5 ½-Furlong Turf Sprint

LAUREL, MD – Laurel Park jockeys used new, cushioned riding crops for the first time as a group during Thursday’s program to positive reviews.

The 360 GT (gentle touch) crop was designed by retired Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez and put into use courtesy of the Maryland Jockey Club, who purchased the first batch of 50 for its riders.

“So far, everything is good. We’ve had no complaints,” six-time Maryland meet champion Sheldon Russell said. Russell captured Thursday’s opener with Mary Boskin homebred Brooks Robinson ($8.40), named for the Baltimore Orioles’ Hall of Fame third baseman.

The new crop has a larger, cushioned padding at the end designed to have less impact on horses. Some Laurel riders began experimenting with it during a special Easter Monday program.

“It’s a little bit of a different design than we’re used to riding with, but the handle and the flexibility is very similar,” Russell said. “As long as it’s safer for the horses, we’re all on board. We’re trying to make it safer for the horses and safer for the game. We don’t want any problems. Everything’s good. The horses seem to be running; if anything, they’re running a little bit faster, time-wise.

“And fair play to the Maryland Jockey Club for giving us the first one on the house so we can test it all out. We got a big shipment to choose from,” he added. “Everything seems to be going smoothly, so onward and upward.”

Spring meet-leading rider Trevor McCarthy, Maryland’s two-time overall champion, won Thursday’s eighth race with Granpollo Stable’s Gran City ($7.20).

“I really like it,” he said. “I think it’s great for the horses. I got a win with it, so that was good.”

G3 Pimlico Special Next for Cordmaker after Thursday Feature Win

Hillwood Stables’ multiple stakes winner Cordmaker rated in fourth off the early leaders, swept to the front on the far outside nearing the stretch and powered through the lane to a 4 ½-length victory in Thursday’s featured sixth race.

Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Rodney Jenkins, 4-5 favorite Cordmaker ($3.80) covered seven furlongs in 1:21.86 over a fast main track in the $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance for his second straight win.

Stoney Bennett was second, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Two Charley’s, who edged 2018 Maryland Million Classic winner Saratoga Bob by a nose for third. They were followed by Cozy Lover, Jumpmaster and Struth.

Cordmaker, a 4-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Curlin, was coming off a win in the 1 1/8-mile Harrison E. Johnson Memorial March 16 at Laurel. Cordmaker opened his year off the board in the General George (G3), which followed a triumph in the Jennings Stakes to cap his sophomore campaign.

“We had no other place to run him. We had him in a couple races main-track-only and he didn’t get in, so I put him in the seven-eighths, running him off a distance race back to this,” Jenkins said. “I thought it would take [away] some of his speed, but I think he’s got speed. He’s really come around. This horse is unbelievable. I’m amazed. He’s wonderful. He trains good and he’s a nice horse all-around.”

Cordmaker raced in fourth along the rail from his No. 1 post as Stoney Bennett led a field of seven through fractions of 22.86 and 45.12 seconds, pressed by Cozy Lover. Carrasco tipped Cordmaker out around the turn and he quickly assumed the top spot, extending his lead down the lane.

Jenkins said he would point Cordmaker to the historic $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3) Friday, May 17 at legendary Pimlico Race Course on the 95th Black-Eyed Susan Day program, the eve of the 144th Preakness Stakes (G1). The Pimlico Special was extended from 1 3/16 miles to 1 ¼ miles for 2019.

“He wants to go long anyway, and this race here should set him up for that,” Jenkins said. “That’s my plan, anyway. I haven’t talked it over yet with Mrs. Charles, but I think that’d be a good place to run him. Everything’s good.”

Jenkins said he also planned to point 6-year-old mare Dare To Be, 8-year-old multiple turf stakes winner Phlash Phelps, and 5-year-old multiple stakes winning filly Shimmering Aspen and to stakes on Preakness weekend. All three are owned by Hillwood’s Ellen Charles.

“It’d be wonderful to have something for Preakness [weekend],” she said. “Let’s hope he keeps on.”

Rainbow 6 Carryover Stands at $46,930 for Friday Program

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved Thursday at Laurel Park, pushing the carryover jackpot to $46,930.23 for Friday’s nine-race program.

First race post time is 1:10 p.m.

No horses were live to take down the jackpot heading into Thursday’s ninth-race finale. A total of $26,282 was bet into the popular multi-race wager, which began with a carryover of $38,488.88 from Monday’s last live program. Multiple tickets with all six winners were worth $3,165.50.

The Rainbow 6 carryover 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 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9, highlighted by an open $42,000 allowance scheduled for one mile on the Bowl Game Turf Course layout, which attracted a field of 11. Four of the races in the sequence are scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course, drawing a total of 52 horses, an average of 13 starters per race.

Notes: In Thursday’s co-featured fifth race, a $45,000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up, Bloomfield Farm’s 4-year-old gelding Wet Your Whistle ($7) ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:00.74, setting an Exceller Turf Course record. The previous mark of 1:01.09 was set by 4-year-old Tommie’s Star Sept. 2, 2007 … Jockey Victor Carrasco had two wins Thursday, with Cordmaker (3.80) in Race 6 and The Robert ($8.80) in Race 9.