A P Majetstic Springs Upset in $100,000 Weber City Miss
A P Majetstic Springs Upset in $100,000 Weber City Miss
Filly Earns First Stakes Win, Automatic Entry to May 20 Black-Eyed Susan (G2)
LAUREL, MD – Either way, trainer Mike Trombetta was going to be a winner Saturday at Laurel Park when his two fillies, In the Navy Now and A P Majetstic, came down the stretch together in the $100,000 Weber City Miss Stakes.
In the Navy Now, favored at even money off her third-place finish in Laurel’s Caesar’s Wish last month, got to the wire first but was disqualified to second for impeding the progress of her long shot stablemate inside the final sixteenth of a mile.
“That was a first for me. I’ve never been disqualified and put up to win anyway,” Trombetta said. “They both ran hard. It’s a little unfortunate that stuff happened late. We made somebody happy and somebody disappointed. It’s horse racing, that’s what comes with it.”
The Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies, run at about 1 1/16 miles, was the second of two stakes on Laurel’s 10-race program, preceded by the $100,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds.
With the victory, Triple Threat homebred A P Majetstic ($25.40) earned an automatic entry to the 92nd running of the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.
“That’s a big challenge but that’s a hell of a stipend to get,” Trombetta said. “We’ll have to consider it.”
Alto Belle set a moderate pace of 25.03 seconds for the first quarter-mile, 49.35 for the half and was still in front after going six furlongs in 1:14.67, chased by It’s a Journey making her 2016 debut and A P Majetstic racing three wide.
In the Navy Now and jockey Jevian Toledo saved ground on the inside near the back of the pack and gained steadily to move into contention nearing the far turn. A P Majetstic and Victor Carrasco launched their bid on the outside and the two hooked up after straightening for home with only Its a Journey in range.
In the Navy Now had a clear lead but drifted out under Toledo’s left-handed whip in the final 70 yards causing Carrasco to momentarily check his mount. The winning time was 1:47.51 over a good main track.
“That’s the thing. We lose some and we win some,” said Toledo, who was promoted to the win aboard Awesome Speed in the Tesio following the disqualification of Governor Malibu for interference in deep stretch. “I know he came to pass me on the outside. It looks like I bumped him but I didn’t bump him. There was no contact.”
While R. Larry Johnson and R.D.M. Racing Stable’s In the Navy Now had previous stakes experience, A P Majetstic was making her stakes debut and earned her second win in seven lifetime starts, both via disqualification. The other came in her maiden triumph last fall at Penn National.
“When they run hard like that it makes you go home feeling good,” Trombetta said. “It’s nice to have young fillies that want to go two turns and want to go long. They’re hard to find. These two are steadily improving. For some reason, A P Majetstic ran an off race last time and I knew it wasn’t her best. Truthfully we put her in an allowance race and the allowance race didn’t go. As a last-minute thought I put her in a stake. As crazy things work out, she’s now a stakes winner.”
