Phlash Phelps Tops Several Maryland Million Workers Saturday
Phlash Phelps Tops Several Maryland Million Workers Saturday
Two-Time Turf Winner Fires Bullet Five Furlongs in 59 Seconds
33rd ‘Maryland’s Day at the Races’ Set for Saturday, Oct. 20
LAUREL, MD – Hillwood Stable’s multiple stakes winner Phlash Phelps breezed a sharp five furlongs Saturday at Laurel Park in his final work before seeking to become the first three-time winner of the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf.
Regular rider Victor Carrasco was aboard as Phlash Phelps was clocked in a bullet 59 seconds over a Laurel main track rated good, the fastest of 20 horses at the distance. It was the 7-year-old gelding’s lone timed work since finishing fourth in the off-the-turf Find Stakes Sept. 29 at Laurel.
“He worked real good,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “I worked him from the quarter pole to the three-quarter pole and he did it very easy within himself and, knock wood, come back good. I was real pleased with him.”
Phlash Phelps won the Turf in 2015 and 2016 but missed last year’s race with an injury. He is one of five two-time winners and the fourth to do so in successive years, following Winsox (1997-98), Pocket Patch (2010-11) and Roadhog (2012-13). La Reine’s Terms won in 2002 and 2005.
Hall of Famer Safely Kept, late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben’s Cat, Countus In, Docent, Eighttofasttocatch and Mz. Zill Bear are the only horses to win three Maryland Million races. The 33rd edition of ‘Maryland’s Day at the Races’ will be held Saturday, Oct. 20 at Laurel.
“It would be great for him,” Jenkins said. “He deserves it.”
Also working for Jenkins and Saturday was Outofthepark, a 2-year-old Bandbox colt for Ellen Charles of Hillwood that went five furlongs in 1:00.80, fourth-fastest of 20 horses, in company with Grade 2-placed 6-year-old Top of Mind (1:00.20). Outofthepark is pre-entered in the $100,000 Nursery.
Several horses pointing to the Maryland Million were on the work tab Saturday at Laurel including were multiple stakes winner John Jones, pre-entered in both the Turf and $150,000 Classic, who went a half-mile in 47.80 seconds. The time ranked third of 74 horses.
John Jones’ Lacey Gaudet-trained stablemate Firth, pre-entered in the $125,000 Ladies and $100,000 Distaff, had the fastest four-furlong work in 47.60 seconds. Gaudet also sent out Big City Blues (48.00), pre-entered in the $100,000 Sprint, and 2-year-old filly Destiny Over Fate (48.20), pre-entered in the $100,000 Lassie.
“[John Jones] went very well. He came off that last big effort in really good form and I think it boosted his confidence. If the weather holds out it might be an option to try him back [on the turf]. He really likes the one-turn mile. The [Classic’s] mile and an eighth might be a bit of a stretch but it depends on the race shakes out,” Gaudet said. “[Firth] went really well. She’s always been a nice filly since she’s been in the barn. Most of the horses we pre-entered for Maryland Million have to open up [to Maryland-breds], so I don’t know. She’s just such a nice filly. She ran a game race last time even though she may have been a work or two short. I think [the Distaff] would be just fine for her.”
Laurel fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez had several horses work, including 2014 Lassie winner and 2017 Maryland-bred champion older female My Magician (47.80), pre-entered in the Distaff, and 2-year-old filly My Star Potential (48.20), pre-entered in the Lassie.
“[My Magician] is doing good. She breezed really good and came back really happy,” Gonzalez said. “[My Star Potential], I like her a lot. She’s doing good.”
Away from Laurel, defending Classic winner Bonus Points worked a half-mile in 50.46 seconds at the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. for trainer Todd Pletcher. Bonus Points can become just the sixth horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Classic, following Timely Warning (1990-91), Algar (1997-98), Docent (2002-03), Eighttofasttocatch (2013-14) and Admirals War Chest (2015-16).
At Penn National, defending Distaff winner and Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly and sprinter of 2017 Crabcakes worked five furlongs Saturday in 1:02. The 4-year-old Great Notion filly tuned up for the Maryland Million with a three-length optional claiming allowance win Sept. 21 over her home track.
Notes: Apprentice Weston Hamilton rode back-to-back winners Saturday, Southern Peach ($4) in the second race and Expect Wonderful ($4.60) in the third, and added a third winner with Dance Queen ($5.60) in the eighth. Southern Peach and Dance Queen are both trained by Dale Capuano.
