Recruiting Ready Rallies to Capture Laurel Feature; Rainbow 6, Super Hi-5 Carryovers for Saturday
Recruiting Ready Rallies to Capture Laurel Feature; Rainbow 6, Super Hi-5 Carryovers for Saturday
Apprentice Jockey Carrasco Wins Third Straight Race
Rainbow 6, Super Hi-5 Carryovers for Saturday
Post Time Moves to 1:10 P.M. Beginning Sunday March 12
LAUREL, MD – Sagamore Farm’s multiple graded stakes-placed colt Recruiting Ready rallied after being passed at the top of the stretch to edge clear in the final eighth of a mile for a one-length victory in Friday’s featured seventh race at Laurel Park.
Favored at 6-5 in the $42,000 entry-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds, Recruiting Ready ($4.40) was making his first start since finishing next-to-last after setting the pace in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park.
It was the first win since his 10 ¼-length debut victory last May at historic Pimlico Race Course. The Triple Crown nominee went on to run second in the Bashford Manor (G3) and third in the Iroquois (G3) and was second to subsequent multiple graded stakes-winner Gunnevera in the Saratoga Special (G2) but disqualified to fourth for interference.
Recruiting Ready and jockey Horacio Karamanos dueled for the early lead with Sagamore Farms-bred long shot Liar’s Dice through an opening quarter-mile in 22.43 seconds. The advantage expanded to 1 ½ lengths after a half in 45.74 before Liar’s Dice and Victor Carrasco took a second run at Recruiting Ready on the outside and stuck a head in front once straightened for home.
Given his cue by Karamanos, Recruiting Ready came on again along the inside and pulled clear past the eighth pole to hit the wire in 1:09.18 for six furlongs on a fast main track. Liar’s Dice was second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Spinelli in third. Johnny Hop, an impressive debut winner Feb. 11 at Laurel, got bumped shortly after the break by Recruiting Ready and was never a factor, finishing fifth.
“The horse can really run. He broke sharp out of the gate like he usually does, and he’s got a lot of speed. The point was to try to relax him a little bit, and I did,” Karamanos said. “You think you’re going easy, but that horse goes fast. Carrasco passed me at the top of the stretch and was half a length in front of me. I whip my horse a couple times and he responded and gave me another kick. By the time we got to the eighth pole I knew we got it because he responded. This horse has a big heart. He ran good and he galloped out good.”
Apprentice Jockey Carrasco Wins Third Straight Race
Apprentice jockey Carlos Carrasco earned his third straight win since beginning his professional riding career, guiding 5-year-old mare Super Sharp to a half-length victory in Friday’s fourth race.
Carrasco, 18, younger brother of multiple Maryland meet riding champion Victor Carrasco, saw his streak end when he finished off the board in Friday’s finale aboard Montebank.
Super Sharp, owned and trained by Mary Eppler, rated in second behind pacesetter Reckless Humor before moving up to challenge nearing the quarter pole. Carrasco moved him to the inside where they outfinished Include Gold and meet-leading rider Trevor McCarthy to win in 1:24.25 for seven furlongs.
“I thought Trevor would win the race but I rode hard and I’ll take the win. Trevor is a great rider and a great person. Thank God for the win,” Carrasco said. “I have to thank Mary Eppler for the opportunity to ride the horse. It’s hard work.”
Riding with a 10-pound weight allowance, Carrasco won with his first two professional mounts March 4 at Laurel. Ashley Castrenze, who was raised in Maryland, won with each of her first four mounts as an apprentice last spring.
Notes: Jockey Julian Pimentel had wins with Fast Talk ($9.60) in the third race and My Magician ($15.80) in the sixth, while Karamanos was first with Recruiting Ready ($4.40) in the seventh and Joy Drive ($6.80) in the eighth … Post time for the remainder of the winter-spring meet moves to 1:10 p.m. starting Sunday, March 12.
Rainbow 6 Carryover: $4,579.02
Super Hi-5 Carryover: $546.76
