Just a Fair Shake overcomes layoff to win first-level allowance

LAUREL, MD – It’s been over a year since Rominski tasted defeat.

In that race, the restricted Not For Love Stakes on March 16, 2024, Rominski ran without Lasix, finished fourth of six, and reportedly bled.

Since then, he has been unstoppable in allowance and optional claiming company. He notched his sixth consecutive victory in Sunday’s featured eighth race at Laurel Park, a $63,000 allowance for 4-year-olds and upward at six furlongs. Rominski is unbeaten in his last nine starts with Lasix.

Rominski faced a tough group that included Spikezone, another win machine that boasted a record of 12 victories from his last 17 starts.

Favored Spikezone was quick from the gate under jockey Jaime Rodriguez, and he blasted out to a 1 ½-length lead through an opening quarter in 22.46 seconds. Jockey Sheldon Russell had Rominski perched just off the leader, and they were on full attack from the outside after a half-mile in 45.30.

Rominski grabbed the lead in the upper stretch and parried each of Spikezone’s thrusts to score by a half-length in 1:09.90 over the fast track. Debit Card rallied along the rail to finish third, two lengths behind the runner-up. Factor It In, No Easy Days, and Seven’s Eleven completed the order of finish. Mr. Antonelli was pulled up and vanned off in the equine ambulance.

Rominski returned $5.20 as the second choice in the wagering.

“He jumped out of there,” Sheldon Russell said of his speedy mount. “We know Jaime’s horse was faster. The only way I could get in front of Jaime [early] was if I was inside. If he can sit outside one horse and keep it uncomplicated, he has no excuse. He was always traveling good. It looks like he attacked Jaime a little early, but he has a big, powerful stride. I had to get a jump on Spikezone because he’s pretty game in front, too.”

A 6-year-old gelding by Great Notion, Rominski was claimed for $50,000 by trainer Brittany Russell on behalf of Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group out of a four-length victory at Pimlico on May 25, 2024. A little over three weeks later, Rominski walloped a high-level allowance field at Laurel, receiving a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

After that race, Rominski went to the sidelines for a lengthy layoff but returned guns blazing in his first start this year, wiring an allowance field on March 2.

“I’m no trainer, but even Brittany said the only [potential] downfall [today] was the quick return,” Sheldon Russell said. “He ran such a big race off the shelf. It’s just three weeks. He’s a big, heavy horse.”

Bred in Maryland by David Wade, Rominski has won 12 times from 23 starts for lifetime earnings of $457,434. A half-brother, Whereshetoldmetogo, was a multiple stakes-winner for Russell, banking almost $1 million from 37 starts.

Just a Fair Shake overcomes layoff to win first-level allowance

Despite having not raced in 176 days, Just a Fair Shake was no secret in the sixth race, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds with an optional claiming range between $62,500 and $50,000 at 1 1/16 miles.

Sent away the favorite in the 10-horse field, Just a Fair Shake handled late-running Amy’s Music by three-quarters of a length after 1:48.31 and returned $4.80 to win.

A debut winner racing a mile at Laurel on Aug. 17 for trainer Daniel McKenzie, Just a Fair Shake then ran a good third in the off-turf Laurel Futurity at one mile on Sept. 28.

In that race, Just a Fair Shake was five wide after the opening quarter mile, was rated back to save some ground, altered course to the far outside in the stretch, and then rallied nicely in the final furlong.

Following that promising performance, McKenzie gave the hulking Laoban colt a break.

“Other people would have probably kept running him, but he was such a nice horse, so big, so young, so we said that we’ll do right by the horse and give him a chance to get everything together and grow,” McKenzie said.

Racing with Lasix and blinkers for the first time on Sunday under jockey J. G. Torrealba, Just a Fair Shake settled in the third flight three wide and between horses. At the same time, longshots Mission Artemis and Lou’s Birthday sparred through a swift opening quarter in 23.24 seconds.

“The jockey said he didn’t like the dirt in his face,” McKenzie said.

Torrealba eased Just a Fair Shake into the clear, and they advanced five wide and in between horses as Mission Artemis completed a half-mile in 47.27.

Change My World and Superpower inhaled the pacesetter entering the second turn, but Just a Fair Shake was right with them, three wide and clear of traffic after six furlongs in 1:13.16.

Just a Fair Shake passed Superpower in the upper stretch, then always found a bit more to deny Amy’s Music. Superpower was another 2 ¼ lengths behind in third. Then came Hot Stott, Change My World, Top Blood, Mission Artemis, Derz Smart, Lifting and Lou’s Birthday.

“We basically just try to get him to relax,” McKenzie said. “He’s not as fast out of the gate, but his stride is so big.”

Bred in Kentucky by Brookstone Farm, Lee Mauberret, and James Blazek, Just a Fair Shake is out of Ladymidtown, a Midshipman mare that finished third in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes racing a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Purchased for $8,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Just a Fair Shake is owned by LaShawna Lynch.

“There were a few horses the owner wanted me to take, and I said if you give me that one, I’ll take all the other ones. It’s been a long road.”

McKenzie mentioned Laurel’s $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on April 19 as a possible start for Just a Fair Shake. Any Triple Crown-nominated runner that wins the Federico Tesio will automatically earn a spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, to be run May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. Just a Fair Shake is currently not nominated to the Triple Crown.

“I almost skipped this race and went into a short race to give him a prep,” McKenzie said. “He’s bred to go long. We’ve been wanting to get him on the turf. We’ll see how he comes out of this race, weigh our options, and see what’s next. We definitely glanced at [the Tesio].

Around the track:

Graded stakes winners Future Is Now, I’m Very Busy, Arzak, and Toupie all worked at Fair Hill yesterday morning.

Future Is Now notched two Grade 2 races in 2024, finishing her season with a half-length victory in Keeneland’s Franklin Stakes on Oct. 13 for trainer Mike Trombetta. She breezed five-eighths in 1:01 flat over the All Weather surface.

Stablemate Arzak earned the synthetic bullet at that distance, stopping the watch in 1:00.60. Another multiple Grade 2-winner, Arzak finished second in his most recent start, the Janus Stakes at Gulfstream on Dec. 21.

Graham Motion breezed Toupie in 1:02.60. A 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly, Toupie captured the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 19.

I’m Very Busy breezed three furlongs in 37.40 seconds. A 5-year-old by Cloud Computing, I’m Very Busy won the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds last year for trainer Chad Brown.

Meanwhile, at Laurel on Saturday, recent Conniver Stakes winner Stickwiththecolors breezed a half-mile in 48.60 for trainer John Salzman Jr, and stakes-winner It’s Hammertime worked a bullet five-eighths in a sharp 59.80 for Gary Capuano.

Stakes-winner It’s Sizzling Time, unraced since finishing sixth in the Native Dancer Stakes on April 13, 2024, had his first workout this year on Sunday morning. The 7-year-old gelding, trained by Valrie Smith, breezed three-eighths in 38.40 seconds.

Stakes-winner Gold Digging Broad, most recently third in the restricted Conniver on March 8, worked a half-mile in 48.60 for trainer Miguel Vera.

Stakes-winner Vance Scholars worked four furlongs in 48.80 for trainer Phil Capuano in preparation for his seasonal debut. The 6-year-old gelding finished sixth in his final start last year, the Maryland Million Classic on Oct. 12.