Sheikh of Sheikhs Extends Win Streak to Four Friday at Laurel
Sheikh of Sheikhs Extends Win Streak to Four Friday at Laurel
Yowza Yowza Yowza Thrilling Maiden Winner in Fall Meet Opener
Food & Drink Specials, BBQ for 12-Race Program Saturday
LAUREL, MD – Team Gaudet’s Sheikh of Sheikhs, a stakes winner at 2 and Grade 3 placed at 3, registered his fourth straight win and third in a row for new connections with a popular 5 ½-length romp Friday, opening day of Laurel Park’s calendar year-ending, 61-day fall meet.
Favored at 8-5 in the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up, 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding Sheikh of Sheikhs ($5.20) ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.62 over a firm Exceller turf course.
It was the first start for Sheikh of Sheikhs since being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Lacey Gaudet on behalf of the family stable out of a three-quarter-length triumph Aug. 6 at Saratoga. Then trained by Eddie Kenneally, he won his previous two starts in Kentucky for trainer Mike Maker.
“I’m very happy with his race. He made it look pretty easy,” Gaudet said. “We wanted to bring him back here, that was one of the main reasons, and he had this condition set. It was the plan that we had laid out. I think that he’ll benefit from a little bit of competition relief from Churchill and New York; it looked like it helped him here today.”
Jockey Rosario Montanez kept Sheikh of Sheikhs, breaking from Post 8 of nine, fourth while in the clear four wide as Special Intention went the first quarter-mile in 23.11 seconds. Sheikh of Sheikhs swept the lead around the turn and opened up once straightened for home, going a half in 46.57 and five furlongs in 57.73.
Sheikh of Sheikhs won the 2015 Juvenile Dirt Sprint Stakes at Keeneland in his 2-year-old finale and was third in the 2016 Hutcheson (G3) at Gulfstream Park in his sophomore debut. He owns six wins and $253,922 in purse earnings from 16 career starts.
“He settled in really, really nicely here at Laurel. He had a nice work the other day for this race and he’s doing well in the barn,” Gaudet said. “We’ll have to think about what’s next. We’re just happy with this one right now.”
In Friday’s co-featured races, Renaissance Rosie ($4.60) stretched her win streak to three racing first time off the claim for trainer Gerald Brooks with a 1 ½-length triumph as the favorite in Race 6, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up, running six furlongs in 1:10.10, while Bellerue ($8.20) went gate-to-wire in Race 9, a $42,000 entry-level allowance for females 3 and older. The winning time was 1:45.31 for 1 1/16 miles over the Exceller layout.
Yowza Yowza Yowza Thrilling Maiden Winner in Fall Meet Opener
Bred and trained by Fair Hill (Md.)-based Jose Samaniego, Bebe Racing Stable’s Yowza Yowza Yowza came flying on the far outside with a desperate late run to nail fellow long shot Mega Bucks late to win Friday’s opener by a neck.
A juvenile son of 2013 Donn Handicap (G1) winner Graydar making his third career start and first on the grass, Yowza Yowza Yowza ($34.20) ran one mile in 1:38.06 over the Bowl Game turf course under jockey Edwin Rivera. Mega Bucks held on for second by a head over favored Scaramucci in the $40,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds.
Yowza Yowza Yowza raced in mid-pack into the stretch before being tipped out for running room approaching the 16th pole and closing steadily to get up in time in a four-way photo finish that also saw Pep Talking run fourth, a neck behind Scaramucci.
In his July 5 unveiling at Delaware Park, Yowza Yowza Yowza was a distant but decisive third behind Call Paul and Mind Control in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on the dirt. Call Paul won the Saratoga Special (G2) in his next start and Mind Control captured the Hopeful (G1) Sept. 3.
“I thought he would love the turf. He’s a nice horse. He ran against some nice horses,” Samaniego said. “They didn’t like him today at 16-1. We’ll take him to New York next time because he’s a New York-bred.”
Notes: Laurel’s summer meet-leading rider Jevian Toledo won back-to-back races Friday aboard Rightupyouralley ($8.60) in the third race and Rithm and Rap ($9.20) in the fourth … Trevor McCarthy, who moved his tack to New York after leading all Maryland riders in wins in 2014 and 2016, captured the seventh race with Goodnight Moon ($5.60). It was the first race at Laurel for McCarthy since finishing sixth with multiple Grade 3 winner El Areeb in the Dave’s Friend Stakes Jan. 8 … Laurel will celebrate the first Saturday of the meet with food and drink specials including $2 hot dogs and select draft beer, as well as a barbecue at the Smokehouse on the Apron. Post time for the 12-race card is 1:10 p.m.
