Smokinpaddylassie Stays Unbeaten in $100,000 Beyond the Wire Upset
Smokinpaddylassie Stays Unbeaten in $100,000 Beyond the Wire Upset
G3 Winner Something Awesome Dominates $100,000 Harrison Johnson
Lewisfield Hard-Fought Winner of $75,000 Not For Love
Anna’s Bandit Makes it Three Straight in $75,000 Conniver
LAUREL, MD – Edward Bruzek’s Smokinpaddylassie, making just her third career start and first in a stakes, came with a steady charge along the inside to run down multiple stakes-winning favorite Limited View and win Saturday’s $100,000 Beyond the Wire at Laurel Park.
The 30th running of the one-mile Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies, previously contested as the Caesar’s Wish, was the third of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses on an 11-race St. Patrick’s Day program, anchored by the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds.
Ridden by John Bisono for Parx-based trainer Eddie Coletti Jr., Smokinpaddylassie ($7) hit the wire in 1:38.02 over a fast main track in her first time racing beyond six furlongs. It was 2 ¼ lengths back to Limited View, the 9-5 favorite in a field of eight, who held on by a length for second over Mo Shopping.
It was the third win in as many races for Smokinpaddylassie, who debuted with a maiden triumph last July at Parx and didn’t run again until a 4 ¼-length open allowance triumph Feb. 10. Both her previous victories came in front-running fashion.
Limited View broke running from Post 3 and went straight to the front under Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado, going the first quarter-mile in 23.78 with Smokinpaddylassie right behind. Limited View opened up on her rivals by as many as 5 ½ lengths rounding the far turn and appeared to be in command at the top of the stretch, as Deep Red came along to briefly pass Smokinpaddylassie for second.
Under Bisono’s steady urging, Smokinpaddylassie continued to gain ground down the stretch until surging inside the eighth pole to leave Limited View and her rivals behind.
“It was a little bit harder than I wanted it to be. The plan was, she has natural speed so she’d be on the lead going easy or lay second and around the Prado scooted a little bit away from me and she’s still a little bit green so she got lost,” Bisono said. “I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ It was too early to ask her so I just saved some ground, waited until we turned for home, she gave me a kick and she responded.”
Coletti said he has big plans for Smokinpaddylassie, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Paddy O’Prado, starting with the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle (G2) April 7 at Aqueduct.
“It was a great win. John rode a perfect race and she finished down the lane like she was supposed to,” Coletti said. “We’re going to shoot for the Gazelle and hope we can get some points and shoot for the [Kentucky] Oaks [Grade 1, May 4].”
G3 Winner Something Awesome Dominates $100,000 Harrison Johnson
Stronach Stable’s Grade 3-winning sprinter Something Awesome made the stretch out to 1 1/8 miles look easy with a decisive 2 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial for 3-year-olds and up.
A homebred son of multiple Grade 1 winner Awesome Again, Something Awesome ($6.60) completed the distance in 1:50.86 for his fourth victory from five starts and second straight in a stakes, following the seven-furlong General George (G3) Feb. 17.
Something Awesome was alert from his rail post and settled in a stalking position on the inside behind pacesetting Doyouknowsomething through a quarter-mile in 24.42 seconds and a half in 47.97. Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado steered the 7-year-old gelding outside leaving the backstretch and assumed the lead without resistance, then pulled away under a hand ride down the stretch.
Queens County Stakes winner Zanotti, the 9-5 favorite, overcome a slow start to get up for second, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of Discreet Lover. New York shipper Admiral Blue was fourth.
“I got very lucky. He got a good break and I was able to put my horse in a good position all the way around,” Prado said. “I had so much horse so I was riding with a lot of confidence, just waiting for the top of the stretch so I could turn him loose and when I did, he responded very well.”
It was an emotional win for trainer Jose Corrales, who took over the training of Something Awesome last October, coming in front of a multitude of friends and family. Something Awesome had run as far as 1 1/16 miles only four times in 22 previous starts, just twice on dirt, finishing third twice.
“He’s a pretty nice horse. Edgar rode a very good race,” Corrales said. “I’m so blessed, not only for the horse but I have my mother here with me and that never really happens too much. She’s visiting today, and I’m very happy for that.”
Lewisfield Hard-Fought Winner of $75,000 Not For Love
Linda Zang’s Maryland homebred Lewisfield briefly gave up the lead nearing the stretch but fought back to outrun multiple stakes-winner Struth and hold off late-running It’s the Journey and win the $75,000 Not For Love for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up by a length.
It was the fifth career win from seven starts and first in a stakes for Lewisfield, who ran six furlongs in 1:09.13 under regular rider Arnaldo Bocachica for Charles Town-based trainer Jeff Runco.
It’s the Journey, third in the General George (G3) going seven furlongs last out, came flying late for second by a length over Struth, with multiple stakes-winner Sonny Inspired another three-quarters of a length back in fourth.
Bocachica was intent on the lead from Post 2 and took the field through a quarter-mile in 22.67 seconds pressed by Struth, who beat Lewisfield in the Howard Bender Memorial Dec. 9 at Laurel and stuck his nose in front after a half in 45.06. The two leaders set down for a drive to the wire, with Lewisfield on the inside and Struth to his right.
“This is a horse that won’t let horses go by. Once that horse was there I knew he was going to keep going all the way to the end,” Bocachica said. “We know he’s a nice horse, so I’m glad he got the job done.”
Lewisfield, a 4-year-old Great Notion gelding, found another gear when asked by Bocachica and dug in to edge clear as It’s the Journey found his best stride late.
“He’s pretty good. He’s really coming into himself right now,” Runco said. “We had to kind of bounce him out of there a little bit today being down on the inside so I told Arnaldo in the paddock to let him bounce out of there and put him up there close or put him on the lead. He’s game, he’s always going to give it his all.”
Runco said he would give Lewisfield some time before his next start.
“We’re going to see how he comes out of the race and give him a little break after this one,” he said. “We’re going to look for something, see what there is Maryland-bred and then maybe an open stake somewhere.”
Anna’s Bandit Makes it Three Straight in $75,000 Conniver
No Guts No Glory Farm homebred Anna’s Bandit earned her third consecutive victory and first in a stakes, splitting horses approaching the eighth pole and sprinting clear to a 3 ¾-length triumph in the $75,000 Conniver for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and older.
It was the second win on the card for the team of trainer John ‘Jerry’ Robb and jockey Xavier Perez, who has been aboard for all three of her recent wins. Anna’s Bandit ($10) ran seven furlongs in 1:24.77.
Anna’s Bandit settled along the rail in the early stages as 14-1 long shot she rolls sailed through fractions of 23.48 and 46.98 seconds under moderate pressure from Up Hill Battle and Shaunna Alexandra. Perez had only one horse beaten through a half-mile before he began to call on his 4-year-old filly, and she responded once straightened for home to get between Up Hill Battle and She Rolls and draw off.
She Rolls held on for second by a neck in a three-way photo over 6-5 favorite My Magician, who broke a step slow and trailed early before rallying late to edge Up Hill Battle by a another neck for third.
“Everything worked out how Jerry said it was going to happen. She broke and she settled perfect and we got a stalking trip,” Perez said. “When I asked her to go I got a good seam between horses and as soon as I went left-handed she just broke and got the job done.”
Anna’s Bandit broke her maiden in May 2016 and finished third and second, respectively, in the Astoria and Debutante Stakes before being sidelined. She didn’t race again for nearly 15 months until last September but has won four of seven starts since.
“She had really severe injury and she was off a long time and I kind of babied her all the way back, taking it a step at a time,” Robb said. “Hopefully, we keep going.”
