Stakes-Winning Sophomore Monday Morning Qb Ready to Return
Stakes-Winning Sophomore Monday Morning Qb Ready to Return
Entered on Also-Eligible List for Friday Turf Race at Laurel Park
Maryland’s First Juvenile Turf Race of Season Goes to Arrest Me Red
Jockey Trevor McCarthy Shaken Up Following Third-Race Spill
LAUREL, MD – Cash is King and LC Racing’s Monday Morning Qb, on the early Triple Crown trail following his victory in the Heft Stakes last winter at Laurel Park but unraced since Feb. 1, is ready launch his comeback.
After giving him four works at Parx this month, trainer Robert E. ‘Butch’ Reid Jr. entered Monday Morning Qb in a one-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired horses Friday scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course, attracting a field of 15 with the 3-year-old Imagining colt drawing the second also-eligible spot.
Fields are limited to 10 starters in turf races going a mile over Laurel’s All Along layout, meaning Monday Morning Qb would need two scratches from the main body to get into the race, in addition to two horses that were entered for main track only.
“He’s by Imagining, who was a stone turf horse, and we thought sometimes it’s easier bringing them back on the turf even though you haven’t tried it before,” Reid said. “It’s just a little easier on them physically and for him, he’s over 1,200 pounds. We’re trying to make it as easy as we can on him on the comeback.”
Monday Morning Qb hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct, a race where he broke poorly, split horses advancing through the field on the backstretch, came wide on the far turn to get into contention but was unable to gain on the leaders after failing to change leads in the stretch. He was beaten 4 ¼ lengths by Max Player, who is scheduled to make his next start in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (G1).
“It’s been a long time,” Reid said. “He’s just a big, growthy colt and he’s had a few aches and pains here and there, nothing major. I think we really did the right thing by giving him a few months off down in Ocala. Barry Eisaman got him started back for me down there, and he looks like a new horse. He’s doing extremely well.
“He was already such a big horse, but what he really did was fill in, and his body matured and hardened up for him,” he added. “The time off really did him a lot of good, soundness-wise, and mentally. He’s really good right now and just looking for somebody to run at. We’re going to give him his opportunity right quick.”
Monday Morning Qb made his first two starts last fall at Parx, running second in his mid-October unveiling to Ny Traffic, who was later sold – Cash is King and LC Racing are part of the ownership group – finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2), Matt Winn (G2) and Haskell (G1) and is also Derby-bound.
Following his maiden victory, Monday Morning Qb went off as the second choice in the seven-furlong Heft in December, part of a field that included Grade 1 winner Nucky and Lebda, who would run third and go on to win Laurel’s Miracle Wood and Private Terms this year.
His three-quarter-length Heft triumph helped raise expectations for Monday Morning Qb, who was purchased by Cash is King’s Chuck Zacney for $25,000 out of Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale last October at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Stakes schedules across the country were revamped amid coronavirus closures earlier this year, leading up to a strong fall season.
Monday Morning Qb is nominated to the $100,000 Federico Tesio Sept. 7 at Laurel. The 1 1/8-mile Tesio is a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 145th Preakness (G1) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course. Monday Morning Qb is a Triple Crown nominee.
“We’ve been fortunate that everything got canceled so we still have some opportunities here late in the year to maybe run in some of the bigger 3-year-old races. We’ll have to wait and see,” Reid said. “We’re looking forward to it. He’s doing really well and we have really high expectations for him this fall.”
Maryland’s First Juvenile Turf Race of Season Goes to Arrest Me Red
Lael Stables’ Arrest Me Red, a homebred son of two-time Grade 1-winning millionaire Pioneerof the Nile, took command at the top of the stretch and pulled away steadily while under a hand ride in the final sixteenth of a mile to a popular 4 ½-length win in Thursday’s fourth race at Laurel Park.
Arrest Me Red ($4.80), favored at 7-5 in a field of 10 2-year-olds, sprinted 5 ½ furlongs over a firm All Along layout in 1:03.98. The maiden special weight event was the first juvenile turf race of the season in Maryland.
With Julien Pimentel subbing for champion jockey Trevor McCarthy, shaken up in a spill once race earlier, Arrest Me Red raced in the clear in third as Gallant George ran the opening quarter-mile in 22.47 seconds pressed by Senior Seville. Arrest Me Red ranged up to challenge on the far turn, assumed the lead once straightened for home and cruised to the wire in his career debut.
Gallant George held on for second over What the Flash, while No Obligation came flying late to get fourth after a poor start.
Based with Arnaud Delacour at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., where he had been working steadily over the dirt and synthetic surfaces for his unveiling, Arrest Me Red is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Maraschino Red.
In Thursday’s co-features, Clear Vision ($12) got up in the final strides to edge 25-1 long shot Ten Eyck and hold off 2019 Maryland Million Turf winner Mr. d’Angelo in Race 7, an entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up, in 1:42.15 over a firm Dahlia turf course; and Universal Payday ($7) swept past Galerio approaching the wire to notch his second straight win in Race 8, a one-mile entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was 1:35.76.
Notes: Jockey Trevor McCarthy missed his five remaining mounts after being unseated during Thursday’s third race when his horse, War Lance, clipped heels and stumbled midway on the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile turf event. McCarthy, riding for first time since Aug. 5 after testing positive for coronavirus, limped with assistance to a waiting medical cart and was taken for X-rays with a swollen ankle. The 4-year-old gelding War Lance was uninjured …
Jockey Julien Pimentel had two winners Thursday, Arrest Me Red ($4.80) in Race 4 and Universal Payday ($7) in Race 8. Lauralea Glaser also doubled aboard Magical Anna ($7) in Race 5 and Backwoods Boogie ($12.80) in Race 9 … There will be carryovers of $3,095.83 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9), $4,169.92 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 (Races 5-9) and $1,066.94 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 1) for Friday’s program that begins at 12:40 p.m. Thursday’s payouts were $275.08 for tickets with five of six winners in the Rainbow 6 and $154.40 for tickets with four of five winners in the Late Pick 5.
