First of Nine Stakes Worth $925,000 During Nine-Day Stand
Pirate Rick Makes Successful Return, Giving Barbosa 3 Wins

LAUREL, MD – Historic Pimlico Race Course will wrap up opening weekend of its boutique nine-day fall meet Sunday with a 10-race program featuring the first three of nine stakes worth $925,000 in purses.

Stakes action begins in Race 5 with the $75,000 Challedon for 3-year-olds and up which have never won an open sweepstakes sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Pirate Rick, the 8-5 program favorite, captured a third-level optional claiming allowance Saturday at Pimlico leaving Grade 1-placed Borracho – who scratched from the same race – Swill and multiple stakes-placed Al Loves Josie as the primary contenders.

Race 8 is the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash for fillies and mares 3 and up going five furlongs. All That Magic chases her fifth consecutive win and second straight in a stakes against a group that includes the Wesley Ward-trained pair of Daring Do and Spicy Marg as well as 2021 Coronation Cup winner Goin’ Good from trainer Brad Cox.

The $100,000 Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles in Race 9 is led by Laurel Park’s July 29 Deputed Testamony hero Be Better, going for his fourth win in a row; Un Ojo, 75-1 upset winner of the 2022 Rebel (G2); 2022 Kelso (G2) winner Double Crown and multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred Ournationonparade.

Sunday’s program also includes a pair of maiden special weight events for 2-year-old fillies, scheduled for five furlongs on the turf in Race 1 and six furlongs on the main track in Race 3. Trainer Graham Motion will unveil the pair of Active, a $200,000 daughter of Gun Runner bred in Maryland by Larry Johnson, and the French-bred Lorraine in the opener, while Maryland’s leading trainer, Brittany Russell, will send out both T C Neigh, a first-time starter by Free Drop Billy, and Fainor’s Fillets, beaten a half-length going four furlongs in debut Sept. 1 at Timonium, in the third.

Charles Blandford’s Crabs N Beer goes after his first win of the year in Race 4, a 1 1/8-mile allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up scheduled for the grass. Third or better in 16 of 22 career starts including four wins, the 4-year-old Blofeld gelding has placed four times in stakes and was beaten a neck by millionaire Field Pass when rallying for second in the 1 1/16-mile Find Aug 19 at Laurel.

First race post time Sunday is 12:25 p.m.

Notes: Jockey Jeiron Barbosa registered a Saturday hat trick aboard Sweet Shugs ($4.80) in Race 3, Sheriff Ronnie ($3.60) in Race 5 and Pirate Rick ($6.20) in featured Race 8, a third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up … Both Sweet Shugs and Pirate Rick are owned by Built Wright Stables and trained by Ray Ginter Jr. … Pirate Rick, exiting six straight stakes attempts including five in Grade 3 company, rolled to a popular front-running triumph in 1:11.79 over a main track rated good to pick up his first victory since having a four-race win streak snapped in the Jan. 28 Toboggan (G3) at Aqueduct. The 6-year-old gelding was racing for the first time since May 4 … Apprentice jockeys Axel Concepcion and Martina Rojas both doubled Saturday, Concepcion with Jane Street ($9.40) in Race 4 and Poggibonsi ($5.60) in Race 6 and Rojas on Mocephus ($4.60) in Race 2 and Dulce Kiara ($7.20) in Race 7 … There will be carryovers of $5,454.70 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 5-10) and $2,197.77 in the $1 Jackpot Super High Five (Race 6) on Saturday.