Talk to the Judge Rules in $75,000 Miss Disco Victory

LAUREL, MD – Steven Walfish’s Super Accelerate, stepping up to stakes company for the first time, got a patient trip from jockey Horacio Karamanos and dug in late to fend off a pair of challengers for a popular half-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Star de Naskra at Laurel Park.

The 30th running of the Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds and sixth renewal of the $75,000 Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs and restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses, were the first of five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a program headlined by $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash for older sprinters.

By Accelerate, a five-time Grade 1 winner of more than $6 million purses, Super Accelerate ($6.60) ran his win streak to three races for trainer Robin Graham. He was sent off as the 2-1 favorite after winning at odds of 6-1 and 26-1 in his two previous starts, the latter a 2 ¼-length restricted allowance triumph July 1 at the course and distance.

“[The trip] was perfect. We figured there was speed in there, and the last time he ran in the a-other-than, Horacio took him back and sat off them,” Graham said. “He could have been on the front end, but he purposely took him back to see how he would handle it, so both of us were really confident in him today.”

Midwest shipper Easy Action, without a start since April 14 and racing as a new gelding, was sharp from the gate and went the opening quarter-mile in 23.45 seconds as Super Accelerate saved ground inside and multiple stakes winner Coffeewithchris in the clear three wide.

Coffeewithchris ranged up alongside Super Accelerate rounding the far turn and was set down for a drive with Easy Action making his bid on the rail, but neither horse was able to get by a determined Super Accelerate, who crossed the wire in 1:22.54 over a fast main track. Easy Action edged Coffeewithchris by a neck for second, with It’s Viper closing for fourth followed by Freeze the Fire, Feeling Woozy and Tiz No Clown. Parkerness and Great Heavens were scratched.

“He was tough as nails,” Graham said. “We’ve been training him late. He goes out a little before 9 [a.m.] every day because we figure July and August is going to be hot, so we purposely train him later. A lot of horses go out early but on race day it’s different, so it wasn’t such a shock to him, I don’t think.”

The Star de Naskra is named in honor of the 1979 champion sprinter bred and owned by Carlyle Lancaster. He had a record of 15-10-4 and purse earnings of more than $580,000 from 36 starts between 1977-79, winning eight stakes and three graded-stakes, the latter during his championship season.

Talk to the Judge Rules in $75,000 Miss Disco Victory

Waldorf Racing Stables’ Talk to the Judge, stretched out an extra furlong and a half and returned to the dirt following a failed turf attempt two weeks earlier, led from start to finish to register a 13-1 upset in the $75,000 Miss Disco.

Trained by Marya Montoya, Talk to the Judge ($28.40) gave jockey Victor Carrasco his second straight Miss Disco victory following Divine Huntress last year.

Talk to the Judge, by Golden Lad, is based at Parx where his last victory came in nearly identical fashion in her season opener April 24, a front-running neck triumph in a seven-furlong optional claimer where the second- and third-place finishers both came back to win.

Carrasco was able to settle Talk to the Judge on the lead through fractions of 23.02 and 45.37 seconds with 2022 Maryland Juvenile Fillies runner-up Fast Tracked and 30-1 long shot Willful Desire giving closest chase. Liquidator, coming back eight days off a 5 ½-furlong victory at Laurel, was next while favored Malibu Moonshine ran last of eight.

Talk to the Judge remained in command at the top of the stretch with Liquidator to her outside looming as the main competitor. Under Carrasco’s urging, Talk to the Judge was able to withstand a steady bid from Liquidator to win by a head in 1:23.81. It was two lengths back to late-running 12-1 long shot Rowsie Express in third.

Willful Desire, Fast Tracked, Solving Progress, Precious Avary and Malibu Moonshine completed the order of finish. New Jersey shipper Precious Avary had a three-race win streak snapped while Malibu Moonshine, Maryland’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2022 making her first start since Feb. 5, had won her only two previous starts at Laurel in the 2022 Maryland Juvenile Fillies and Gin Talking.

Bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Miss Disco was a multiple stakes winner during her racing career but is best known as the dam of Hall of Famer Bold Ruler, winner of the Preakness (G1) and Horse of the Year in 1957 and sire of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. She was named Broodmare of the Year in 1958.