Ageless Gold Man Strikes Again for 23rd Career Victory
Sky Magician, Birdsnest Party, Ellyb Capture Co-Features
Bachelor’s Bait Impressive Maiden Winner in Debut

LAUREL, MD – Pocket 3s Racing’s multiple stakes-placed Threes Over Deuces got an ideal pace setup and perfectly timed ride from jockey Alex Cintron to end a string of four consecutive runner-up finishes with a decisive 2 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s featured fifth race at Laurel Park.

Threes Over Deuces ($7) ran six furlongs in 1:09.50 over a fast main track in the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. Gary Capuano-trained stablemate Showalter was second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of late-running Hall Pass.

It was the fourth career win for Threes Over Deuces, whose previous attempts at the same level resulted in three losses by a half-length or less, one by a head to Showalter going six furlongs June 30 at Laurel.

“He’s run some big numbers; he’s just been unfortunate. He’s missed this condition a couple times where he was real close and just got beat,” Capuano said. “We finally got it today, so we’ll move forward. He’ll be in stakes company next.”

Second last spring in Charles Town’s Robert Hilton Memorial and the James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, Threes Over Deuces is nominated to the $250,000 Xpressbet Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Sept. 21 at Laurel.

“Maybe we’ll try that next year if things work out,” Capuano said. “We’re going to take the little steps with him.”

Threes Over Deuces rated fourth behind dueling leaders Showalter and Won and Done in fourth, advanced to third midway around the far turn and ranged up on the front-runners at the top of the stretch, bumping slightly with Won and Done once straightened for home before emphatically pulling clear.

“There was a little more speed in there. [Won and Done] softened Showalter up a little bit and set it up for this horse this time,” Capuano said. “He’s real cool. He’s real easy. He just gives it everything he’s got. No complaints with him.”

Showalter, a five-time winner campaigned by Baltimore Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos’ Marathon Farms, was racing for the first time since beating Threes Over Deuces in gate-to-wire fashion in June. One of two horses in for a $35,000 tag, Showalter was not claimed.

“When he’s right, he runs lights out. You’ve just got to space him out and make sure he’s good,” Capuano said. “If he gets a little bit too close in his races, he doesn’t perform as well. He needs some time between. But when he’s right, he’s tough.”

R Larry Johnson homebred Sky Magician ($9.20), unplaced in successive stakes attempts, dropped back into allowance company and came away with a two-length triumph in Race 5, a $42,000 entry-level event for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was for 5 ½ furlongs was 1:02.87 over a firm Fort Marcy turf course.

Barn Door Stable’s Birdsnest Party ($6.80), racing second time off the claim for trainer Phil Schoenthal, surged past Tempt Me Twice in the shadow of the wire for a neck victory in Race 6, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The 5-year-old earned his first win in three tries over Laurel’s turf, going a mile in 1:36.43 over the Kelso layout.

Audrey Farm Stable’s sophomore Ellyb ($5.40), narrowly beaten as the favorite in her previous start, rebounded with a strong effort against her elders to take Race 7, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and older going six furlongs on the Fort Marcy, in 1:10.03 for her third win in her Laurel debut.

Dorothy Alexander Matz’s Bachelor’s Bait ($29.80), dismissed at 13-1 in her unveiling, overcame some pre-race jitters to sweep past the leaders approaching the stretch and power through the lane for a 1 ¾-length victory in Race 8, a $40,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies.

With Jorge Vargas Jr. aboard for Matz’s wife, trainer Michael Matz, Bachelor’s Bait completed six furlongs in 1:12.28. First-time starter Barbara Gordon followed the winner’s move to be second, with Wonder City third.

“She was a little green in the post parade and kind of nervous, but once the doors opened she went on,” Vargas said. “I kept after her because she’s still [learning]; when the dirt hit her she was fine with it, and when I ducked her out she went on with it like she knew what she was supposed to do. She seems like she’s going to be pretty good.”

Ageless Gold Man Strikes Again for 23rd Career Victory

James C. Wolf’s Gold Man, a 10-year-old gelding making his 90th start in eight racing seasons, came from off the pace to register his 23rd career victory in Saturday’s 10th race at Laurel Park.

Favored at 3-2 in a field scratched down to five, Gold Man ($5) ran one mile in 1:37.42 over a fast main track to capture the $21,000 claiming event for 3-year-olds and up. Entered for a $12,500 tag by trainer Tim Kreiser, Gold Man was not claimed.

“I get a kick out of riding these old horses,” winning jockey Feargal Lynch said. “He’s 10 years old and he brings his ‘A’ game every time. He tries.”

Lynch settled Gold Man in third as Kieron Magee-trained Incorporate and My Eminence, ridden by Katie Davis, battled on the front end through fractions of 24.13 and 46.80 seconds and 1:12.06 for six furlongs. Still trailing by 1 ½ lengths at that point, Gold Man came with a steady run down the center of the track to gather in the leaders and gradually edge clear.

“The pace scenario looked like Kieron Magee’s horse and Katie Davis were going to go head-to-head. My horse is normally a front-runner, but I decided today to just take him off that and make the one run at them,” Lynch said. “He’s very rateable. I’ve watched [jockey] Edwin [Gonzalez] hold on to him before and you can do anything you want. He’s 10 years old. He knows every trick in the book. He knew what I was doing before I told him.”

Lynch offered mild urging through the lane to Gold Man, a Florida-bred son of Japanese sire Agnes Gold out of the Suave Prospect mare Assinippi. His paternal grandsire is Sunday Silence, the 1989 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old following wins in the Preakness (G1) and Kentucky Derby, and a member of Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame.

“The more you sit against him and just sit still, he’s giving you everything. When they’re 10 years old, whipping and driving is only the last bit,” Lynch said. “They weren’t getting to me. I could have just sat all the way down the lane and he would have given me just the same. When they get to that age, they know where the wire is.”

Gold Man won his career debut Sept. 16, 2012 at the former Calder Race Course in South Florida. Claimed seven times over the course of his career, he also owns 19 seconds and 11 thirds and purse earnings of $434,494

Notes: Jockeys Alex Cintron scored a hat trick Saturday aboard Piu Bella ($4.20) in Race 1, Threes Over Deuces ($7) in Race 5 and Trois Ponts ($30.80) in Race 11. Feargal Lynch had two wins, with Heza Kitten ($7) in Race 2 and Gold Man ($5) in Race 10 … There will be a jackpot carryover of $6,743.59 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 for Sunday’s 10-race card. Tickets with five of six winners Saturday were worth $276.60.