Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah leads Big Weekend
Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah leads Big Weekend
LAUREL, MD 07/30/2015– Laurel Park will be home to a big weekend of live and simulcast racing highlighted by American Pharoah making his first start Sunday since winning the Triple Crown.
American Pharoah, who won the Preakness May 16 by seven lengths at Pimlico before becoming the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown at Belmont June 6, is the 1-5 favorite to win Monmouth Park’s $1.75 million Haskell Invitation (G1) against seven others, including Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Upstart, the multiple-stakes winning Competitive Edge, and Keen Ice, who finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Post time Sunday is approximately 5:52 p.m. Laurel Park will again offer its Family Fun Sunday Brunch from 12-4 p.m. for $22 for adults and $11 for kids 3-11 years old. There will also be family activities throughout the afternoon. There will also be $10 bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys.
Live racing at Laurel this weekend kicks off with Friday’s twilight card beginning at 3:40 p.m. and featuring a $20 buffet and $4 beer and mixed drinks menu. Post time Saturday and Sunday will be 1:25 p.m.
Page McKenney, the popular Maryland-based gelding who finished second May 15 in the Pimlico Special (G2), will run Saturday in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes. Post time at Mountaineer Park is approximately 4:30 p.m.
Page McKenney won’t be the only horse running at Mountaineer with a connection to Maryland. Tale of Verve, who finished second to American Pharoah in the Preakness, has been entered in Saturday’s West Virginia Derby (G2). Meanwhile, trainer Hamilton Smith will saddle Fasnacloich in the $100,000 West Virginia Senate President’s Cup. The mare finished fifth Preakness Day in the Gallorette (G3). One of the 15 other horses entered in the President’s Cup is Laurel-based Monster Sleeping for trainer Dale Capuano. The mare won the 2013 Maryland Million Ladies Stakes and was second in last year’s Jameela Stakes.
Saturday’s nine-race program at Laurel will feature five races and an average 10 starters per race.
Bigger and Better for Espresso Time
There was a significant buzz here Sunday afternoon when Espresso Time made her career debut in a 5 ½ furlong maiden special event.
A daughter of Tapit bred by chef and television personality Bobby Flay and purchased for $1 million by Chiefswood Stables of Toronto at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale of 2014, Espresso Time finished a game third for trainer Graham Motion after breaking last in the field of nine.
“In the gate she wasn’t standing right and I was trying to get her straightened up and then the last horse got in and they just sprung the latch before I could get her right and she just broke a tad slow,” said jockey Matthew Rispoli. “But I thought she made a great effort for a 2-year-old, to get hit with that much dirt and not even flinch. She ran right into it, split horses, and I couldn’t ask for anything more from her.”
Said Rob Landry, general manager of Chiefswood Stable; “It was a good effort. Graham was thinking maybe we’d start her at Saratoga, going a little bit further, but she’s been a little aggressive in the mornings so we thought this might be a good experience for her.
“When you purchase a filly for $1 million you’re hoping for big things, you know. We do have our own breeding farm so eventually she will go into our breeding program, but right now we’d like her to do something on the race track to justify her being there.”
