Determined Truth Leans on Experience to Capture Friday Maiden Event
Celebrate Thanksgiving at Laurel Park with Live Racing, Pies & Buffet

BALTIMORE – James Eshelman’s stakes winner Trolley Ride, beaten by former stablemate and subsequent Grade 2 winner Vault two years ago, will make her second start in three years in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Saturday at Laurel Park.

The 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares 3 and up is one of three $100,000 stakes on the nine-race program along with the James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds and Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs.

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

Trolley Ride, 6, ran third at odds of 16-1 in the 2019 Thirty Eight Go Go behind Vault, then trained by Bernie Houghton. Vault was sold privately after the race and has won two of 12 starts since, including the Ruffian (G3) May 2 at Belmont Park.

“She won pretty easy that day,” Houghton said. “The only thing is, we sold her after she won and I didn’t get to train her after that.”

Houghton has had Trolley Ride from the beginning, campaigning her to nine wins, four seconds and five thirds from 31 career starts, with purse earnings of $373,654. Her lone stakes victory came in the Lyphard against fellow Pennsylvania-breds May 28 at Parx.

“She’s very well put-together; a big, strong filly. She was born and bred right on our farm,” Houghton said. “She’s doing good.”

Trolley Ride had a rare off day when seventh behind multiple stakes winner Chub Wagon in the Plum Pretty Sept. 25 at Parx. She bounced back to be second behind fellow Thirty Eight Go Go entrant Miss Leslie in a one mile, 70-yard optional claiming allowance Oct. 21 at Delaware Park.

“She ran in that stake at Parx and it was a little disappointing. She ran flat. I couldn’t figure out why she ran that bad,” Houghton said. “Then I ran her in the race at Delaware and she ran much more true to form. She was second-best but she ran a good race, I thought.”

Trolley Ride drew Post 8 in a field of nine and is listed at 10-1 on the morning line. Regular rider Inoel Beato will be aboard.

“Basically she should be coming into this race about the same as she was the race at Delaware, I think,” Houghton said. “Whether that’s good enough to win, I don’t know. But, I think she’ll run a good race.

“I like if she sits off the pace a little bit, I think she runs better. She likes to run at a horse. She was a little closer up last time at Delaware. It depends on the pace. If the pace is fast, she’ll be out the back a little bit. If it’s slow shesll be a little closer,” he added. “It’s a very competitive field. I think everybody has a shot. There’s not any real standouts in there.”

KatieRich Farm’s Josie, third by less than a length in the one-mile Twixt Sept. 18 at Laurel for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asussen, is the 9-5 program favorite in the Thirty Eight Go Go from Post 7.

Determined Truth Leans on Experience to Capture Friday Maiden Event

D Hatman Thoroughbreds’ Determined Truth, most experienced among nine 2-year-old fillies with five prior starts, swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and powered home a winner for the first time in Friday’s eighth race at Laurel Park.

Trained by Phil Schoenthal and ridden by Forest Boyce, Determined Truth ($10.20) finished up in 1:11.75 over a muddy main track in the six-furlong maiden special weight event. Estate, a $300,000 second-time starter for Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, ran greenly but held on for second over Divining Rod filly Divine Huntress.

Boyce settled Determined Truth in second as Better Call Mama opened up a large lead through a quarter-mile in 22.54 seconds. Boyce swung outside on the turn and took over after a half in 46.68, gaining separation down the lane. By Flatter out of the Maria’s Mon mare No Use Denying, Determined Truth fetched $100,000 as a yearling last fall and had three seconds and a third this year.

No turf, no problem for Rising Sun Racing Stables Inc.’s Ziggy Mon ($5), who zipped to his second straight front-running triumph at Laurel in Race 4, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up originally carded for the grass. Ridden by J.D. Acosta and trained by Claudio Gonzalez, Ziggy Mon ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.46.

It was the same situation for Steven Walfish’s Workin On a Dream ($8.60), a 6-year-old gelding that went gate-to-wire in Race 6, an entry-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up rained off the grass to the main track. The winning time for one mile was 1:36.55.

Jockey Horacio Karamanos registered back-to-back wins aboard Love Is Strong ($48) in Race 5 and Workin On a Dream ($8.60) in Race 6.

Celebrate Thanksgiving at Laurel Park with Live Racing, Pies & Buffet

After being forced to miss last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Maryland Jockey Club is pleased to resume the popular pie giveaway during its traditional Thanksgiving Day program.

Laurel will open its doors at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 25 and have a special 11:25 a.m. first post for its live race card.

Fans will be able to choose a family-sized pumpkin or apple pie with purchase of a racing program, with a maximum of two pies per person, while supplies last. Pies will be distributed until 4:30 p.m. at the grandstand entrance.

Free donuts, coffee, cider and hot chocolate will be available at the grandstand and clubhouse entrances from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Laurel will also host a Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Terrace Dining Room at a cost of $50 for adults (ages 12 and above) and $25 for children age 5-12. Kids age 5 and under are free.

To make a buffet reservation, call 301-725-0770.