Unbridled Daddy Wins Third Straight in Laurel Feature Friday; Super Hi-5 Carryover $10,358 for Saturday’s Program
Unbridled Daddy Wins Third Straight in Laurel Feature Friday; Super Hi-5 Carryover $10,358 for Saturday’s Program
Clouded Judgement Breaks Maiden on World-Class Turf Course
Super Hi-5 Carryover $10,358 for Saturday’s Program
LAUREL, MD – Red Oak Stable homebred Unbridled Daddy took the lead early and had something left late to fend off Final Prospect and earn his third straight victory in Friday’s featured eighth race at Laurel Park.
Ridden by Daniel Centeno for New York-based trainer Greg Sacco, Unbridled Daddy ($7.60) ran about 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.93 over a fast main track to edge Final Prospect by a nose. Late-running Ghost Bay, the 9-5 favorite, rallied between horses in deep stretch to get third.
Multiple stakes-placed during his sophomore season for trainer Todd Pletcher, 4-year-old Unbridled Daddy broke sharply and went straight to the front in the third-level $47,000 optional claiming allowance, setting fractions of 24.30 seconds, 47.56 and 1:12.16 tracked by Hickory Hill and Warrioroftheroses.
Unbridled Daddy was still in front straightening for home, was collared by 13-1 long shot Final Prospect nearing the eighth pole, but refused to yield along the inside. His previous two wins came by 9 ¼ combined lengths.
“I talked to the trainer and he said the horse likes to be in front and run free,” Centeno said. “He got an easy pace and when I turned for home I thought for one second he was going to open up and he started to hang out a little bit in the end, but when the horse next to him came up to him he fought again to the wire. He tried hard.”
Roddy Harrison’s Clouded Judgement ($6.20), making his fifth career start and second straight on turf, took the lead at the top of the stretch and sprinted clear for a 2 ¾-length victory in Friday’s fifth race, a $40,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds. Trained by Lacey Gaudet, the Awesome Patriot gelding ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05.19 over the All Along Turf Course.
Eagle Terrace’s 16-1 upset of Friday’s ninth race finale created a $1 Super Hi-5 carryover of $10,358.60 for Saturday’s opener, a six-furlong claimer for 3-year-olds and up. First race post time is 12:30 p.m.
There will also be a jackpot carryover of $396.44 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which begins in Race 4. Tickets with five of six winners Friday were worth $213.90.
Note: Jockey Jevian Toledo visited the winner’s circle twice aboard Clouded Judgement ($6.20) in the fifth race and Eagle Terrace ($34) in the ninth.
