Majestic Affair, Lindisfarne Win at Laurel

Majestic Affair lived up to his 2-5 odds when he romped to a 5 3/4-length win in the $100,000 Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes over seven rival 3-year-olds Jan. 29 at Laurel Park .



The Whiteley was one of two stakes served up on the Maryland's track's Thursday program as make-ups after they were canceled Jan. 24 due to overnight freezing temperatures that created unsafe track conditions. In the second stakes, the $100,000 Marshua Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Lindisfarne prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths.



Kendrick Carmouche was aboard Majestic Affair for their stroll to victory in the seven-furlong Whiteley, completed in a time of 1:23.88 over a fast track. Majestic Affair sat comfortably a couple of lengths off the pace in third before circling the field rounding the turn and drawing off in the stretch. He was ridden out late. Quarter-mile fractions were :23.34, :47.06, and 1:11.53.



Chad Brown trains Majestic Affair, a Kentucky-bred chestnut gelding registering his second stakes win of the year for owners James Covello, Thomas Coleman, and Doheny Racing Stable. Majestic Affair captured the six-furlong Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes by an identical 5 3/4 lengths over the inner track at Aqueduct Racetrack Jan. 2.



Interestingly, had the Whiteley been run as scheduled Saturday, Majestic Affair would not have been among the starters. Brown entered him when the race was redrawn for the Thursday card.



"He's not a very big horse but he's got a big stride and he gets over just about any surface he's been on without any problems," Carmouche said. "Chad trains most of his horses to go long and I don't think this horse would have any problem going further. He won today in very easy fashion."



Majestic Affair posted his fourth win from six lifetime starts and ran his earnings to $184,000.



Bred by Doug Oliver, the winner is by Majesticperfection   out of Blumin Beauty, by Blumin Affair.



Carrying 122 pounds, Majestic Affair paid $2.40, $2.40, and $2.10, topping a $24.40 exacta. Measured finished second at 27-1 odds, returning $11.40 and $5.60. He was one length ahead of Notional Debt, who paid $3.20 to show.



In the Marshua, New York-based Lindisfarne was ridden to victory by Victor Carrasco for KMN Racing and trainer Rudy Rodriguez . The Florida-bred daughter of City Zip   went off at 5-1 odds and was timed in 1:11.40 for six furlongs.



Lindisfarne raced four wide down the backstretch near mid-pack in the field of seven sophomore fillies, advancing on the outside leaving the turn. She strode to a clear lead midstretch while drifting outward in the final furlong but was corrected by Carrasco and held firm.



Lake Sebago, the 9-5 second choice, finished a late-closing second by one length over pacesetter Comforter, who was pressed by 3-2 choice Eloquent Tribute through fractions of :23.24 and :46.43. The favorite, also trained by Rodriguez, finished fourth.



Lindisfarne began her career last year on the West Coast with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, breaking her maiden in her debut at Santa Rosa in August. She had three starts in Northern California before transferring to Rodriguez for the 2015 season.

She began the year with a New Year's Day allowance/optional claiming win at Laurel. Her lifetime mark stands at three wins in five starts with earnings of $103,295.



"Before I rode her last time, Rudy told me that she was very nice but she could be a little nervous," Carrasco said. "This race was scheduled last weekend and we had the number one post position but when they re-entered for today we were the seven. I think it helped being on the outside.



"There was a lot of speed down near the rail so I just let my filly settle. I looked back around the five-sixteenths (pole) to see if Lake Sebago was coming and I didn't see anything so I just went and asked my filly to go. She responded really well. She ran a great race today."



Bred by Donald R. Dizney out of the Dixieland Band mare Aidan, Lindisfarne was a $57,000 purchase at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale by Litt Bloddstock out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.



The winner carried 116 pounds and paid $12.80, $6.20, and $3 as the third choice. Lake Sebago, the 122-pound highweight, returned $2.80 and $2.10, completing a $66.60 exacta. Comforter paid $4.80 to show.