Juveniles Run to Milestones for Imagining, Carpe Diem

Cash is King and LC Racing's Monday Morning Qb, three weeks after a fever cost him a chance at making his stakes debut, returned to Laurel Park and rebounded with a three-quarter-length score Dec. 28 in the $100,000 Heft Stakes.

The Heft for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both contested at seven furlongs, were among five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a nine-race program that closed out Maryland's 2019 stakes schedule.

It was just the third start and first in a stakes for Monday Morning Qb, the program favorite for the Dec. 7 Maryland Juvenile Futurity who was scratched the morning of the race. With Jorge Vargas Jr. up for trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid, the juvenile son of Imagining  completed the distance in 1:23.46 over a fast main track and became his sire's first black-type winner.

'It was unfortunate, he got sick going into the (Futurity)," Reid said. "Fortunately he fought it off well and it was only a couple of days, but I'm very glad we didn't push our luck with him last time."

Breaking from the far outside post, Monday Morning Qb was kept in the clear on the outside by Vargas down the backstretch, tracking Romanoff through fractions of :22.35 and :45.49.

Racing for the first time beyond six furlongs and away from his home track at Parx Racing for the first time as well, Monday Morning Qb circled the field on the turn, took command near the three-sixteenths pole and powered through the stretch to turn back a late run from 14-1 shot New Commission. It was 2 3/4 lengths back to 9-5 favorite Lebda in third, while Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner Nucky tired to last after pressing the pace. Monday Morning Qb returned $6.20 for a $2 win ticket.

"I was impressed because we asked a lot of him today—coming on the road, coming to a track we weren't familiar with, and going the seven-eighths of a mile. I always felt this horse was a distance horse. We've only begun to scratch the surface with him, I think. We've got other ideas down the road," Reid said. "We want to go a longer distance, too, so our next stop will probably be to find a two-turn race for him somewhere. That's what I think he's looking for."

Imagining, who will stand the 2020 season for an advertised fee of $7,500 live foal at Anchor & Hope Farm in Port Deposit, Md., was a multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire whose biggest win came in the 2014 Man o'War Stakes (G1T) on the lawn.

"He's actually really bred for the grass, too. His father was a turf horse, so there may be some turf racing in the future for this horse, also," Reid said. "He's a horse that I think we can have a lot of fun with."

Monday Morning Qb was bred in Maryland by Bowman & Higgins Stable & Cary Frommer out of the Not For Love mare How My Heart Works, and was a $25,000 purchase by Cash is King's Charles Zachney from Becky Davis' consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale last year.

Video: Heft S. (BT)

Bella Aurora Sparkles

Country Life Farm's Bella Aurora, twice stakes-placed sprinting on the turf this fall, won her second straight start since switching to the dirt with a professional 1 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes.

Trained by Mike Trombetta, the Carpe Diem  filly ran seven furlongs in 1:24.24 under jockey Julian Pimentel, who has been aboard for all three of her wins from six starts, including a maiden triumph over Laurel's turf course Aug. 16. She became the first black-type winner for Carpe Diem, who will stand the 2020 season at WinStar Farm in Lexington for an advertised fee of $15,000 stands and nurses.

Pimentel was unhurried near the back of the eight-horse field while 21-1 shot Still Alive went a quarter in :23.64 before yielding the top spot to Fly On Angel through a half in :46.47. Pimentel swung Bella Aurora to the far outside on the far turn, where she swept past her rivals and kept driving to the wire.

The 2-1 favorite Ankle Monitor made a belated bid to edge Naughty Thoughts by a nose for second. Fly On Angel was fourth while Cofactor, seeking her fourth consecutive victory and second straight in a stakes following the Nov. 16 Smart Halo at Laurel, saved ground from her inside post but faded to seventh.

Bella Aurora, bred in Virginia by Morgan's Ford Farm out of the Street Cry mare Street Interest, was purchased for $87,000 from her breeder's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale in 2018.

Video: Gin Talking S. (BT)

Someday Jones Shows His Best Side

John Servis enjoyed some of the finest days of his career with 2004 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Smarty Jones. Now the veteran trainer is enjoying a multiple stakes-winning ride with a son of Smarty Jones.

Main Line Racing and Alexandria Stable's Someday Jones, already a two-time stakes winner over fellow Pennsylvania-breds, matched the feat against open company with a two-length triumph over Alwaysmining in Saturday's $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes.

Someday Jones ($7.60) crossed the wire in 1:49.23 over a fast main track for his 10th career victory and the third of five on the day for jockey Trevor McCarthy. He has now earned more than $585,000 from 25 starts.

The 6-year-old runner turned back not only five-time stakes winner Alwaysmining in the he 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer for 3-year-olds and up, but also bested graded stakes winner and eventual third-place finisher Monongahela, trained by Servis' brother, Jason; and 2017 Maryland Million Classic winner and fourth-place Bonus Points.

"It's nice that he's by Smarty. There's not too many of them out there that are really good, and he's a really good one," Servis said.

In the Native Dancer, McCarthy and Someday Jones found themselves racing in fourth as shipper Major Cabbie established the early lead through a quarter in :24.18 and a half in :47.94, with Monongahela on his right flank and Alwaysmining another path out. The top three maintained their position after going six furlongs in 1:11.91. Someday Jones took aim at the trio nearing the quarter pole, angled to the far outside once straightened for home, and ran down Alwaysmining in the final sixteenth of a mile.

Alwaysmining, making his second start off a five-month layoff, was a decisive second by 2 3/4 lengths over Monongahela.

Someday Jones avenged a three-length loss when second to Monongahela in their previous meeting, the 1 1/16-mile Swatara Stakes Nov. 27 at Parx. It was just the second time racing at Laurel for Someday Jones, who ran seventh in the Fire Plug Stakes to open his 2018 campaign.

"My brother's horse beat him last time but he got left just completely flat-footed and made up a lot of ground," Servis said. "After looking at this race, I thought it might set up a little better for him with the speed. He got away good and Trevor rode him perfect. At the head of the lane, I knew he was going to be tough. I know the horse he beat is a solid horse from last year, when he got really good. It looks like he's starting to get good again. My horse ran great. He's been such a good horse for us."

Someday Jones was bred in Pennsylvania by Smarty Jones' breeder, Patricia Chapman, out of the Concern mare Last Toots.

Video: Native Dancer S. (BT)

Threefiveindia Makes the Grade

Rockingham Ranch's 6-year-old gelding Threefiveindia became a stakes winner for the first time while remaining unbeaten for his new connections with a three-quarter-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Dave's Friend Stakes. 

Ridden by Trevor McCarthy for California-based trainer Peter Miller in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, Threefiveindia ($3) ran the distance in 1:09.60 over a fast main track as the 1-2 favorite in a field of seven. The race also featured Isotherm, a two-time graded-stakes winner on turf, and Laurel stakes winner Home Run Maker, racing for the first time since June 1.

McCarthy swept both older sprint stakes, capturing the $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes with the Graham Motion-trained Majestic Reason as part of a five-win afternoon. He also took the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes on Someday Jones.

Longshot Fiber and Emily was hustled to the lead from Post 2 and was in front through a quarter in :22.59, stalked to his outside by Threefiveindia, a front-running winner of his previous start Nov. 14 at Del Mar. Fiber and Emily began to weaken on the turn and was overtaken by Threefiveindia following a half in :45.54.

McCarthy and Threefiveindia opened up by three lengths at the top of the stretch and remained in command from there, having plenty left to dismiss a closing bid from Arch Cat. Smooth B was third. Isotherm and Home Run Maker finished sixth and seventh, respectively. 

Bred in Kentucky by Myung Kwon Cho & Jun Park out of the Dixieland Band mare Palacio de Amor, Threefiveindia was a $40,000 claim by Miller out of a third-place finish Sept. 19 at Los Alamitos Race Course. He also is a Fasig-Tipton graduate, having been purchased in 2014 for $65,000 by Solis & Litt from Hartwell Farm's consignment to The October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's fall yearling sale in Kentucky.

Video: Dave's Friend S. (BT)

Majestic Reason Proves Class

Hillwood Stable and Richard Golden's Majestic Reason proved to be the class of the field as she scooted through an opening along the rail and held off 18-1 long shot Wildcat Combat to capture the $100,000 Willa On the Move.

Majestic Reason completed the distance in 1:10.68 to earn her second stakes win, following the Miss Disco Stakes last August at Laurel.

Stakes winner Baby Boss, sent off as a slight 9-5 favorite over Majestic Reason, was eager for the lead and held it after going the opening quarter in :22.42 pressed by Cause I'm Edgy, as Majestic Reason settled in third. Baby Boss was still in front after a half in :46.43, when McCarthy found room on the inside to send Majestic Reason and set her down for a drive to the wire.

Wildcat Combat was a clear second, three lengths ahead of Baby Boss.

McCarthy was aboard Majestic Reason in her previous race, a runner-up effort behind Anna's Bandit in the six-furlong Politely Stakes Dec. 7 at Laurel, where she got the jump on her rival but fell a length short.

"I learned a lot from her last time when I rode her," McCarthy said. "There wasn't much pace that day and she broke well and they kind of swarmed me a little bit at the half-mile pole and she wasn't quite ready to go yet. I kind of let them go and waited for a seam.

"When I saw Anna's Bandit bottled up, I was happy as can be. I got through and she was still waiting," he added. "My filly is such a game filly. Anna's Bandit has beat this filly twice, so for her to come back and win today is huge."

Majestic Reason was bred in Maryland by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds & Ellen Charles out of the Not For Love mare Love's Reason.

Video: Willa On the Move S. (BT)