Alwaysmining Starts Fresh in Jennings

It was a different story going into last year's Jennings Stakes.

Runnymoore Racing's Alwaysmining was bet down as the overwhelming favorite coming off a 3-year-old campaign that saw him win 3 of 8 starts, including three black-type stakes over the Maryland circuit that led to a bid in the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1). While the lanky son of Stay Thirsty finished off-the-board in the Preakness, he was a formidable opponent against five other Maryland-breds. He cruised to the wire a comfortable winner, followed by a gritty score in the John B. Campbell Stakes at Laurel Park against open company.

The gelding failed to find to winner's circle in three more efforts before he was given a freshener at Greg and Caroline Bentley's 500-acre farm in Coatesville, Pa. In the Jan. 16 Jennings Stakes for 4-years-old and up, he returns to his Laurel homestead—a track at which he has won nine times in his career—this time facing eight other rivals after a six-month layoff.

With a new trainer in Austin Trites conditioning Alwaysmining, the 5-year-old was put back into training in October, strengthening his lungs and limbs over the farm's three-quarter mile uphill Tapeta gallop.

"I really do believe that the uphill gallop that we have at the farm can really benefit a horse from the racetrack just helping them get stronger behind," said Trites. "I think we've seen that in his training thus far at Fair Hill where he's just seemingly so far ahead of where we thought he was."

Alwaysmining shipped into the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., in December and wasted no time rattling off three consecutive bullet works, the last being a 1.00.20 breeze over the inner Tapeta track.

"I think anytime you're coming off a six-month layoff and a few poor performances, you always have question marks," said Trites. "But in terms of his training he has answered all of those questions emphatically, and I'm hoping he'll do the same on race day.

"It's been an honor and a pleasure (to train Alwaysmining), and hopefully, he runs well, and we can start his 5-year-old campaign off right."

Alwaysmining will break from post 7 in the $75,000 one-mile Jennings and retains the services of 2020 Laurel fall meet leading jockey Sheldon Russell.

Seeking to challenge the defending Jennings champion will be Hillwood Stable's ultra-consistent Cordmaker, who recently placed third to Pegasus World Cup (G1)-bound Harper's First Ride in the Dec. 26 Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel; and Air Token, winner of the Nov. 28 Concern Stakes at Laurel for owner/trainer Jose Corrales.

Hanalei's Houdini, My Friend's Beer, Hall Pass, Tattooed, Oxide, and Galerio complete the field.

Entries: Jennings S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, January 16, 2021, Race 5

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $75,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 2:23 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hanalei's Houdini (MD)	Johan Rosado	120	Hamilton A. Smith	15/1
2	2My Friends Beer (MD)	Jevian Toledo	120	Jeremiah O'Dwyer	15/1
3	3Cordmaker (MD)	Victor R. Carrasco	120	Rodney Jenkins	5/2
4	4Hall Pass (MD)	Jorge Ruiz	120	Hamilton A. Smith	8/1
5	5Tattooed (MD)	Angel Cruz	120	Timothy L. Keefe	6/1
6	6Air Token (MD)	Horacio Karamanos	120	Jose Corrales	5/1
7	7Alwaysmining (MD)	Sheldon Russell	122	A. Lands Trites	9/2
8	8Oxide (MD)	Alexander Crispin	120	Lacey Gaudet	10/1
9	9Galerio (MD)	Xavier Perez	120	Dale Bennett	6/1