Stakes Winner Joe Passes Two-Turn Test at Laurel
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Photo: Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Joe wins an allowance optional claiming race at Laurel Park
The Elkstone Group's homebred stakes winner Joe passed his two-turn test with aplomb in his 3-year-old debut, triumphing by 2 1/2 lengths in a Jan. 23 allowance optional claiming contest at Laurel Park.
Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Mike Trombetta, Joe extended his win streak to three in his first outing since capturing Laurel's Maryland Juvenile Championship Stakes Dec. 18.
Sunday's winning time was 1:45.66 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track.
"We hadn't had the best continuity because of the weather and the track things that were going on, so we missed a workout along the way," Trombetta said. "That was in the back of my mind; I was a little worried about it. With a couple races under him, he was able to do well."
The Maryland-bred Declaration of War colt was nominated to the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes sprinting seven furlongs Jan. 29 at Laurel, the first in Maryland's series of stakes for 3-year-olds.
"I'll have to talk to (Elkstone's Stuart) Grant and see what he has in mind," Trombetta said. "Now that he's got a few good races under his belt, some seasoning, now we can really start to think about his future a little bit more."
Joe is out of the Arch mare Battle Bridge, also the dam of grade 3-placed Irony of Reality . He has earned $133,324 in four starts.