Whereshetoldmetogo Repeats in Not For Love
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Photo: Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Whereshetoldmetogo defeats Jaxon Traveler in the Not For Love Stakes at Laurel Park
As part of a five-stakes program March 19 at Laurel Park, Whereshetoldmetogo reeled in stubborn pacesetter and fellow multiple stakes winner Jaxon Traveler in mid-stretch and edged past to defend his title in the $75,000 Not For Love Stakes.
The Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber, and BTR Racing-owned gelding rallied to score by three-quarters of a length in 1:10.97 over a fast main track under Jevian Toledo. It was his 14th victory, 11 of them in stakes.
"I put my horse on the outside of horses in the clear and when I asked him to go home, he just did his job like he always does," Toledo said. He's a nice horse."
Frontrunners Jaxon Traveler and Air Token settled for second and third.
"He's an older horse and he owes no one anything at this rate," winning trainer Brittany Russell said. "He's still showing up on the day, so the fact that we can do it the way we are, it's nice. It's rewarding, and he deserves it."
The victory pushed Whereshetoldmetogo's career bankroll to $792,791 from 33 starts and improved him to seven-for-10 at Laurel.
"It set up really well for him today. We love this horse," Russell said. "The clients are great and let us be patient, and we can do the right thing by him. It shows on a day like today when he can get the job done."
A 7-year-old gelding by El Padrino , Whereshetoldmetogo ($8.20) was bred in Maryland by David Wade, produced from the Domestic Dispute mare Undisputed Legend . She has dropped nine foals, eight of which have started, seven of them victorious. Her lone unraced foal is a yearling colt by Mendelssohn .
A son of Mr. Prospector, the late Not For Love was named Maryland's champion stallion a record 13 times and was the first stallion in Maryland history to surpass $6 million in progeny earnings in a single year (2008). As a broodmare sire, he is represented by two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. He died at age 26 in 2016.
Video: Not For Love S. (BT)
Dontmesawithme Springs Upset
In other Saturday action at Laurel, Dontmesawithme upset the $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes, outrunning Workin On a Dream and Galerio and returning a $38.20 mutuel payoff. The Fast Anna 5-year-old gelding raced a mile in 1:39.09.
Abner Adorno rode the winner for trainer Flint Stites. The Kentucky-bred races for owner/breeders Stephen and Debbie Jackson.
"I didn't expect he would be on the lead, but Abner was right there, spot-on," Stites said.
"It's a horse that is usually a closer but when he broke he was right on the lead and I was surprised where he was," Adorno added. "I decided to wait as much as I could and when it was time to run he was ready for me. I'm just happy that the horse broke sharply today and it worked out good for him."
The Harrison E. Johnson honors the Bowie-based trainer who died at age 45 in the crash of a plane he was piloting from Saratoga to Virginia. A native of Adelphi, Md., his best horse was Hopeful Stakes winner Gusty O'Shay, named that year's Maryland-bred 2-year-old champion.
Video: Harrison E. Johnson Memorial S. (BT)
Fille d'Esprit Takes Conniver
Fille d`Esprit improved to 8-for-14 in winning the $75,000 Conniver Stakes by eight lengths over Kiss the Girl and Artful Splatter . The John Robb-trained daughter of Great Notion raced seven furlongs in 1:24.54 under Xavier Perez, paying $3.40 as the heavy favorite.
The graded-placed filly, bred by Sweet Spirits Stables in Maryland, notched her first stakes victory for owners C J I Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Farm. She has now earned $254,326.
Fille d'Esprit wins the Conniver Stakes
"It's always special, especially with this filly because I claimed her because she's bred identical to Anna's Bandit," Robb said in reference to mare he trained to over $800,000 in earnings. "She seems to be improving with each race."
Video: Conniver S. (BT)
Luna Belle, Shake Em Loose Shine
The final stakes on the program were won by Luna Belle and Shake Em Loose, with the former taking the $100,000 Beyond The Wire for 3-year-old fillies and the latter the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Luna Belle, a Great Notion filly owned by Deborah Green and Hammy Smith, won her fourth consecutive stakes race in the Beyond The Wire. Smith trains the filly, who he bred in Maryland in partnership with Deborah and Fred Greene. She raced a mile in 1:38.93 in her first attempt racing the distance, winning by 3 1/2 lengths over Candy Light . Dennis Araujo was aboard the winner.
"She's an incredible athlete in every way, shape, and form. She's just a phenomenal, phenomenal racehorse," said Smith's son and assistant, Jason. "She handled the mile beautiful."
Luna Belle began her win streak in the Maryland Juvenile Fillies in mid-December to clinch champion Maryland-bred 2-year-old filly honors. She opened her sophomore season with victories in the six-furlong Xtra Heat Stakes and seven-furlong Wide Country Stakes, the latter her longest previous race.
"The game plan was to be a little bit closer than I was last time," Araujo said. "Last time I was a little bit far back, but I think the speed and the distance change a lot. Running a mile or running seven-eighths or three-quarters is a big difference, but she still made it.
"Turning for home, she switched leads and she was gone," he added. "I can tell you she's an amazing filly. Now she's won four races in a row, and not by accident. She showed so far she's the best of them, so I can't say much. She does it all herself."
J R Sanchez Racing Stable's Shake Em Loose ($12.40) scored by 1 3/4 lengths over favored Joe in the Private Terms, racing about 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.80 under Charlie Marquez. The Shakin It Up gelding, bred in Kentucky by Pillar Property Services, is trained by Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon.
Charlie Marquez savors the win aboard Shake Em Loose after taking the Private Terms Stakes