Rare Upset for Jockey Parker at Mountaineer

Horses ridden by DeShawn Parker, the all-time leading rider by wins at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort, don't often slip away at long odds.

So after his mount in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Cup, former $5,000 claimer Looks to Spare, blew up the tote board to pay $150.60 to win, Parker was greeted with loud cheers and applause from the local fans on the track apron.

"He gave me a really big run," a pleased Parker said after winning the 1 1/16-mile stakes that attracted multiple horses who had competed in graded stakes. "When I asked him, he kicked it into another gear."

Looks to Spare, a 5-year-old gelding by Pollard's Vision  , out of the Play Fellow mare Cushion, was bred in Illinois by Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Vanier and B. Culver. He was claimed April 8 at Hawthorne Race Course by owner/trainer Otabek Umarov's O'zbekiston Racing and moved into state-bred allowance company, a starter/optional claiming race, and in his most recent start, the grade III Arlington Handicap on the turf.

The gelding performed well on dirt, but encountered some early trouble in the grass stakes and finished seventh. He seemed to relish his return to dirt.

Looks to Spare rallied from sixth under Parker to threaten on the far turn, collared the rallying Page McKenney in the stretch, and pulled away to defeat that foe by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:44.56. Majestic Harbor, a grade I winner, finished third.

Umarov is a hands-on owner and trainer. After receiving the Governor's Cup trophy, he said he gallops his own horses so he can get a good idea of the type of competition they may be able to handle.

"I think he probably likes the turf, but before the (Arlington) race I told the jockey to take him back early," Umarov said. "This time I told the jockey to try to keep him closer and he did."

Umarov noted it didn't hurt being able to get Parker to ride Looks to Spare, who in less than two minutes pushed his career earnings from $57,338 to $176,339.