Margano Edges Out PTHA President's Cup Score
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Margano scored a determined victory over Holiday Star in the the $200,000 PTHA President's Cup Stakes Sept. 13, earning his first victory of 2014 by a nose at Parx Racing .
Lael Stables' homebred 5-year-old Dynaformer gelding, a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Barbaro, came off a fourth-place finish for trainer Arnaud Delacour in an Aug. 21 optional claimer going 7 1/2 furlongs on the Delaware Park lawn. The President's Cup was the second stakes score of his career, coupled with a victory in Delaware's Eight Thirty Stakes in July 2013.
Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles on a rainy day over a turf course rated yielding, Margano settled in a good stalking position just off the outside flank of pacesetter Our Emerald Forest. That rival showed the way in the five-horse field through a quarter in :23.95 and a half in :48.84 while maintaining a two-length advantage, but jockey Kendrick Carmouche kept Margano within striking range.
Three-quarters went in 1:13.68 as Our Emerald Forest began to tire and 3-5 favorite Winning Cause made his move only to flatten out again. Holiday Star was mounting his bid from the last after circling widest of all, and hooked up with Margano for a simultaneous run to the wire through a 1:39.22 mile.
At the end it appeared too close to call, but the photo revealed Margano the winner under an impost of 117 pounds. Final time was 1:52.19.
Off at odds of 15-2, Margano returned $17, $7.40, and $2.40 while Holiday Star brought $4.20 and $2.10 at 3-1. Winning Cause, the 122-pound highweight, paid $2.10 , as Sailor's Revenge and Our Emerald Forest completed the order of finish. He's So Fine and Warrioroftheroses scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by Roy and Gretchen Jackson out of the Carson City mare La Ville Rouge, Margano improved his record to 5-5-1 from 22 starts for earnings of $300,389.