MATCH Series Ignites Saturday at Laurel Park
Image:
Description:
Photo: Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Laki wins the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes at Laurel Park
The good news for trainer Damon Dilodovico is that after a successful return in 2018, the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships series is back this year and gets started April 20 at Laurel Park.
Then again, the bad news for Dilodovico is that MATCH is back for 2019, and the word most assuredly is out about the lucrative series, which offers bonuses to owners, trainers, and breeders for horses who fare well throughout the 2019 schedule of stakes races at five Mid-Atlantic tracks.
"I think we're seeing more interest this year," Dilodovico said. "A year ago it may not have been on everyone's radar as much, but this year it seems like more people are aware of it."
Dilodovico is the trainer of Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki, who returns to the series after finishing second in last year's overall championship and claiming top honors in the dirt division for 3-year-olds and older. Laki is one of eight horses entered in Saturday's Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes, one of four $100,000 stakes that get the series started at Laurel.
The four MATCH races drew 44 entries, with another four listed as main-track-only for the two turf races. Besides the Whiteley (3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt Division), there's the King T. Leatherbury Stakes (3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Turf Division), the Primonetta Stakes (Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt Division), and the Dahlia Stakes (Filly and Mare—Long Turf Division).
"We're encouraged by the entries," said MATCH Series founder and Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association CEO and chairman Alan Foreman. "I think we're seeing more interest. I think last year the horsemen didn't know what it was all about, and now they've had that first year to see how it would work. More people know about it."
The series has tweaked its format a bit, going to five big-event days. Dilodovico likes the spacing of the planned events starting at Laurel Saturday and then continuing at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course June 1, Delaware Park July 13, Parx Racing Sept. 2, and Monmouth Park Sept. 28.
"The five big event days has been well received," Foreman said. "Frankly, I'm a little surprised that we were able to pull that off. I have to thank the efforts of racetracks and state horsemen's groups to make that work."
As for Saturday's Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes, Dilodovico said Linda Zang's Lewisfield—who finished second in last year's MATCH Series dirt sprint division—is the rightful 5-2 morning-line favorite based on his 3 1/4-length score in the March 16 Not For Love Stakes for Maryland-breds at Laurel, where Laki finished third.
"I hope the bounce theory is accurate because, if it's not, I think he's going to bounce right into the winner's circle," Dilodovico said.
That said, Dilodovico likes how Laki is coming into the race off a pair of third-place finishes this season, including a placing in the General George Stakes (G3) Feb. 16 at Laurel, the seasonal debut for the 6-year-old son of Cuba. He has a 7-3-4 record from 18 starts for earnings of $388,042.
"Other than his starts at Pimlico—which I don't understand because I would think he would like that surface—Laki has been very consistent for us," Dilodovico said. "Competing against these top guys is fun; well, it's fun when you have a top horse, too, at least."
Keying Laki's success in last year's MATCH Series were placings in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes (G3) at Laurel and Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth, as well as a victory in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel. The success helped Laki to a Maryland-bred divisional championship as top older horse.
"It was a special season," Dilodovico said. "I've been doing this for 30 years and never had a horse earn something like that."
The MATCH Series offers up to $375,000 in bonuses for the top three owners and trainers in each division, as well as owner and trainer bonuses for the overall champion by points among all divisions. Points in each series stakes are awarded as follows: 10 for first, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, two for fifth, and one for sixth through last. In addition, $40,000 in bonus money is available to the top Maryland-bred, New Jersey-bred, Pennsylvania-bred, and Delaware Certified runners in the series.
Laurel Park, Saturday, April 20, 2019, Race 5 Laurel Park, Saturday, April 20, 2019, Race 6 Laurel Park, Saturday, April 20, 2019, Race 7 Laurel Park, Saturday, April 20, 2019, Race 8Entries: Frank Whiteley, Jr S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Killybegs Captain (KY)
Junior Alvarado
126
John P. Terranova II
9/2
2
2Laki (MD)
Horacio Karamanos
126
Damon R. Dilodovico
7/2
3
3Home Run Maker (KY)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
126
Jeremiah C. Englehart
6/1
4
4Mr. Brix (KY)
UNKNOWN
126
Claudio A. Gonzalez
4/1
5
5Lewisfield (MD)
Jevian Toledo
126
Jeff C. Runco
5/2
6
6It's the Journey (MD)
Julian Pimentel
126
Michael J. Trombetta
15/1
7
7Tradfest (KY)
Erick Lopez
122
Janet Polachek
30/1
8
8Rockinn On Bye (MD)
Victor R. Carrasco
122
Claudio A. Gonzalez
8/1
Entries: King T. Leatherbury S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1American Sailor (KY)
Jevian Toledo
126
Wayne Potts
8/1
2
2Eastern Bay (MD)
UNKNOWN
122
Dale Capuano
20/1
3
3Fielder (PA)
Julian Pimentel
126
Marya K. Montoya
12/1
4
4Completed Pass (IN)
Ricardo Chiappe
122
Claudio A. Gonzalez
15/1
5
5Robey's Boy (NY)
Forest Boyce
122
James M. Casey
30/1
6
6Shane's Jewel (KY)
Angel Suarez
122
Jamie Ness
20/1
7
7Triple Burner (NY)
Rosario Montanez
122
Linda L. Albert
15/1
8
8Bavaro (NY)
Junior Alvarado
126
Linda Rice
3/1
9
9Dirty (MD)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
122
Jeremiah C. Englehart
6/1
10
10Clever Triad (KY)
UNKNOWN
122
Ann W. Merryman
30/1
11
11Proforma (KY)
Trevor McCarthy
126
Michael Stidham
4/1
12
12Dubini (KY)
Alex Cintron
122
Kathleen A. Demasi
5/1
13
13Colonel Sharp (KY)
UNKNOWN
126
Hugh I. McMahon
20/1
14
14New York's Finest (NY)
Junior Alvarado
122
Linda Rice
10/1
15
15Tricks to Doo (KY)
Daniel Centeno
126
Arnaud Delacour
5/1
Entries: Primonetta S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Startwithsilver (NY)
Junior Alvarado
124
Linda Rice
3/1
2
2Ms Locust Point (KY)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
126
John C. Servis
2/1
3
3Cairenn (FL)
Trevor McCarthy
122
H. Graham Motion
4/1
4
4Angel At War (KY)
Sheldon Russell
122
Michael E. Gorham
12/1
5
5Shimmering Aspen (KY)
Victor R. Carrasco
124
Rodney Jenkins
8/1
6
6Adios Annie (FL)
Jevian Toledo
122
Gary Capuano
20/1
7
7S W Briar Rose (MD)
Jacqueline A. Davis
122
George R. Albright
15/1
8
8D J's Favorite (KY)
Horacio Karamanos
122
Linda Rice
12/1
9
9Last True Love (KY)
Julio A. Hernandez
122
Flint W. Stites
30/1
10
10Majestic Won (KY)
UNKNOWN
122
Jeremiah C. Englehart
12/1
Entries: Dahlia S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Viva Vegas (LA)
Robby Albarado
122
Ignacio Correas, IV
3/1
2
2Isotope (KY)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
122
Jeremiah C. Englehart
7/2
3
3Peach of a Gal (MD)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
122
H. Graham Motion
10/1
4
4Mrs. Ramona G. (FL)
UNKNOWN
122
Jeremiah C. Englehart
12/1
5
5Sneaky Betty (KY)
Jomar Torres
122
Claudio A. Gonzalez
4/1
6
6La Moneda (NY)
Junior Alvarado
122
Thomas Morley
2/1
7
7Quick Witted (KY)
Victor R. Carrasco
122
Hamilton A. Smith
12/1
8
8Na Pali Spirit (KY)
UNKNOWN
122
Ignacio Correas, IV
12/1
9
9Secret Message (KY)
Trevor McCarthy
122
H. Graham Motion
6/1
10
10Enchanted Ghost (MD)
Jevian Toledo
124
Hamilton A. Smith
20/1
11
11Souper Striking (FL)
Julian Pimentel
122
Michael J. Trombetta
15/1
12
12True Yankee (FL)
Forest Boyce
122
Alan Bedard
30/1
13
13Indy's Lady (NY)
Angel Suarez
122
Jeremiah C. Englehart
4/1
14
14Timeless Curls (KY)
Weston Hamilton
124
Dale Capuano
15/1
15
15So Innocent (KY)
Angel Cruz
122
Charles L. Frock
30/1
