MATCH Series Opener Sees Big Fields and Close Finishes
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Photo: Jim McCue / Maryland Jockey Club
Secret Message prevails over La Moneda and Viva Vegas to win the Dahlia Stakes at Laurel Park
With two races decided by a nose and one by a neck, the opening four races in this year's Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships series delivered a memorable day April 20 at Laurel Park.
One year after finishing second overall in the series points standings, Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki served notice that he will once again be a force as he drew off to a 3 1/2-length score in the Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes. The 6-year-old son of Cuba completed the six-furlong test in 1:08.47 to earn a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 119.
There will be four divisions in the 2019 series and the victory puts Laki atop the 3-Year-Olds and Up Sprint—Dirt division with 10 points.
The filly and mare dirt sprint division proved a closer affair as last year's Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G2) winner Ms Locust Point opened a three-length lead in the stretch and then just held off a late charge from Cairenn to win the Primonetta Stakes by a nose.
Ms Locust Point is trained by John Servis, one of two Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning trainers to secure MATCH victories on opening day, as Graham Motion sent out Secret Message to a nose victory in the Dahlia Stakes for older fillies and mares on the turf.
Madaket Stables, ERJ Racing, Elayne Stable, and Bouchey Thoroughbred Ventures' Secret Message rallied from seventh early to score the narrow victory over La Moneda and third-place Viva Vegas, who missed second by a neck. Motion, in fact, competed in the original MATCH series—revived last year after 16 years off—and in 1998 won the older filly and mare turf division with Bursting Forth.
"I'm a huge fan of the series," said Motion, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center. "I remember when Bursting Forth, owned by Sam Huff, won her (turf) division. I think the series is a great idea, partially because it keeps races from being scheduled on top of each other. It's also a great incentive for trainers."
MATCH organizers work to ensure there are no other stakes races matching the conditions of its four divisions at Mid-Atlantic tracks on the same dates as the series. The organizers have less power over the weather, which cooperated Saturday after initial forecasts called for rain, which could have forced the turf races off the grass. Instead, both were contested on firm turf.
Last year's MATCH series started Preakness weekend at Pimlico Race Course and rain forced races off the turf, impacting field size in the 2018 series opener. This year's four opening races featured 39 starters, for an average field size of 9.75 starters.
The turf sprint division for 3-year-olds and older saw Dirty rally from eighth early to secure the first stakes win of his career in the King T. Leatherbury Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs. The 4-year-old son of Maclean's Music , owned by Tom O'Grady and trained by Jeremiah Englehart, edged Completed Pass by a neck.
Off that start, the second event in the series—which will feature five big-event days this year—will be June 1 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.