Maryland's Best Hope: Alwaysmining

A Maryland-bred horse hasn't won the Preakness Stakes (G1) since Francis P. Sears Jr.'s Deputed Testamony won the Black-eyed Susans in the spring of 1983 for trainer Bill Boniface. Thirty-six years later the best hope lies with Alwaysmining, a son of Stay Thirsty  owned by Greg and Caroline Bentley's Runnymede Racing.

The Bentleys' farm is just outside Coatesville, Pa. As CEO of Bentley Systems in Exton, Pa., Greg Bentley was looking for a hobby a couple of decades ago and landed on steeplechasers. Being in the steeplechase capital of the U.S., it was a perfect fit until they purchased a jump prospect by the name of Hardest Core.

When the horse ended up on the flat, and won the 2014 Arlington Million XXXII Stakes (G1T), racing manager Joe Cassidy said the Bentleys discovered, "Wow. There's a whole other world out here.

"Now they have just one jumper ... it's all flat horses," Cassidy said.

Along with the racing stable, the Bentleys have entered the breeding business, with nine foals arriving at the farm this year. The mares have come off the track and the broodmare band has been augmented by purchases at Keeneland November Breeding Stock sales.

"We started the breeding with the idea that, you buy horses and some work out and some don't," Cassidy said. "You find some hidden problems that nobody knew about when you vetted them or the vet didn't catch. It's the nature of the business. It happens. Greg said he always wanted to bring his own along, and then you know what the problems are. It's a natural fit. Everyone uses the term 'organic' now, but that was it."

With a barn at the Fair Hill Training Center some 20 minutes away led by trainer Kelly Rubley, and their own facility on the farm that features an uphill Tapeta gallop, they're all in. And they're in the thick of things for the Preakness with Alwaysmining, a Maryland-bred gelding they purchased privately last summer from James McIngvale.

The dark bay has won his last six starts, culminating with an 11 1/2-length score April 20 in Laurel Park's Federico Tesio Stakes.

Bred by Avla Pitts, the sophomore is out of the Anees mare What Will Be. Through Hunter Valley Farm, Alwaysmining was sold to 3-D Bloodstock as a short yearling at the 2017 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale for $32,000. Later that year McIngvale's sister-in-law, Laura Wohlers, paid $130,000 for Alwaysmining during the 10th session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from Allied Bloodstock.

"When I saw him, I told Mack he was the one in the sale I wanted," Wohlers said. "We had already bought a couple of yearlings. We paid $130,000 for him and he's a Stay Thirsty Maryland-bred; he was a nice specimen.

"He has a similar conformation to (McIngvale's 2015 male sprint champion) Runhappy . He had that look. He had a muscular look, and he was a little bit longer in the back than just a sprinter. He had short cannon bones; he just looked nice."

Alwaysmining debuted at Keeneland in April 2018 and made a pair of starts at Churchill Downs before being shipped to Maryland where he broke his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths, and changed hands.

"We love the idea of having state-bred horses in the states we like to run in," Cassidy said. "He had all of the factors we were looking for. Laura had done a good job. We all know those races at Keeneland are tough. (Trainer) Wesley Ward comes in and fires bullet after bullet. To be competitive against him is enough. This horse had upside in the state-bred program. He was going to be a nice horse to have."

After the purchase, Alwaysmining was gelded. Tried on the turf in September's Laurel Futurity sprinting six furlongs with less-than stellar results, he's failed to lose since, with all of his starts having come at seven furlongs or longer. This year he's 3-for-3 with scores in the one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes Feb. 16, the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms Stakes March 16, and the nine-furlong Tesio.

One of the horse's biggest supporters is his former trainer.

"They gave him some time and he's training very well," Wohlers said. "He probably loves Fair Hill. We used to give him a lot of out time and he probably loves that at Fair Hill; he's in a great environment. They've managed him well.

"He might win the Preakness, but he'll have a bigger challenge. He's run some good numbers and if he gets a good trip, he has a good shot."

The Preakness trip at Pimlico Race Course is 1 3/16 miles ... and 36 years of history.