Yesterday and today: April 20 racing highlights
Monster Sleeping won an allowance at Laurel Park on April 3. Photo by The Racing Biz.
From Staff Reports
YESTERDAY’S NEWS: BOMBS AWAY AS CINCO Y CINCO UPSETS FEATURE
One longshot did the dirty work, but a different one was the primary beneficiary in yesterday’s Parx Racing feature, a $52,000 allowance/optional claimer.
Lust for Money (12.90-1) dueled favored Island Cat (9-5) into submission, but he couldn’t hold off the late inside run of Cinco Y Cinco, who got up late to win by a neck, with Lust for Money in second. It was another three-quarters of a length back to morning line favorite Red Razzo (2.30-1), who rallied from last after a sluggish start.
Cinco Y Cinco, 47.30-1 at post time, paid his few backers $96.60 and topped a $485.60 exacta. The late double, with 7-1 Grand Full Moon winning the nightcap, was good for $914, while the pick-three paid off $225.50 to two of three.
Over a dull track rated fast, Lust for Money led the field through a sharp opening quarter in 22.54 seconds. Island Cat fell away midway on the turn — he ended up last — and Lust for Money opened a clear lead after a half-mile in 46.45 seconds.
Inside, Cinco Y Cinco managed to get a clear rail run under Silvestre Gonzalez. Meanwhile, a revving-up Red Razzo and Emmanuel Esquivel began a stout rally but had to swing well outside for clear running in the lane. Cinco Y Cinco eventually wore down Lust for Money and got by, completing the six furlong distance in 1:11.84.
It was Cinco Y Cinco’s second consecutive victory and fifth overall from 29 career starts. The six-year-old now has earned $167,018. It was also his first start for trainer Michelle Castillo and owners JRM Stable, who’d claimed him for $7,500 out of his last start.
ALSO…
- Trainer Mario Serey, Jr. won two on the afternoon at Parx. He took a pair of claiming events, the first race of the day with L X Sunrise and the third with Pop Joe. Serey is tied for third in wins among Parx trainers with 13 and is fifth in earnings. Overall this season, he has 24 wins from 129 starters.
LOOKING AHEAD: TODAY’S RACING
- A pair of 4 1/2 furlong allowance sprints top Charles Town’s Wednesday card. In the first, race six, for three-year-olds and up that have never won two other than WV-bred, C. D. Jammin (9-5) gets the nod as the favorite. The West Virginia-bred Bop gelding, trained by Michael Weeks, defeated similar two back before running second last out. He’ll have Jerry Villegas in the irons. But he’ll need to fend off recent maiden winner Williamsburg (5-2) and J.D. Acosta; the Joan Reynolds trainee posted an easy score last out in his fourth career start. In the very next race, an allowance for state-bred fillies and mares that have never won three, Way Ahead of You (8-5) hopes to live up to her name for trainer Ronney Brown and jockey Jose Montano. The speedster has won two of eight and has been in the money five of six at the distance. Tim Grams trainee My Princess Sophia (5-2) figures to appreciate the class relief as she drops back into state-bred company.
- Though Gurt Boys (4-1) has just a single win from seven career starts, the sophomore Jump Start colt has been in the money in all seven of his career starts to date. He tackles first-level, Pennsylvania-bred allowance company this evening at Penn National, in race six, a six-furlong contest that’s drawn a field of nine. Gurt Boys has finished second or third in three straight allowance tests for trainer Brandon Kulp, most recently running second behind impressive winner Someday Jones. Angel Rodriguez will have the mount, and the duo will need to defeat favored I’m Zonin (3-1) if they are to get the money.
