September 17 racing highlights: Bombs away at Laurel Park
War Dancer won the PTHA President’s Cup. Photo By Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTO
From Staff Reports
YESTERDAY’S NEWS: Bombs away at Laurel Park
When Storm Candy and jockey Luis Garcia rallied late in the final race at Laurel Park yesterday to run down favored Tizdejaslew and earn a hard-fought victory, the win did more than give Garcia two scores on the day and allow Storm Candy to leave the maiden ranks.
It also capped a remarkable day of longshot wins at the track.
Storm Candy, 15.60-1 at post time, paid $33.20 to backers but was just the third longest winner of the day. In fact, only one favorite won on the nine-race card, and seven of nine winners paid over $10 for a $2 wager.
The list was topped by Shirleys Curls, a Ferris Allen trainee who overcame early trouble to win the fifth race, an optional claiming event for horses that had never won two races, going away. With Feargal Lynch up, she won by 1 1/4 lengths and paid $129.80 (63.90-1) to win, while topping a $454.20 exacta and completing a $932.20 double.
The day started in style, as well, as jockey Kevin Gomez and Monavista Crossing teamed up to win the opener by 1 1/2 lengths for trainer Ollie Figgins, paying $56.40 (27.20-1) in the process. That exacta was good for $493, and the early double, with 7.20-1 Keys Garboy winning the second, paid $810.80.
Other winners included Thirteenth Avenue (5.30-1), Fancy Outflanker (5.50-1), and John Jones (7-1).
[su_divider top=”no” style=”double” divider_color=”#0b0c0c” size=”1″]BY THE NUMBERS: Handle
- Laurel Park: $1,962,565
- Charles Town: $946,270
- Penn National: $822,206
TODAY’S ACTION
- Tracks in action: Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, Delaware Park, Parx Racing, Penn National, Charles Town
- For full-card picks and analysis from Laurel Park, check out The GQ Approach.
- For info and analysis on Charles Town’s big card today, including the G3 Charles Town Oaks, check out:
- Parx Racing’s Saturday feature is the $100,000 Hall of Fame Stakes, somewhat mysteriously carded as a five-furlong race on the main track. The favorite is Jorge Navarro trainee Delta Bluesman (5-2), who had a four-race win streak snapped last out when fourth in the G1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga but who won the G2 Smile at Gulfstream two back. Emisael Jaramillo will ride. Top competitors here include multiple graded winner Favorite Tale (6-1), who ran third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint but is making his first start since March; NJ-bred Rainbow Heir (7-2), who’s a perfect three-for-three at the distance; and the talented multiple stake winner Always Sunshine (9-2).
- Delaware Park’s feature is a $36,000 allowance going five furlongs on the turf. Steel Bay (3-1) is the lukewarm favorite off a fourth-place finish against PA-breds at Parx. The Fidrych mare has generally kept better company than these, but she has just a single win from 28 career starts at age six. Her top rivals include No See Um (8-1), who enters off a win; last-out maiden winner Truly Bound (6-1); and She’ll Do It (5-1).
