Golden Lad, Gifted Heart, and PA Day at the Races: The week in social media

Gifted Heart held off Mischevious Alex to win an allowance at Laurel Park. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.

Golden Lad was represented by his first winner, a Maryland-bred filly remained undefeated against the boys, and Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races is upon us.

Here is the 411 on what the racing world has been talking about in the Mid-Atlantic region:

Hello Beautiful first winner for sire Golden Lad

Northview Stallion Stations’ freshman sire, Golden Lad, had his first winner on July 27, when his two-year-old daughter, Hello Beautiful, crossed the finish line first in a 5 ½ furlong maiden special weight at Laurel Park. With jockey Sheldon Russell in the saddle, Hello Beautiful romped to a 5 ½ length victory, picking up her first win in three attempts. The dark bay or brown filly completed the challenge in a final time of 1:03.52, boosting her lifetime earnings to $40,092 along the way.

Bred in Maryland by Hillwood Stables, Hello Beautiful is owned in partnership with Dark Horse Racing LLC and her trainer, Brittany Russell. The filly was purchased from the consignment of Dark Hollow Farm back in 2018, when she sold for $6,500 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Gifted Heart beats the boys!

A Maryland-bred filly named Gifted Heart galloped her way through social media headlines over the weekend, when she beat the boys at Laurel Park to remain undefeated.

Gifted Heart took on her male counterparts in a $42,000 allowance optional claiming event on Saturday. It was only the second start of her career for the two-year-old daughter of Super Ninety Nine, but she passed the test with flying colors. With jockey Victor Rosales in the irons, Gifted Heart completed the 5 ½ furlong test in a final time of 1:04.76 on the main track, making her record a perfect two-for-two, and bringing her career earnings to $55,575.

Bred by Wilbur and Joan Everett, Gifted Heart is owned in partnership with Rashid’s Thoroughbred Racing, Linda Walls, Rick Wallace, and Kingdom Bloodstock, and is trained by Phil Schoenthal. It was a particularly emotional victory for Schoenthal; Gifted Heart is named for the transplanted that beats in his young son Emerson’s chest.

It’s time for PA Day at the Races!

Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races — a daylong celebration of Pennsylvania’s breeding and racing industry — takes place August 3 at Parx Racing. All 12 races on the card are restricted to Pennsylvania-breds.

The card features five $100,000 stakes and some awfully good horses. That list is perhaps topped by Monongahela, the 2-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Roanoke Stakes; the Jason Servis trainee won the G3 Philip Iselin Stakes last time out and has earned over $380,000 in his career.

The day also includes bolstered purses for non-stakes races — think, $80,000 for an allowance race — a tractor giveaway, and more.

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