Maryland Spectacular and PA-breds: The week in social media

by Chelsea Lowman | Dec 5, 2019 | Breaking, Business, Regionwide, Top Stories

Vault won her third straight race in the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park. Photo by Maryland Jockey Club.

Maryland Spectacular Day is coming up at Laurel Park, Vault impressed in a stakes race over the weekend, and a Pennsylvania-bred juvenile maintained her prefect record in her stakes debut.

Here is the 411 on what racing fans in the Mid-Atlantic region have been talking about on social media this week:

Spectacular

This Saturday, December 7, is Maryland Spectacular Day at Laurel Park. Beginning at 11 a.m., the track will play host to a day filled with great racing and the spirit of giving. There will be a $10,000 Giving Tree, where fans can donate new, unwrapped toys for the less fortunate. Each person that donates a toy to the Giving Tree will receive a special gift from Laurel Park.

The day will also hold an action packed nine-race card, with four Maryland-bred stakes races scheduled. The stakes action will kick off at 1:22 p.m. with the Politely Stakes and will be followed by the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Stakes, the Maryland Juvenile Futurity, and the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes later in the card.

Opening the Vault

Vault turned heads over the weekend at Laurel Park, when she dashed to commanding victory in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes to capture her third win in a row. It was the first stakes win for the three-year-old daughter of Jump Start, and her fifth victory overall from thirteen career starts.

Vault defeated six rivals en route to her trip to the winner’s circle over the weekend. With Julio Hernandez in the saddle, the talented Pennsylvania-bred completed the 1 1/16-mile journey in a final time of 1:44.06, besting her nearest competitor by 3 ½ lengths.

Bred and owned by Barlar LLC, Vault is in the training care of Bernie Houghton. To date, the filly has collected total earnings of $188,614.

Congratulations to Barlar LLC’s homebred Vault in getting black type under her belt! The win brings her earnings to almost $190k in 13 starts. Thanks @mdhorsemen & Jerry D for sharing the photo! https://t.co/0H40k2i0af
— PA Bred (@PA_PHBA) November 30, 2019

Precious, indeed

A mild upset was pulled in the Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Penn National Racecourse on November 27, when Precious rallied from last to score at odds of 3-1. With jockey Trevor McCarthy in the saddle, the two-year-old daughter of Fed Biz rallied to win by three powerful lengths. The Pennsylvania-bred completed the six-furlong dash in a final time of 1:11.44 on the main track, leaving a total of four rivals behind, including 3-5 favorite Autonomous, who finished third.

Bred and owned by Newell Thoroughbreds, Precious is trained by John Servis. The dark bay filly has won both of her career starts and has banked earnings of $84,000.

Precious and Trevor McCarthy upset the $100,000 Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies at @HollywoodPenn for trainer John Servis. Precious covered the 6 furlongs in 1:11:2. @PA_HBPA @PA_PHBA pic.twitter.com/ZRdIR0eNrw
— PennHorseRacing (@PennHorseRacing) November 28, 2019