Pumpkin Rumble, Prince Lucky and more: The week in social media

by Chelsea Lowman | Dec 20, 2019 | Breaking, Business, Regionwide, Top Stories

Prince Lucky. Photo by Lauren King.

Pennsylvania-bred Pumpkin Rumble stormed to glory in the Valedictory Stakes (G3), Prince Lucky underwent a successful surgery to repair his leg fractures, and the final day of live racing in 2019 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is this weekend.

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

Pumpkin Rumble rumbles home

A Pennsylvania-bred made headlines over the past weekend, when eight-year-old gelding Pumpkin Rumble flashed across the finish line first in the Valedictory Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. It was a repeat victory for the chestnut son of English Channel, as Pumpkin Rumble had scored in the same race the year before.

Pumpkin Rumble defeated his rivals in the Valedictory Stakes by 5 ¼ lengths in the 1 ¾-mile challenge on the all-weather track. Sent off as the 7-10 post time favorite, Pumpkin Rumble was guided to victory by Canada’s outstanding jockey, Eurico Da Silvia in what was the final stakes race of the rider’s career as he begins his retirement. After closing in from the middle of the pack, the gelding completed the race in a final time of 2:57.67 on a track that was rated as fast.

Bred by Smart Angle, Pumpkin Rumble is owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling and trained by Kevin Attard. To date, Pumpkin Rumble has soared to glory in 11 of his 47 races and has banked earnings of $702,850.

Successful surgery for Prince Lucky

Pennsylvania-bred Prince Lucky, who was injured and pulled up in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3) last Saturday, underwent a successful surgery this past Monday and is on the road to recovery.

Jockey John Velazquez pulled up Prince Lucky in the early stages of the Harlan’s Holiday when it became apparent that his mount was in trouble. The 4-year-old gelding was splinted on the track and vanned off to seek medical attention. Upon further examination it was discovered that Prince Lucky had sustained bilateral sesamoid fractures to his right-front leg.

Prince Lucky underwent surgery at Dr. John Madison’s equine hospital in Ocala, FL. The surgery was successful, and the gelding is now in the early stages of recovery as his retirement from the racetrack begins.

Bred and owned by Daniel McConnell, Prince Lucky was trained by Todd Pletcher. The bay son of Corinthian galloped to victory seven times in sixteen starts, with five of those wins coming in stakes company. Throughout his time on the track, Prince Lucky collected earnings of $607,570.

Prince Lucky recuperating well at Ocala Equine Hospital. Dr. John Madison is pleased with his progress so far. pic.twitter.com/MLWnvpYTwj
— Todd Pletcher Racing Stables (@PletcherRacing) December 18, 2019

Charles Town to conclude 2019 season

The final day of live racing in 2019 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is this Saturday, December 21.

There will be a card of nine races on December 21 at Charles Town Races, with first post time beginning at 7 p.m. EST. There will also be a mandatory payout of the Charles Town 6-12 jackpot (Pick 6) on Saturday. The wager has a 12-percent takeout and covers the last six races on Saturday’s card. The final four of those races all have fields of 10 or more (only 10 can start).

The jackpot for the 6-12 pick six for Saturday is currently sitting just over $34,000.

MANDATORY PAYOUT ALERT: There will be a mandatory payout of the Charles Town 6-12 jackpot on Saturday, December 21st, the final day of live racing at Charles Town in 2019. The jackpot is currently just over $34K. pic.twitter.com/omzMaPmPjy
— Race Charles Town (@RaceCharlesTown) December 19, 2019