Amanite powers to first-out victory at Laurel

Amanite. Photo by The Racing Biz.

If you drop a bunch of money to breed your well-bred mare to Tapit — as Wertheimer et Frere did with Amanite — then you might as well get a horse that comes out of the gate running.

Wertheimer et Frere got that today — and a victory.

With Trevor McCarthy in the irons, their homebred Amanite sped to the early lead and never looked back to win a $40,000 maiden special weight contest Saturday at Laurel Park. It was the first career start for the three-year-old filly, who’s trained at Fair Hill by Graham Motion.

“A big thumbs up goes to Graham and all the guys here,” McCarthy said. “They were pretty high on her, and she proved herself today.”

Motion is perhaps best known for horses going a route of ground. Then again, so’s Tapit.

But Amanite showed no distaste at all for the six-furlong distance on offer today. She grabbed the lead early, had a clear advantage virtually throughout, and went on to win by nearly three lengths in 1:12.81 for six furlongs on a fast main track.

Sent off as the 1.30-1 favorite, Amanite returned $4.60 to win and, with another first-timer, Free, from the Jason McCutchen barn and PTK LLC, in second, topped an exacta worth $10.70 for a buck.

“I hit her once on the shoulder, and she really turned on,” McCarthy said. “I mean, she was really striding out well for me that last eighth.”

LAUREL PARK NOTES The win aboard Amanite was one of two on the day for McCarthy; apprentice Charlie Marquez also won two on the day… Those two riders split a pair of allowance races later on the card, McCarthy taking an a-other-than for older fillies and mares with Little Miss Raelyn for trainer Cal Lynch and Marquez scoring an 11-1 upset with Always Something in a first allowance for three-year-old fillies for trainer Lori Testerman…

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