SHARE THE RIDE HITCHES to GENERAL GEORGE WIN
Funny Guy wasn’t laughing, and Chilly in Charge most certainly was not.
But for Share the Ride, a second 2021 trip to Laurel Park proved just the ticket, as the six-year-old gelded son of Candy Ride pressed the pace before powering home to a two-length victory in Saturday’s $250,000, Grade 3 General George Stakes.
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“Everything came out like the plan we made. We’re really happy,” said winning owner Silvino Ramirez.
Under jockey Victor Carrasco, Share the Ride broke alertly to press the pace of 19-1 outsider Arthur’s Hope. The pair was one-two through modest early fractions of 23.20 for the first quarter and 46.13 for the half.
“The instructions were to not go to the lead, to make sure that I sat second or third,” Carrasco said. “When I say go, he responds well and we get the W.”
Share the Ride surged to the front entering the lane and was never threatened thereafter. Longshot Tattooed rallied from well back into second, while another local, the popular graded stakes winner Laki, was third. Running time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.85. Post time favorite Funny Guy finished last in the race conducted without the use of Lasix.
“I feel like he was never slowing down,” Carrasco added of Share the Ride.
Share the Ride, the 4.40-1 third choice in the field of nine, retuned $10.80 to win and topped an exacta that returned $86.50 for one dollar.
Carrasco was the 2013 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding apprentice jockey, and he’s gone on to carve out a solid career for himself with more than 1,000 wins. Yet the General George was his first graded triumph.
“I cannot even explain it,” Carrasco said. “You know, I’ve been through so much during my career. When we passed the wire, I cannot believe it, but thank God, we’re here.”
It was the second graded win for Share the Ride, who now has nine wins and $557,860 in earnings from 23 career starts. The six-year-old was a $16,000 claim last July, and since then he’s won two graded events, the Grade 3 Fall Highweight at Aqueduct being the other. He’s trained at Parx by Miguel Penaloza.
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