LRL: Martin Chuan sweeps Sunday co-features
Jockey Martin Chuan swept Sunday’s Laurel Park co-features, and it appears the native of Peru – based in Kentucky until riding at Delaware Park this season – is making himself right at home.
“I love Maryland,” Chuan said after his second win of the day. “It looks like my home in Peru, very similar. I feel at home.”
Chuan is planning to ride in Maryland through the winter.
One place he’s growing to know well: the Laurel winner’s circle. In today eighth race, a first allowance, Chuan had the Keri Brion-trained Sporting Lady up close early and by her lonesome late as she powered to a 1 1/2-length victory. Off at 34-1 Sporting Lady paid $70.60 for a two-dollar win wager.

One race later, Chuan was back at it, piloting two-year-old Bala de Plata to a 2 ½-length win in an allowance/optional claimer. Trained by Jamie Ness for Super C Racing and Ness’s own Jagger Inc., Bala de Plata returned $15.80 to win.
It was Bala de Plata’s second consecutive win. Both – in a $40,000 maiden claimer at Parx Racing and this one – came after Ness switched him from turf to dirt and added blinkers.
“When he won at Parx, he got a little trouble in the first turn,” Chuan said of a race in which the Valiant Minister colt was rank and bore out on the first turn. “But today he was good.”
Concarneau appeared to have the most early speed in the field. But when the gates opened, Our Day Will Come, from the six-hole, and Bala de Plata, from the outside post in the seven-horse field, outbroke that rival. That left Concarneau, who left from gate number two, stuck down inside behind those rivals.
Bala de Plata eased past Our Day Will Come to lead by 1 ½ length after an opening quarter-mile in a zippy 23.55 seconds. He was never challenged again.
“I was watching the replay [of the colt’s maiden win], and my colt likes the front,” Chuan said. “He relaxed when he was in the front, and I think that was my point for his win today.”
Bala de Plata went on to win by 2 ½ lengths in 1:47.26 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track. Dancing Denae, off at 60-1, rallied from well out of it for second, nearly three lengths clear of Wild Warrior, who finished third as the 4-5 favorite.
Bala de Plata is now 2-for-4 with nearly $70,000 in earnings.
Chuan, represented by agent John Weilbacher, finished third by both wins and earnings at the recently concluded Delaware Park meet, where he often teamed up with leading trainer Jamie Ness. He won 66 times during that meet and logged purse earnings of more than $1.5 million. Today’s wins gave him five at the current Laurel meet.
“Jamie is a nice trainer, you know?” Chuan said. “He supported me the whole summer at Delaware and Penn and now here, and I want to say thank you to my agent, John. He did a great job.”
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