LRL: Le Gris streaks to allowance win
Frank Vespe
November 30, 2025
Four-year-old Le Gris visited the eighth racetrack of his career Sunday, and he found Laurel Park distinctly to his liking.
Running in a second-level, $53,000 allowance going 1 1/16 miles, the City of Light gelding zipped to the early lead, set steady fractions, and ran away from his rivals late to win by nine lengths. Running time over a good main track was 1:46.62.
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“I didn’t see much speed in the race,” said winning rider Jevian Toledo. “In that race that he won [Aug. 10 at Saratoga], he was second, fighting for the lead. From the one-hole, I felt like I had to break sharp and try to go to the front, and that’s what we did.”
His cause was aided as the gates opened when Pirate, who seemed likely to be the speed of the speed, stumbled. That took that rival out of his best game and left Toledo and Le Gris to dictate terms.
Le Gris, off as the 7-5 favorite, led by a length after an opening quarter-mile in 24.22 seconds and 2 ½ lengths following a half in 48.72. The lead was two lengths after three quarters in 1:13.70, and at all three points of call, his nearest pursuer was Hagrid’s Flame with Martin Chuan up.
By then, the late-running Omaha Omaha, making his first appearance since the June 14 Delaware Derby, was starting to rev up his run. But Le Gris had plenty left for the stretch drive, and in a flash, he had bounded well clear.
“At the three-eighths [pole], I didn’t even hit him,” Toledo said. “I just kind of tapped him on the shoulder, and he just took off right away. I had a ton of horse.”
The margin was 5 ½ lengths at the furlong pole and nine at the wire. Omaha Omaha edged Hagrid’s Flame for second, with that rival well clear of fourth-place finisher Magical Ways. King’s River and Pirate completed the order of finish. Crossland was scratched.
Le Gris paid $4.80 to win and topped an exacta that returned $22.70 for a one-dollar wager.
Le Gris, owned and trained by Rudy Rodriguez, who claimed him for $30,000 Aug. 10, now has four career wins and more than $200,000 in earnings from 18 starts.
One race later, Passage East, the 3-5 favorite, blitzed a third-level allowance race for fillies and mares, going well clear in mid-stretch and winning by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:12.56. Passage East is trained by Hugh McMahon for Larry Rabold and was ridden to victory by apprentice Yedsit Hazlewood, who registered his second win of the day and the 100th of his stellar first season.
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