LRL: Change in tactics pays off for Feeling Woozy
Frontrunner opts for stalk-and-pounce trip under Chuan
Frank Vespe
February 5, 2026
Feeling Woozy is typically the kind of horse who wants to be in front early. But in a race filled with speed, jockey Martin Chuan had a change of heart, and the result was a sharp score in Thursday’s Laurel Park feature, a $56,000, third-level allowance for four-year-olds and up.
“I saw that there was a lot of speed in this race, and I changed the idea today,” Chuan said. “It was a good day to try another thing, and it worked.”
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Feeling Woozy, a six-year-old Irish War Cry gelding, earned his eighth win in 40 career starts and zoomed past $400,000 in career earnings. He is trained by Jamie Ness for Super C Racing and his own Jagger Inc.
The race, going 1 1/16 miles, quickly developed into a series of three duets. Le Gris grabbed the early advantage while pressed to his outside by J D Factor. Chuan and Feeling Woozy settled outside in the clear behind those two, with Pay Billy to his inside, and behind them came Secret Zipper and Hittheroadjak.
Le Gris and J D Factor flaunted their early speed, throwing down a quarter-mile in 23.23 seconds and a half in 46.88.
Chuan put Feeling Woozy in action midway on the turn, and he moved readily to the tiring leaders, putting his head in front nearing the quarter-pole. In the lane, he had plenty in reserve to hold his rivals safe, with the hard-trying Pay Billy, seventh in last year’s Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, rallying between to take second, 1 ¾ lengths behind the winner. Hittheroadjak grabbed the show dough but was over three lengths behind Pay Billy.
Running time for 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track was 1:46.60.
Feeling Woozy paid $16.00 to win, and the $1 exacta, with Pay Billy underneath, returned $25.50.
“The horse, he always tries,” Chuan said with a smile afterwards. “We won three races with him. I know him, and he likes me.”
NOTES Feeling Woozy’s win was one of three for trainer Jamie Ness today, which had to be a welcome sight for the conditioner, who entered the day 1-for-17 at Laurel but had finished second seven times… Jockey Mychel Sanchez won three, as well, including two for Ness and one for Mike Pino, who sent out Duration to a 9 ½-length maiden special weight victory… Jockey Brittany Scampton garnered her first win since Aug. 23, 2024 when she piloted Woodline, the 5-2 post time favorite, to a 1 ¼-length triumph in the sixth race for trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon…
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