Hidden Overture plays winning tune in Selima
First stakes win since ’21 for Pimentel; Coast Highway takes Laurel Futurity
Frank Vespe
September 26, 2026
On an eventful Saturday at Laurel Park, 45-year-old jockey Julian Pimentel survived an objection to win his first stakes race since 2021, piloting Hidden Overture to win the $125,000 Selima Stakes.
The Selima, 1 1/16 miles on the turf for two-year-old fillies, was joined on the card by the Laurel Futurity for two-year-olds. That, too, went to the stewards to render a final decision, with Coast Highway surviving two objections to prevail.
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Hidden Overture, trained by Brittany Russell for Golden Lion Racing and Hidden Brook Farm, improved to 2-for-2 in her young career. The Mendelssohn filly had broken her maiden at first asking in a one-mile, off-the-turf maiden race at Delaware Park by over 13 lengths. This one was tougher.
Hidden Overture broke well and was never far off the pace while racing in the clear. Pimentel put her to the attack nearing the quarter pole, and she moved to the front readily in upper stretch.
“She broke pretty sharp, and I was laying in a great spot,” Pimentel said.
But she wandered about in the lane, drifting out several paths and then in sharply, prompting Mychel Sanchez, the rider of runner-up Homeawayfromhome, trained by Brendan Walsh, to lodge an objection for interference, which the stewards denied.
“It was little nerve-wracking, but I thought she cleared the other horse,” said Golden Lion’s Michael Golden. “So I thought she’d stay up.”
The win was Pimentel’s first in stakes company since September 1, 2021, when he piloted Virginia Beach to a win in the Camptown Stakes at Colonial Downs. He retired from riding later that same year before returning to the saddle earlier this year.
“I was fighting with my weight a lot and my injuries,” he explained. “Finally, I got my weight down, and I was able to to make a comeback. It’s been fun.”
Homeawayfromhome finished second, with Sea Isle City finishing third. Hidden Overture paid $14.20 to win, and the exacta returned $47.80 for one dollar. Running time for 1 1/16 miles on good turf was 1:47.02.
One race later in a roughly run renewal of the Laurel Futurity, Coast Highway, with Jorge Ruiz in the irons, rallied outside to defeat Broadcast by a head. A confluence of several horses in mid-stretch led to Howard’s Hope falling and a lengthy stewards’ inquiry, and the riders of both runner-up Broadcast and fifth-place finisher Perfect Dream lodged objections against the winner.
Ultimately, the stewards left the winner up but disqualified show horse Fullcup to sixth, elevating Bishop Moon to third.
Howard’s Hope was able to walk off the course, and his rider, Jose Lezcano, walked under his own power to the ambulance complaining of shoulder pain but exhibiting good range of motion.
Coast Highway is a two-year-old Corniche colt trained by Graham Motion for Amerman Racing LLC. He graduated at first asking in a turf sprint at Colonial Downs.
Coast Highway paid $13.00 to win and topped an exacta that returned $30.20 for one dollar. Running time was 1:48.38 on a course that had, with rain falling steadily, been downgraded to yielding.
NOTES In the day’s other stake, the $100,000 All Along, at 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares, longshot Mischief in Motion pulled the upset, leading throughout and holding her rivals off to score at 25-1 with Angel Cruz in the irons. She earned her second stakes win for trainer Mike Trombetta and owner Live Oak Plantation… Jockey Jorge Ruiz won three times on the afternoon, as did Yedsit Hazelwood… Hidden Overture’s win was one of two on the day for trainer Brittany Russell…
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