Mid-Atlantic racing roundup, October 30

Paco Lopez (left), with Joe Bravo in 2015. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO.

Plenty of racing action took place throughout the Mid-Atlantic this past week.

Here’s your five-minute read to get caught up on all of it:

LAUREL PARK

• All four days of the Laurel racing week were postponed after a pipe break in mid-stretch forced the track to be dug up.

CHARLES TOWN RACES

MONMOUTH PARK/MEADOWLANDS

• Jockeys Jose Ferrer and Hector Diaz were involved in a two-horse spill in Friday’s second race. Ferrer, riding Smarty Cat, was turning for home with a big lead, when his mount abruptly crashed into the rail and unseated him. Diaz, aboard Skol Chant, could not avoid the loose horse, and was dumped while trying to check up. Both horses galloped off uninjured. Ferrer walked away under his own power, but was off his mounts for the rest of the weekend. Diaz rode the rest of the card, as well as all weekend long in New Jersey.
• Corot became the only two-time winner of the Meadowlands meet on Saturday, taking a starter allowance at five furlongs on the turf. Ridden by Wilmer Garcia, the four-year-old colt got a great trip off the dueling leaders, and rolled by them in the stretch for a 3 ½ length win, covering the distance in 58.42 seconds over a turf course rated good. A recent New York invader, Corot has won two races on the year, both of them coming at the Meadowlands. He’s owned by Law Legacy Stables LLC and trained by Skip Einhorn. 
• A four-win weekend from Maikol Tunon put him in a tie for the Meadowlands jockey title, with seven wins. He won the last race of the season, aboard 21/1 Knight Frost. Jomar Torres had a chance to clinch it outright in the same race, but finished fifth with Makeanentrance. Jorge Navarro led all trainers with four wins, making him one of four horsemen with multiple victories at the meet.
• Nik Juarez and Paco Lopez entered the final day of the Monmouth Park meet tied in the jockey race, with 107 apiece. Lopez booted home a pair of winners, while Juarez was blanked. That gave Lopez the jockey title. This season marked a nice bounce-back for Lopez, who was a distant second behind Jose Ferrer at last year’s meet.
• Monmouth Park’s meet concluded with improved business: the track ran 98 more races than in 2018, and saw handle increase $29.6 million.

PARX RACING

• A pair of interesting allowance horses won on Tuesday. Debbie’s Passion, in just her fourth career start, dominated the field in the sixth race, winning a n/w1x allowance by 7 ¾ lengths. Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, she broke slowly, then rushed up four-wide and got herself near the lead around the turn. In the stretch, she opened up a commanding lead, and coasted under the wire. She went the seven furlongs in 1:23.02 for owner Raymond Mamone, trainer Luis Carvajal, and jockey Hector Diaz.
• Three races later, Lenstar won a n/w3x allowance at seven furlongs, getting a similar trip. He made his move to the lead on the turn, drawing clear in the stretch and holding off the late rallies of Wait For It and Bolita Boyz. His time for seven furlongs was 1:23.62. This marks the third win of the year for Lenstar, with his first two coming at Oaklawn Park earlier in the year. He’s owned by My Meadowview Farm, trained by Nick Zito, and ridden by Frankie Pennington.
• Lenstar was one of three winners for Pennington this week, giving him 120 wins to pace the jockey standings. Joseph Taylor remains way in front in the trainer standings, with 82 victories.

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