LAUREL, Md. – Disco Pharoah, a 4-year-old son of American Pharaoh fresh off breaking his maiden at Aqueduct, drove away from six others down the stretch to win the $100,000 Frank Whiteley by 3 ¼ lengths over Mohaafeth.
The Whiteley is the first race in the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series that continues with races at Laurel, Colonial Downs and Penn National before its Oct. 3 finale at Parx.
Trained by Raymond Handal, owned by Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and Blue Lion Thoroughbreds and ridden by Jevian Toledo, Disco Pharoah covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.64. The gelding broke his maiden March 5 in his third start by 19 ½ lengths before running away from the competition in the Whiteley.
After breaking a step slow away from the gate, Toledo moved Disco Pharoah three-wide down the backstretch off a :22.51 and :45.34 pace set by Borracho. Entering the far turn, Disco Pharoah swept past Borracho and General George (G3) runner-up War Toscin before driving to the finish.
“He stepped back a little when the gates opened. He broke a little slow, but I put him right on the outside,” Toledo said. “When I asked him he exploded…he just took off.
“I had a ton of horse [at the top of the stretch]. He’s a really nice horse. He just beat these horses; these are nice horses. Horses that win stakes. [War Tocsin] just finished second in a Grade 3. This horse has a bright future.”
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
Photo: Disco Pharoah (MJC)
