Live Action Returns Friday with Eight Races, Rainbow 6 Carryover
BALTIMORE, Md. – Hello Beautiful continues to thrive since achieving her sixth lifetime stakes victory in the $100,000 Alma North July 31 at historic Pimlico Race Course, a win that doubled as the 1,500th in jockey Sheldon Russell’s decorated career.
“She’s awesome. She’s great,” Russell’s wife, trainer Brittany Russell, said of Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables’ Hello Beautiful. “Everything is good with her.”
Russell felt it was fate that allowed Hello Beautiful, who provided the couple with their first stakes win together in the 2019 Maryland Million Lassie, to help realize the champion rider’s milestone. Sheldon Russell pledged $1,500 to the winning horse’s groom, who turned out to be Luis Barajas.
Sheldon Russell had chances to reach 1,500 July 30 on Murph, a highly regarded first-time starter trained by his wife, as well as Anthony Farrior-trained Make It a Double, one race prior to the Alma North. Both ran second as favorites.
“I was really disappointed our 2-year-old didn’t get the job done the day before. I really thought that was going to be Sheldon’s 1,500th and, funny enough, Luis grooms that filly, as well. So it was one of those things,” Brittany Russell said. “Farrior is a good friend of ours and I said, ‘Well, it’ll be nice to see him do it on Farrior’s [horse],’ and then when that didn’t happen I was like, ‘This was just meant to be.’”
Russell said she would point Hello Beautiful to the Laurel Park fall meet, where the first sprint stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up is the $100,000 Weathervane at six furlongs Sept. 18 on the undercard of the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3).
“We’re going to wait for Laurel in September. It’s just good timing. That’s how she does,” she said. “There’s no reason to ever run her back quick.”
Out of Sorts (Maryland Jockey Club)
Meanwhile, Russell will have some stakes action this weekend in Saratoga, where Out of Sorts is scheduled to run in Sunday’s Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 3/16 miles on the grass.
Respect the Valleys’ Out of Sorts has two wins and a second in three tries since being moved to the turf this year. She was beaten a nose by Judi Blue Eyes May 15 on the undercard of the 146th Preakness (G1), then came back for a head decision over next-out winner Adelaide Miss in a one-mile allowance June 13, both at Pimlico against her elders.
Back against her own age group last time out, Out of Sorts cruised to a three-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Christiana July 3 at Delaware Park. Sheldon Russell will be aboard.
“She’s up there. She shipped on Tuesday evening. She trained up there [Wednesday], she trained up there [Thursday]. She’s going to paddock school, so she’ll be plenty settled in by Sunday,” Russell said. “There’s just not a better time with her doing as well as she is. If she steps up, awesome. If not, it’s OK, too. We’ll keep her local next time.”
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
Photo: Hello Beautiful (MJC)
Live Action Returns Friday with Eight Races, Rainbow 6 Carryover
The final month of the extended Preakness Meet at historic Pimlico Race Course begins with a Friday program featuring eight races, two scheduled for the grass, and a carryover of $10,216 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6.
First race post time is 12:40 p.m.
The Rainbow 6 spans Races 3-8 and opens with a maiden claimer for 2-year-old fillies sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the main track. Six o’Clock Sarah, trained and co-owned by John Salzman Jr., is the 9-5 program favorite from Post 4 in a field of seven.
Pimlico will play host to nine races Saturday, three on the grass, which attracted a total of 32 entries. Race 4 is a six-furlong allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up on the main track that drew seven entries including 2020 Maryland Million Lassie winner Miss Nondescript, trained by Mike Trombetta and unraced since finishing seventh in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Dec. 5.
Race 8 is a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up, also sprinting six furlongs. The eight-horse field includes 2019 Smoke Glacken winner and Nashua (G3) runner-up Meru, bred by Godolphin and owned by Colts Neck Stables, and Magic Stables’ Baptize the Boy, second between next-out winners Karan’s Notion and Lewisfield in the 2020 Maryland Million Sprint.
The final stakes of the Preakness Meet will be Saturday, Aug. 21, part of Maryland Pride Day featuring four $75,000 stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses – the Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds and Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs, and the Find for 3-year-olds and up and All Brandy for fillies and mares 3 and older, each going 1 1/16 miles on the grass.
Nominations for all four stakes close Saturday, Aug. 14.
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
