Hunter Joe (#6 outside) takes it on the grass over Noah Chance in the turf season opener (Maryland Jockey Club)
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David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md.— Lewis Family Racing Stable’s Hunter Joe sat off a fast early pace set by Psychedelic Shack and outkicked a pair of determined foes on his inside to register a thrilling neck victory in the first grass race of the season Friday.
Ridden by Jaime Rodriguez for trainer Hamilton Smith, Hunter Joe ($11.80) edged 17-1 longshot Noah Chance in the starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up in a time of 1:01.59 over a firm All Along turf course layout. It was another nose back to Destin’s Mission in third.
“I love it. I could not wait to be on it,” Rodriguez said. “It feels pretty good right now, I think better than ever. My horse, he handled it pretty good and gave me a huge run in the end. He never gave up.”
Hunter Joe sat seventh as Psychedelic Shack ran the opening quarter-mile in 21.58 seconds and a half in 43.95 pressed by Phantom Smoke. Rodriguez swung Hunter Joe four wide leaving the far turn and closed steadily down the center of the track to edge clear in deep stretch and hold on for his sixth career win and third in six tries on the turf.
“I thought that we were going to have a lot of pace, and I didn’t want to be too far back or too close. I wanted to sit right in the middle and when I wanted to go, he was ready,” Rodriguez said. “He was striding out awesome. The way you feel the turf, it’s so smooth and everything. It’s beautiful.”
Doctor Jeff, the 6-5 favorite trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by her husband, Sheldon Russell, took a two-length lead into the stretch as five furlongs went in 55.61 seconds. They wound up fourth, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, and was claimed for $30,000 by trainer Kieron Magee.
Laurel’s 142-foot wide course allows for six different layouts based on the position of the portable rail, each named for some of racing’s finest champions – All Along (hedge), Bowl Game (17 feet), Kelso (35 feet), Dahlia (52 feet), Exceller (70 feet) and Fort Marcy (87 feet).
“It looks great. Laurel is sort of known for having one of the best grass courses,” Sheldon Russell said. “We can sort of flip-flop the races so we’re not just using one part of the racetrack. Timewise, it was probably a little fast but I’m sure as the weeks go on it’ll be perfect. It’s up and running, it’s in great condition and I know the horses will appreciate it.”
Rodriguez also won the second turf race of the day on Country Roads’ 5-year-old Maryland-bred gelding Sports Editor ($9.20) in Race 5, an open 1 1/8-mile allowance for 3-year-olds or up. The winning time was 1:47.92 on the Dahlia.
“I was telling my agent, ‘I can’t wait for the turf to be here,’” Rodriguez said.
Four races are scheduled for the grass on Saturday’s 11-race program, including a trio of $100,000 stakes – the Dahlia for fillies and mares and Henry S. Clark, each going one mile on the All Along, and the King T. Leatherbury sprinting five furlongs on the Dahlia course. All three races are for horses 3 and older.
