Malibu Moonshine sweeps to lead. (Jerry Dzierwinski/MJC)
2YO Maiden Sprint Kicks Off Sunday’s Nine-Race Program
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. –Happy Face Racing Stable’s Malibu Moonshine, who broke last and trailed all but two horses in the early going, swept to the lead on the far turn and pulled away thorough the stretch for a two-length victory in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies.
Ridden by Angel Cruz for New York-based trainer Charlton Baker, Malibu Moonshine ($4.40) covered seven furlongs in 1:24.95 over a sloppy and sealed main track for her second win in as many starts. She captured her debut Sept. 11 at historic Pimlico Race Course, also over an off track.
“I think she handled the slop great today. Whatever she wins on, that’s OK,” Baker said. “Definitely, I think the longer she goes the better she’ll [be].”
Malibu Moonshine, scratched from the Oct. 22 Maryland Million Lassie with a fever, broke last from the rail and raced far back as Lassie winner Chickieness was sharp early and led through a quarter-mile in 22.26 seconds pressed by Skylar’s Sister with 19-1 long shot Liquidator up close.
Cruz tipped Malibu Moonshine off the rail down the backstretch, and she began rolling past horses once in the clear on the outside, moving to fifth following a half-mile in 45.81 seconds. The 2-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon forged a short lead at the top of the stretch and continued on chased by Fast Tracked, a Nov. 6 debut winner at Laurel, and Gormley’s Gabriela, third in the Nov. 12 Smart Halo.
“Today, she overcame a lot,” Baker said. “The last time we entered her we had to scratch her the morning of the race because she got sick, and she never really got over it for about two weeks. We had to get her back, so she overcame a lot today.”
Fast Tracked was a clear second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Gormley’s Gabriela. It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Chickieness in fourth, followed by Skylar’s Sister, Liquidator, Cynergy’s Electra, Angel Art, Rowsie Express and Touisset. Bosserati was scratched.
2YO Maiden Sprint Kicks Off Sunday’s Nine-Race Program
Fall meet leading trainer Brittany Russell will have the top two choices for Sunday’s opener, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies, in second-time starter L Street Lady and debut runner Bright Moon.
Madaket Stables’ L Street Lady, a $125,000 daughter of Munnings, is the 7-5 program favorite over six rivals with jockey Sheldon Russell named to ride from the rail. She rallied from mid-pack to be third by a length in an Oct. 28 maiden special weight sprinting on a turf course rated good.
Morgans Ford Farm’s homebred Bright Moon, by Malibu Moon, had been training with Brittany Russell’s string at Delaware Park before coming home to Laurel to breeze a half-mile in 49.40 seconds Nov. 23 in her final tuneup. Maryland’s leading rider, Jevian Toledo, has the call from Post 2.
Sunday’s feature comes in Race 8, a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up that drew a wide-open field of 10 where New York-shipper Movie Moxy is the lukewarm 9-2 favorite. Co-second choice at 5-1 are Sweet Gracie, three times stakes-placed including the Maryland Million Distaff last out Oct. 22, and Response Time, a four-time winner that has run second in back-to-back starts.
Post time for the first of nine races Sunday is 12:05 p.m.
Notes: In addition to Post Time, jockey Angel Cruz also won Race 3 Saturday aboard Targe ($7) … The 20-cent Rainbow 6 was solved for a $17,871.02 jackpot payout after My Super Sally ($82.60) edged Miss Casey to win Saturday’s Race 9 finale … There will be a carryover of $2,365.27 in the $1 Super Hi-5 Sunday.
