LAUREL, Md. – R. Larry Johnson’s homebred Spun Glass split horses in mid-stretch and held off a host of late challengers including defending champion and stablemate Ellanation on the far outside to earn her first stakes victory in the $75,000 Jameela.
It was the fifth career win for Spun Glass and third with jockey Feargal Lynch aboard, including a June 5 optional claiming allowance triumph at Laurel. They closed to be fifth in her previous start, the 5 ½-furlong Goldwood June 25 at Monmouth Park.
“[She’s] definitely more consistent this year. Last time at Monmouth she finished up really strong,” Lynch said. “There was a lot of pace in the race [today]. It was a little bit softer than I thought it would be, but she handled the ground really well.”
Lynch was unhurried on Spun Glass as Golden Can sped through a quarter-mile in 22.70 seconds and a half in 47.81 with two-time turf sprint stakes winner Can the Queen giving chase to her outside. A gap between the top two opened as they came down the stretch and Lynch put Spun Glass through to get to the front, powering home by 1 ½ lengths in 1:04.28 over a Fort Marcy turf course labeled good.
Ellanation, like Spun Glass trained by Michael Trombetta, raced far back early before making a big late run on the far outside to edge 35-1 long shot Island Philo by a head for second. It was another head back to Whiteknuckleflyer in fourth, followed by Mattitude, Dendrobia, 8-5 favorite Can the Queen, Golden Can and Margie’s Heaven.
The Jameela was the fourth race this year for Spun Glass, seventh behind Can the Queen in the May 20 The Very One at Pimlico under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in her first start in nearly eight months. She followed with her win at Laurel before being beaten less than four lengths in the Goldwood.
“I think she’s actually grown up a bit. She’s mentally better. Mike’s done a great job and Feargal fits her terrific,” Johnson said. “I think she needed the race at Pimlico, but the jockey told me afterwards if he hadn’t been eight wide he thought he’d have been there. I think she’s just gotten more mature and we figured out she’s a turf sprinter, period. It’s just a matter of making sure we put her in the right spot. I actually don’t think she liked the soft ground today so I think she overcame that something that wasn’t in her best interest. It was a great afternoon.”
Jameela won 16 stakes including the Maskette (G1), Ladies (G1) and Delaware (G1) handicaps before being retired following the 1982 season as the first Maryland-bred to surpass $1 million in lifetime earnings. She had two foals before passing away from colic in 1985, the first being 1988 champion sprinter Gulch.
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
Photo by Maryland Jockey Club
