LAUREL, Md. – Alottahope returned to the work tab Saturday morning at Laurel Park for the first time since becoming a stakes winner with his dominating victory in Laurel’s seven-furlong Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds July 30.
Bred in Maryland Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman and owned by trainer Jerry Robb’s No Guts No Glory Farm, Alottahope went five furlongs in 1:00.40 over the main track, ranking fourth of 16 horses.
“He worked good today,” Robb said. “We’re very happy how he’s doing.”
By Editorial out of the Midnight Lute mare Alottalute, Alottahope is the younger half-brother of eight-time stakes-winning filly Street Lute. He raced twice at 2, winning his debut before finishing second behind Joe in the Maryland Juvenile.
Alottahope won his sophomore debut Jan. 1 at Laurel and ran fourth in both the Spectacular Bid and Chick Lang (G3), the latter May 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course on the undercard of the 147th Preakness (G1). He finished off the board twice more, including a fifth in the July 2 Concern, prior to his breakthrough performance.
“I always knew he had a big race in him,” Robb said, “but he never showed it because he kept getting himself in trouble in his races.”
Alottahope had no such trouble in the Star de Naskra, sitting off the pace set by stablemate Al Loves Josie before sweeping to the lead on the far turn and effortlessly drawing away through the lane to win by 15 lengths. Also in the field were stakes winners Buff Hello, the distant runner-up, and Cynergy’s Star as well as Super Love, undefeated in three starts and making his stakes debut.
“I still haven’t figured it out. I don’t know if the horses were that bad behind him or if he really improved that much,” Robb said. “You don’t see them win like that very often.”
Robb is considering the $250,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Aug. 26 at Charles Town for Alottahope’s next start. Like the Star de Naskra, the Hilton is a seven-furlong sprint restricted to 3-year-olds.
“He’s doing well. I’m looking at the race at Charles Town next weekend,” Robb said. “We’ll keep him with straight 3-year-olds as long as we can. I think if he can run anywhere near the way he did last time he’d be awfully tough to beat.”
Notes: Trainer Kieron Magee swept the early daily double with Assembly Point ($3.80) in Race 1 and Wicked Mad ($6) in Race 2 … Jockey Jorge Ruiz doubled aboard Ribaldry ($3.40) in Race 4 and Putin Online ($9.40) in Race 6 … Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver and Kenneth Fishbein’s Miss Georgie ($7.60), a bay daughter of multiple graded-stakes winner Girvin purchased for $110,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March, went gate to wire to capture her career debut in Race 5, the first division of a five-furlong maiden special weight for juvenile fillies. Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Lacey Gaudet, she completed the distance in 59.20 seconds over a fast main track … In Race 7’s second division, Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey’s O Shaughesey ($7.20) came with a steady drive on the outside under jockey Sheldon Russell to edge Free Admission for a popular neck triumph in 59.77 seconds. It was the third start and first without blinkers for the Good Samaritan daughter, a $155,000 2-year-old in training purchase racing first time for trainer Brittany Russell … Husband and wife also teamed up to win featured Race 8, a 1 1/16-mile allowance over the Fort Marcy turf course, with 5-year-old gelding Call Me Plucky ($11.40) … Gaudet added a second winner with Fortune’s Fool ($6.40) in Race 9 … Laurel will wrap up its 37-day summer meet with an eight-race program Sunday starting at 12:40 p.m. Jevian Toledo holds a 30-29 edge in the race for the riding title, while trainers Claudio Gonzalez and Rudy Sanchez-Salomon are tied at 18 wins apiece. There will be mandatory payouts in the Rainbow 6, Late Pick 5 and Super Hi-5 wagers.
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
Photo by Jim McCue/MJC
