Jockey Horacio Karamanos celebrated his 50th birthday in grand style aboard Subrogate in the De Francis Dash. (Jerry Dzierwinski/TMJC)
Dan Illman/Laurel Parl
LAUREL, Md. –- Jockey Horacio Karamanos celebrated his 50th birthday in grand style as he guided Subrogate to a rallying victory over pacesetter Celtic Contender in Saturday’s $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash for 3-year-olds and upward at Laurel Park.
It was a “birthday boy” exacta in the De Francis Dash. Celtic Contender’s jockey, Victor Carrasco, turned 33 this afternoon.
Subrogate settled off the early leaders as Celtic Contender carved out fractions of 22.64 and 45.55 while prompted by 2024 De Francis Dash winner Dean Delivers.
Dean Delivers dropped back on the turn, and that left Celtic Contender alone on the lead into the straight. Subrogate rolled on the outside in the final furlong, however, to score by a length in 1:10.53 over the fast track. Caramel Chip advanced through traffic to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up. Dean Delivers faltered to fourth.
Petingas Twin, Faster Gator, Super Chow, and Happy Is a Choice scratched. Favored Subrogate paid $5.40 to win.
“We had a little foot problem last year. We got over that. We gave him the time, and he’s here,” said winning trainer Jorge Duarte Jr.
Subrogate won despite failing to change leads in the stretch.
“It’s something he’s done before,” Duarte said. “We’ve tried different things, but he’s comfortable, he keeps running, and we don’t want to change anything.”
A 5-year-old son of Arrogate out of a half-sister to Grade 1 turf winner Lochte from the family of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Black Tie Affair, Subrogate was bred in Kentucky by Grantley Acres and Molly Schabel.
Initially purchased for $150,000 as a weanling, he sold to Colts Neck Stable for $250,000 as a yearling. Unraced at two, Subrogate won once from four tries in 2023 before reeling off three consecutive victories to begin last year. He earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure when besting a high-level allowance field at Aqueduct last summer.
After finishing last of six in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes, Duarte gave Subrogate the rest of the year off.
“He had a quarter crack in his foot,” Duarte said earlier in the week. “It was a little bit more severe than your regular quarter crack. He needed time to grow the foot out. We were debating to take him to Florida [for the winter], but those extra two, three months [off] probably were going to do him better.”
Subrogate returned to the races with a runner-up effort in last month’s Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth.
“I thought the race at Monmouth set up well for him,” Duarte said. “I liked the spacing for this race. We always wanted to bring him here.”
Subrogate has won half of his ten starts, earning $377,600.
