Talk to the Judge. (Jerry Dzierwinski/MJC)
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – Waldorf Racing Stables’ Talk to the Judge, stretched out an extra furlong and a half and returned to the dirt following a failed turf attempt two weeks earlier, led from start to finish to register a 13-1 upset in the $75,000 Miss Disco.
Trained by Marya Montoya, Talk to the Judge ($28.40) gave jockey Victor Carrasco his second straight Miss Disco victory following Divine Huntress last year.
Talk to the Judge, by Golden Lad, is based at Parx where his last victory came in nearly identical fashion in her season opener April 24, a front-running neck triumph in a seven-furlong optional claimer where the second- and third-place finishers both came back to win.
Carrasco was able to settle Talk to the Judge on the lead through fractions of 23.02 and 45.37 seconds with 2022 Maryland Juvenile Fillies runner-up Fast Tracked and 30-1 long shot Willful Desire giving closest chase. Liquidator, coming back eight days off a 5 ½-furlong victory at Laurel, was next while favored Malibu Moonshine ran last of eight.
Talk to the Judge remained in command at the top of the stretch with Liquidator to her outside looming as the main competitor. Under Carrasco’s urging, Talk to the Judge was able to withstand a steady bid from Liquidator to win by a head in 1:23.81. It was two lengths back to late-running 12-1 long shot Rowsie Express in third.
Willful Desire, Fast Tracked, Solving Progress, Precious Avary and Malibu Moonshine completed the order of finish. New Jersey shipper Precious Avary had a three-race win streak snapped while Malibu Moonshine, Maryland’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2022 making her first start since Feb. 5, had won her only two previous starts at Laurel in the 2022 Maryland Juvenile Fillies and Gin Talking.
Bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Miss Disco was a multiple stakes winner during her racing career but is best known as the dam of Hall of Famer Bold Ruler, winner of the Preakness (G1) and Horse of the Year in 1957 and sire of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. She was named Broodmare of the Year in 1958.
