Tony Eclipse. (Jim McCue/MJC)
Caprice Gets Fourth Stakes Win in $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly
David Joseph/MJC
LAUREL, Md. – The Elkstone Group homebred Tony Eclipse put away pacesetter Executive Order rounding the far turn, straightened for home in front and powered through the stretch to a popular 3 ¾-length triumph in Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Juvenile at Laurel Park.
The 43rd running of the Maryland Juvenile served as co-headliner with the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly, both for Maryland-bred/sired 2-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs.
Ridden by Jevian Toledo for fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell, Tony Eclipse ($6.20) covered the distance in 1:25.28 over a fast main track to become a stakes winner in his third try. In his prior two starts, the Not This Time colt was second in Delaware Park’s Rocky Run and third by a half-length in Aqueduct’s Remsen, both going one mile.
New York shipper Executive Order, exiting the Oct. 5 Champagne (G1), ran the opening quarter-mile in 23.14 seconds with Tony Eclipse on his right hip and 50-1 longshot Mission Artemis leading a tight pack behind in third. Tony Eclipse assumed the lead as Executive Order retreated on the turn and opened up impressively at the head of the lane. Both his wins have come at Laurel, including an 8 ¾-length maiden special weight score Sept. 14.
“The horse broke sharp, and he put me in a great spot early, and he took me basically to the wire. When I asked him in the stretch it was like he broke again from the gate. He picked it up quickly,” Toledo said. “Brittany is doing a really good job with the horse. He looks like he’s getting better every race. He galloped out after the race pretty good, so he wants to go farther, for sure.”
Saxton emerged from a three-way photo a neck ahead Barbadian Runner for second, with Sacred Thunder another nose back in fourth. Reggie Runs Rogue, Mission Artemis and Executive Order completed the order of finish. Bjorn and It’s Hammertime were scratched.
Caprice Gets Fourth Stakes Win in $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly
After coming from off the pace in her previous two races, Runnymoore Racing’s Caprice broke running and kept Safe Trust at bay from gate to wire to register a 1 ½-length victory in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly.
It was the second straight win and fifth in six career starts for Caprice ($4.40), four of them coming in stakes including Laurel’s Nov. 9 Smart Halo. The winning time was 1:25.89 for seven furlongs over a fast main track.
Jockey Jaime Rodriguez, aboard for the third straight race, hustled Caprice at the break and she was quickly in front going a quarter-mile in 23.21 seconds pressed to her outside by Safe Trust. The order went unchanged after a half in 46.86 when Caprice, sent off as the 6-5 favorite, opened up once straightened for home.
“I was a little bit worried because the last time she broke a little bit bad and she came from off the pace, but today she was so relaxed and comfortable in the gate,” Rodriguez said. “The gate opened, and she was on top and I said, ‘You know what, we’ve got to go now.’
“We got the jump on everybody, so we had to take a shot,” he added. “All the way around she was comfortable. At the three-eighths pole she was playing around with the horses and every time somebody got next to her, she gave me more and more. She gave me everything in the end.”
Safe Trust held second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Onyx Ten, followed by Malibu Hooch and Ade. First Pearl was scratched. Ms Notion, second choice in the wagering at 5-2, stumbled badly at the start and lost rider Tais Lyapustina; both horse and rider were uninjured.
