Winterfell. (Jerry Dzierwinski/MJC)
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan’s Winterfell became a stakes winner in eye-catching fashion Saturday, coming with a dramatic last-to-first run on the far outside in the $100,000 City of Laurel at Laurel Park.
The 14th running of the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds co-headlined a Thanksgiving Saturday program with the $100,000 Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs on the main track.
Winterfell ($14.20) covered a fast main track in 1:22.61 to earn his third straight victory, all since being moved to the barn of Laurel’s fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell. All three wins have come with Jevian Toledo aboard, the first two coming around two turns against older horses.
“Against 3-year-olds, it made sense. Obviously, it was a cutback but he trains forwardly in the morning and if you get the right setup as we did today, we thought it was something in his wheelhouse,” Russell said. “It was always going to be sit a trip and try and pick them up. He came running and he did it nicely.”
Stakes winners Celtic Contender along the rail and Speedyness on his right flank dueled through a quarter-mile in 22.43 seconds while Winterfell was unhurried racing last, moving up one spot following a half in 44.97. The two leaders straightened for home together and raced side-by-side through the stretch as Winterfell swung well wide and uncorked a rally that saw him collar the top pair approaching the wire and win by two lengths.
Celtic Contender edged Speedyness by a nose for second, and it was 1 ½ lengths back to Russell-trained 21-1 longshot Play Like a Raven in fourth. Petingas Twin, Circle P, Love Me Tender, Lucky Jeremy and Had to Have Him completed the order of finish.
Winterfell, a $400,000 son of champion Arrogate, went unraced at 2 and made his first five starts this year in California for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with one second and one third. He came to Russell over the summer and graduated by eight lengths in a one-mile, 70-yard maiden special weight Sept. 11 at Parx before beating winners by 3 ¼ lengths going 1 1/16 miles Oct. 18 at Laurel.
“We wanted to get through today and see how he handled it,” Russell said. “There’s a little versatility here. We can look at some other options, but we’re going to enjoy today.”
