Youalmosthadme scoring win No. 4 in the Fern Creek at Churchill Downs. (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Cox Trainee Narrow 7-2 Program Favorite in 3YO Filly Sprint
Multiple Stakes Winner Prince of Jericho Takes Friday Feature
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – Youalmosthadme was already a four-time winner, three of them in stakes, when Resolute Racing’s John Stewart purchased the daughter of 2013 Preakness (G1) winner Oxbow following her 2-year-old campaign.
Stewart kept Youalmosthadme with trainer Brad Cox and she has done nothing to disappoint as a 3-year-old by placing in three consecutive stakes, two of them graded, before breaking through with a fourth stakes win in the six-furlong Lady Erie Aug. 5 on Presque Isle Downs’ all-weather surface, her most recent start.
“She had a wonderful 2-year-old year and that is why we purchased her,” Stewart said. “We believe the best is yet to come from this filly. She has never finished out of the money in 2024 and it was good to see her break out in her last race to show everyone what we already know.”
Youalmosthadme will chase a fifth stakes win Sunday at Laurel Park in the $100,000 Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs, co-headliner on a 10-race program with the $100,000 Twixt for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile.
Being able to stay with her own age group was one of the reasons the connections targeted the Weather Vane, Stewart said, along with staying at a distance where she has two wins and two seconds in six tries.
“Brad is still dialing in her distance,” Stewart said. “We think she needs a couple of more races this year until we rest her for the year and then begin to prepare her for 2025. There are not a lot of targets on the dirt for 3-year-olds for the remainder of the year and we really don’t want her running against the older horses this year.”
Youalmosthadme opened this year running third in the seven-furlong Beaumont (G2), then was second in the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) May 17 at historic Pimlico Race Course in her only prior trip to Maryland. She preceded her most recent win by finishing second in the June 29 Maryfield at Monmouth Park, also going six furlongs.
Favored in each of her last six starts, Youalmosthadme will have jockey Sheldon Russell aboard from outermost Post 13. They are a narrow top choice on the morning line at 7-2.
“We really like this filly, and she has one important quality that is necessary for a long racing career, and that is soundness,” Stewart said. “She has been very sound and competitive in all of her races. We think she can be one of the rare 2-year-olds that go on to have a long and established career at the graded-stakes level.”
Stewart made a big splash on the racing scene by spending more than $25 million at public auction over the second half of 2023. This year the fledgling owner has nine wins and $1.33 million in purse earnings from 40 starters led by Herecomesthebride (G3) and Lake George (G3) winner Pounce. Resolute is also partners with Merriebelle Stable on June 7 New York (G1) winner Didia, who also won the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park for Merriebelle.
“This year has been an incredible ride for Resolute Racing,” Stewart said. “We are excited to be competing at the stakes level in 80 percent of our races this year with nine victories. We believe we have a lot more that can be accomplished with the horses we have actively running in our colors.”
Notes … ….. ………..
Trainer Kieron Magee and jockey Horacio Karamanos teamed up for a pair of winners Friday with B West ($4.40) in Race 7 and Holey Moley ($8.40) in Race 10 …
Jockey Jorge Ruiz also doubled aboard Once an Eagle ($3.40) in Race 1 and Katie’s Notion ($14.40) in Race 6 …
Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey’s multiple stakes winner Prince of Jericho ($3.20), favored at 3-5, stalked pacesetter Five Dreams into the stretch and withstood a late bid up the rail from One More Scoop to register a head victory in featured Race 8, an open six-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was 1:10.49. The 4-year-old Prince of Jericho won the 2023 Spectacular Bid and Concern and among his starts this year was second in the Frank Whiteley and Alapocas Run, third in the Maryland Sprint (G3) and fourth in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash.
