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Ah Day Catches Speedsters to Win Horatius Stakes

Ah Day (right) surges to victory in the Horatius Stakes. Click to Zoom (Photo by Jim McCue)

LAUREL, MD. 03-04-06---The Jim Stable’s Ah Day ran down the speed in deep stretch to win today’s feature at Laurel Park, the $75,000 Horatius Stakes for 3-year-olds.

The win gave legendary trainer King Leatherbury his 6,123 lifetime victory to add to his extensive resume. Earlier this year the 72-year old was nominated for the Racing Hall of Fame for the seventh consecutive year but the third leading conditioner of all-time was not among the finalists announced earlier this week. 

Ah Day, a son of Malibu Moon, chased suicidal fractions set by favorites Rainbow Inthestorm and Great Seneca before finding a narrow opening along the rail in deep stretch. He charged by the tired speedsters and caught longshot Eagle Head going to the wire. Ah Day completed the six furlongs in 1:11.26 under jockey Ryan Fogelsonger. 

Fogelsonger said, “We knew there was plenty of speed in here and it worked out perfectly. This horse just tracked the speed and caught them.” 

Friday afternoon Leatherbury considered scratching his charge from this spot and entering the gelding in an allowance test on the March 8 card, but he was talked out of it by his assistant Avon Thorpe and Fogelsonger. 

“I was shooting to get third money, to be honest,” said Leatherbury. “We upset the field. Things happen like this and it surprises you. It was a very pleasant surprise. Gary and Dale’s (Capuano) horses appeared to be the class and we would have been satisfied to run behind them in third.” 

“Avon told me yesterday King might scratch and run Wednesday,” added Fogelsonger. “I pleaded with him to talk to him because there was so much speed in here. With all the pace you had to take a chance. We had a perfect trip and got it done.”  

Ah Day, who’s previous best was a runner-up finish in the Dancing Count Stakes, paid $24.40. Eagle Head finished second and Great Seneca was third. The exacta paid $112.60 and the triple returned $357. 

NAPRAVNIK WINS TWO & INCHES CLOSER TO MILLION DOLLAR MARK FOR YEAR

Rosie Napravnik continued her winning ways this afternoon riding two winners on the card. The 18-year-old leads the Laurel Park winter standings with 60 victories, 26 more than Erick Rodriguez. The apprentice ranks seventh nationally and her mounts have earned $979,450 for the year, 25th best in the country. She has at least one victory in 30 of the 41 live days this year with 19 multiple win afternoons.

LIFE’S A BREEZE FOR STAKES WINNERS AT LAUREL 

Sixty-four horses hit the Laurel Park track during training hours this morning. Among the workers were several standouts.   

Multiple stakes winner Abbondanza geared up with a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 flat. The move was a full second faster than the next-best 5 panel move of the day. Trainer Tim Tullock may soon get a chance to run his 5-year-old on the turf. If weather cooperates, Laurel Park will take entries for grass races to be run as early as March 22nd. 

Undefeated 3-year-old filly Celestial Legend dashed through her five-furlong breeze in 1:01 flat.  The daughter of City Zip, a narrow winner of the Wide Country Stakes last-out, is hovering around 25-1 in the second pool of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. While trainer Dale Capuano has not ruled out a trip to Louisville, it is likely that the sophomore miss will instead grace the 82nd running of the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan, run on May 19th at Pimlico.   

Laurel loving Your Bluffing posted a bullet half mile in: 48.20. The 6-year-old gelding, fresh off a 6-3/4-length romp in the John Campbell Handicap is arguably the reigning king of the central Maryland track, boasting 13 wins from 18 local starts. Trainer Mike Trombetta’s other star, 3-year-old sensation, Sweetnorthernsaint remains on target for a potential showdown with Achilles of Troy in the Gotham Stakes, run at Aqueduct on March 18th.