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Celtic Innis
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
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LAUREL, MD. 10-04-08---E. Allen Murray, Jr.’s Celtic Innis snapped a two-year losing streak with a stirring victory in the $150,000 Maryland Million Sprint.
Craig Gibbs rode the 6-year-old gelded son of Yarrow Brae to a narrow win over Lemons of Love in 1:10.81 for the six-furlong distance. They won by a neck. Post time favorite and defending champion Grand Champion bounced against the winner repeatedly at the top of the stretch but he could finish no closer than third. Jazz Seeker was fourth.
Craig Gibbs “He broke good. I was sitting real easy and I wanted to be close to the pace. Turning for home I saw Travis Dunkelberger had loose reins on his horse (Jazz Seeker) so I knew we had him put away. I was just hoping we had enough at the end.”
Celtic Innis had not won a race since September 2006 but had finished in the money in seven of his previous 12 races. Today’s win was his fifth career stakes victory and pushed his career earnings over $500,000.
Tim Keefe trains Celtic Innis. He said, “He was off most of last year because of injury. He had a slight fracture of the pastern bone. He’s the kind of horse that gives you 100% every time he runs - the kind that trainers wish they had a barn full of them. Factor in the fact that he’s got some talent and you have a good one. He’s run decent recently but he ran into trouble the last two.”
The winner paid $13. He was bred by his owner.
Jeremy Rose, who rode Grand Champion, said, “I felt like I was sitting on a winner most of the race, but every time I went to make a move going around the turn, he kept getting banged and banged and banged.”
Rose claimed foul against jockey Joe Rocco Jr., who was aboard Lemons of Love, but the claim was disallowed by the stewards.
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