Watters rides two winners at “Fair Hill Turf Showcase”
ELKTON, MD—Gail Clark and Turks Head Turf’s Predominate slipped through on the inside after the final fence and stormed home to win Monday’s $50,000 Valentine Memorial over 2 ¼ miles on turf at Fair Hill.
The Valentine Memorial, restricted to 4-year-olds and up who had never won an open hurdle stakes race, was the feature on the special “Fair Hill Turf Showcase” program that brought Memorial Day racing back to historic Fair Hill after a prolonged absence.
Presented by Brown Advisory, the “Fair Hill Turf Showcase” was hosted by The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC), in partnership with the National Steeplechase Association, Cecil County, the Cecil County Breeders’ Fair, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Fair Hill Foundation, and the Maryland Racing Commission. This event marked the first time live racing at Fair Hill occurred under the new TMJC’s auspices.
Trained by Todd McKenna, Predominate settled three wide and between horses near the back as the field entered the first of four turns. Meanwhile, Take Your Seats was aggressive on the backstretch to grab the lead, and he was clear passing the stands for the first time.
Jockey Graham Watters took the opportunity to maneuver Predominate to the inside at this juncture, and they then noticed a quickening pace as Bright Eyed Eagle confronted Take Your Seats at the half-mile marker.
Take Your Seats grimly held the lead through the final jump, but Watters snuck Predominate into the pocket and drove past the pacesetter in the final furlong.
Predominate completed the distance in 4:08.60 on the good turf course. Neotropic rallied for second, 1 ¼ lengths behind the winner. Take Your Seats placed another half-length behind in third. Smart Uncle, Sweet Will, Bright Eyed Eagle, Two Past Eight, King of the Kids, and Scoop the Pot followed. Who’s Counting pulled up. Vintage Year and Fiery Dart were scratched.
Predominate returned $13.80 to win as the fourth choice in the betting.
“I was drawn the eleven, so it’s hard to get across to the rail,” Watters said. “It’s pretty tight. You got to save ground when you can. I got a nice trip around on the inside behind Neotropic, and I was able to slip up the inside over the last two fences.”
Foaled in Kentucky, Predominate is a 7-year-old gelding by Arrogate, out of Sweet Awakening by Street Cry. Bred by John Bates, Ron Kirk, and Michael Riordan, Predominate showed solid, if unspectacular, flat form, winning four times in 35 starts before being claimed for $15,000 after a fourth-place finish at Parx on December 4, 2024.
Enter McKenna, who got to work preparing Predominate for his second career as a jumper.
“He was a bit difficult at first, but we ticked away with him, and he won last summer at Colonial, which was really nice. He’s been competitive. He was third last out. We wheeled him back quickly because it looked like an easier spot than the novice races coming up at Saratoga.”
McKenna cited Predominate’s pedigree, as he’s a half-brother to millionaire Are You Kidding Me, Grade 2 winner Kehoe Beach, and stakes-winner Core Values, as a key reason for choosing the dark bay or brown gelding as a potential hurdler.
“It’s all about his dam,” McKenna said. “She’s produced turf runner after turf runner after turf runner. I was lucky to find him running on the dirt for an inexpensive claiming price.”
Fair Hill has a rich history that began when William du Pont Jr. bought about 8,000 acres, primarily for his powerful Foxcatcher Farm and racing stable, which produced Dauber, the 1938 Preakness Stakes winner.
Fair Hill hosted its first race in 1934, the Foxcatcher National Cup over fences. For nearly 90 years, Fair Hill hosted live steeplechase racing on Memorial Day weekend. Due to track renovations and the COVID-19 pandemic, live racing was suspended after the 2019 meeting. It returned to Fair Hill last year for a one-day event on Saturday, August 30.
Parimutuel wagering on the “Fair Hill Turf Showcase” was available on-site and nationwide through ADW wagering accounts under the “Laurel at Fair Hill” name.
*Around the track:
Watters also won the fifth race aboard Aspenite ($23.20) for trainer Neil Morris.
Trainer Jack Fisher and jockey Jamie Bargary teamed up for a Memorial Day double. They scored with Gettleman ($16.60) in the fifth race, then returned with Tuddenham Green ($12.20) in the seventh.
Live racing resumes at Laurel Park Friday with a nine-race card featuring two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. Multiple stakes winners Witty and Whenigettoheaven are among the big names in the third race, a $56,000 allowance for 3-year-olds and upward at 5 ½ furlongs on turf. Multiple stakes winners Slam Notion and Howgreatisnate headline the co-featured eighth race, a $56,000 allowance for 3-year-olds and upward at seven furlongs on dirt.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of handicappers. Friday’s guide is available Thursday evening. Click here to view it.
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