Taj Mahal is a wonder in career debut
LAUREL, MD—“I cried after the race,” said trainer Lacey Gaudet after Bruce Yarwood and Renee Latour’s Rampagius was declared the winner of Friday’s feature at Laurel Park, a $49,000 first-level allowance for 4-year-olds and older at six furlongs.
“When you claim a horse for $16,000, you don’t usually cry for them. But, this horse has been so honest for us, and there are some horses that show you how much you appreciate the hard work that you put into them. This horse has appreciated every bit of help.”
With a little help from the stewards, Rampagius remained perfect in two starts since being taken by Gaudet out of a winning effort in a one-mile turf race at Colonial on August 6.
“Looking at his form, his back numbers on the dirt were competitive, too,” she reasoned. “We went into Colonial primarily for turf, but most of the horses we looked at down there should have been competitive enough to stay with us all year round. We had some setbacks with him, so that forced our hand to miss all of turf season.”
Gaudet took a chance when she ran Rampagius off the layoff. The hulking gelding had never sprinted in his previous nine races, had never won on dirt, and was offered for a $12,500 price tag.
Her gamble paid huge dividends when Rampagius showed surprising early speed, dominated his rivals from start to finish, won by 9 ¼ lengths, and earned a career-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He was going into that race great,” Gaudet said. “We knew he was sitting on a big one. The way he ran last time is not how I thought it would unfold.”
On Friday, Rampagius, the 3-5 favorite ridden by jockey Carlos Lopez, settled into a three-wide, pace-tracking position as Built By Khozan blazed the way through splits of 22.71 and 46.05 seconds.
Lopez put Rampagius on a hard chase beginning at the three-eighths pole, and they poked a head in front with a furlong remaining. At that point, Built by Khozan and Rampagius raced shoulder-to-shoulder, and Built by Khozan bumped Rampagius approaching the wire.
Jockey Jorge Hernandez got Built by Khozan’s nose down at just the right time, winning the head bob by a nose in 1:11.51 on the fast track, but the stewards almost immediately raised the inquiry flag, and Lopez also lodged an objection.
After the adjudication process, Rampagius was placed first by disqualification. He returned $3.80 to win.
“To see him close into that and keep an honest pace to the wire, I thought that was impressive,” Gaudet said. “Today, he answered a lot of questions.”
The win was Lopez’s second of the afternoon. He used a rallying tactic aboard the favorite, Our Day Will Come ($3.80), in the fourth race.
Rampagius is a 5-year-old by City of Light out of the multiple Grade 3-placed turf router Tejida, by Rahy. Bred by Andrew Warren in Kentucky, Rampagius began his career there with trainer Michael McCarthy and was claimed for $50,000 from his second start by trainer Michael Stidham.
Rampagius is a half-brother to Grade 3-placed turf runner Tequilera and boasts a quality pedigree. His second dam, Batique, was a multiple Grade 3 winner on turf.
Rampagius now has a record of four wins in 11 starts, with $105,826 in earnings. Gaudet is undecided about Rampagius’ next start, but there are plenty of options.
“I told the owner before the race that this horse’s numbers might be a little better on the grass, and we will probably focus on getting him back to that, but after today, don’t change what’s working, right?”
*Taj Mahal a wonder in career debut
Taj Mahal, an expensive yearling purchase by Nyquist, made a strong first impression in the third race, a $47,000 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.
Trained by Brittany Russell, Taj Mahal broke last in the six-horse field, but jockey Sheldon Russell didn’t panic. Russell let Taj Mahal settle into a rhythm, and they spied the opposition as Ballinaclash and Sir George set fractions of 23.47 and 47.72 seconds.
Russell chirped to Taj Mahal on the turn, and the bay colt ranged up with a strong four-wide bid. Taj Mahal always seemed to move better than his rivals, and he took over for good at the three-sixteenths pole.
At the finish, it was Taj Mahal by 4 ¼ lengths over Sir George, with Pont Aven another 2 ¼ lengths back in third. Ballinaclash, Margie’s Last, and Fayes Heart completed the order of finish.
Favored Taj Mahal ran the distance in 1:12.42 and returned $5.
“That was great,” said Brittany Russell. “He’s been a bit of a project since he came over. I’m happy [the owners] were so patient because I think he’s worthwhile.”
Taj Mahal was bred in Florida by Vegso Racing Stable and purchased for $525,000 as a yearling. He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
Taj Mahal’s dam, Oola Gal, by Quality Road, was stakes-placed at one mile on dirt. His fourth dam, Strategic Maneuver, was a multiple Grade 1 winner at age 2.
Before being transferred to Russell’s care last fall, Taj Mahal began his training in Southern California under Bob Baffert.
“I think he just hadn’t progressed,” Brittany Russell said. “When I got him, he had one little thing we had to take a little bit of time with, and he got over it pretty quickly.”
Brittany Russell was somewhat surprised by Taj Mahal’s awkward start.
“I wasn’t expecting him to break like that,” she said. “It’s funny because he breaks pretty well in the morning. I saw a little immaturity in how he was acting today. He was good, but Sheldon [told me] he learned something today.”
Brittany Russell praised the track maintenance crew for keeping the racing surface in good condition despite the extremely cold temperatures over the past few weeks.
“They’ve done a great job,” she said. “We’ve been really lucky. Some of my works were on the slower side, but we’ve stayed on a pretty good schedule. The track’s been in pretty good shape considering the weather. We only missed about two days.”
Taj Mahal wrapped up his final preparations for today’s race with a comfortable five-furlong work alongside stablemate Prince of Jericho, a six-year-old who has won multiple stakes.
“That helped,” Brittany Russell said. “It gave me a little bit of confidence.”
*Around the track:
Apprentice jockey Jose Vargas swept the early daily double. He put Stroll Trippin ($6) right on the lead in the opener for trainer Jose Corrales, then rode the inside with Fabia ($24.60) to post a rallying victory in the second race.
Due to expected frigid temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic, Laurel Park has canceled Sunday’s live race program. Live racing will resume at Laurel Park on Thursday, February 12, with the first post at 12:00 pm ET. Laurel Park’s previously canceled Saturday card will be run in full without a redraw on Thursday. There are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout.
The FREE “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available every racing day. Get picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of handicappers. Thursday’s guide will be available on Wednesday evening. Click here to view it.
Register for Laurel Park’s “Last Chance, First Chance Handicapping Challenge” on Saturday, February 14. The $500 hybrid online and on-track contest ($250 entry fee, $250 bankroll) allows Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagers on the entire card of live races at Laurel Park. Contestants must play at least five (5) contest races, with a $50 minimum bet per race. For full rules and entry information, visit here.
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