Hazlewood wins three races
LAUREL, MD—After jogging back to the winner’s circle following Saturday’s second race at Laurel Park, a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-olds, Remembertheword stopped in his tracks, stared quizzically at track photographer Jim McCue, and seemed unsure what to do next.
After some gentle prodding from jockey Yedsit Hazlewood, Remembertheword entered the enclosure and posed alongside trainer Jose Corrales.
Corrales was a successful jockey with more than 1,000 wins in the United States and many more in Macau before transitioning to training. He also mentors young riders, including his star pupil, Hazlewood, Maryland’s 2025 champion.
“I ride him in the morning,” Corrales said about Remembertheword. “I’m the one who schooled him at the gate because he’s trouble. I have to school him for everything because he has that [mindset].”
Remembertheword was green in Saturday’s race, but he was also very game. As he did in his career debut three weeks ago, when he finished second, Remembertheword broke nicely under Hazlewood.
They pressed the pace outside Pelican Pier through an opening quarter in 23.67 seconds, then entered the stretch from the four path while engaged in a protracted battle with that foe.
Despite failing to change leads in the stretch, Remembertheword always had enough in the tank, and he denied Pelican Pier by a head in 53.76 seconds over a sealed, sloppy track.
“You always worry because you don’t know how they’re going to handle [it], but I thought he did very well,” Corrales said about the wet racing strip. “Even though [Pelican Pier] came back on him, he still fought. Horses like that, I think they have a good future.”
Favored Island Bandit, a half-brother to the popular multiple stakes-winning Anna’s Bandit, finished another 2¾ lengths behind in third. Baru, Magic Elixir, and Speed Focused followed.
Remembertheword returned $6.60 as the second betting choice, and was the first of two winners this afternoon for Corrales, who saddled class-dropping Formal Affair ($4.20) to a popular score in the fifth race.
Foaled in Maryland, Remembertheworld is a homebred owned by Charles Parker’s Barak Farm. The gelding is by Grade 2 winner Thousand Words, out of Requesting, by Giant’s Causeway.
The second dam, Tidal Dance, was a multiple stakes-winner at two turns in New York, and Corrales believes that Remembertheworld will excel at longer distances.
Corrales described him as a large, awkward horse, noting that he was unsure of his capabilities at first. “When you get on him, he gives you a lot. He keeps going. He’s still green. It looks like he’s going to be a distance horse.”
*Hazlewood rides three winners
As for Hazlewood, the apprentice rider’s future appears limitless, and he booted home three more winners on Saturday.
Hazlewood rode both Corrales-trained runners and the opening-race winner, Home Invasion ($5.20), for trainer Chuck Lawrence.
Hazlewood currently leads the nation in wins with 153, 19 more than Irad Ortiz Jr., and 20 more than Samuel Marin.
*Around the track:
Jockey Angel Cruz rode two winners on Saturday’s card. Cruz and trainer Horacio De Paz teamed up for an even-money gate-to-wire victory in the sixth race with Hue. Cruz also delivered a crafty ride in the eighth race aboard Change My World ($5.80) for trainer Mary Eppler. The Maryland-bred gelding tracked from the pocket, bulled his way into the clear, and charged home.
Although Sunday’s scheduled eight-race program at Fair Hill was abandoned due to poor weather, live racing resumes on Memorial Day Monday at Fair Hill with a nine-race program featuring steeplechase and timber races, as well as a flat race restricted to jumpers.
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