Power Grid electric in a 2-year-old dirt maiden
Jevian Toledo named “Jockey of the Week” by Jockeys’ Guild

LAUREL, MD—As the horses circled the paddock for Friday’s co-featured seventh race at Laurel Park, a $47,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs on the Bowl Game Turf Course, all eyes were on first-time starter Gotta Get It Right, a $300,000 yearling trained by Graham Motion.

Gotta Get It Right, a gelded son of Nyquist, showed good speed from the gate in his most recent workout at Fair Hill and was expected to display that talent leaving the starting blocks this afternoon.

But the best laid plans often go awry, and Gotta Get It Right broke poorly, spotting the field a few lengths at the start.

Thankfully, for Team Motion, they had another first-time starter in the field, and Boastfully Irish picked up the favorite’s slack.

Settled into stride near the rear of the field under jockey Kevin Gomez, Boastfully Irish bided his time as This Is the Life set fractions of 22.72 and 46.29 seconds while pressured by Garage Beers.

Boastfully Irish swung to the far outside into the long stretch, then stormed down the center of the track to streak under the second-wire finish 1 ¼ lengths in front of Garage Beers. Wheelaxe placed third and was followed home by Gotta Get It Right, who rushed into contention after the slow start, then stayed on decently for fourth. Zencat, Jewell’s Indenial, Hooraw, This Is the Life, Paul’s Guitar, and Andies Pistolero were next.

Boastfully Irish completed the distance in 1:04.40 over the firm turf, and returned $13.40 to win as the public’s third choice.

"We did do a lot of work with Boastfully Irish, because he was a touch slow [in his gate workouts],” said winning assistant trainer Ian Wilson. “I didn't think we ever really got him there, but he broke pretty well today. I [thought] before the race that he’s probably going to want to go a little bit further. And he ran like a horse that wants to go further, the way he was out the back and made that big run.”

Foaled in New Jersey, Boastfully Irish is a homebred owned by Isabelle De Tomaso. He is by first-crop sire Galawi, a Dubawi stallion from the family of three-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova. Galawi won a maiden race at 1 ¼ miles for Motion and stands at Northview Stallion Station in Maryland.

"So cool that he's a Galawi,” Wilson noted. “We were trying to run him last weekend in the Maryland Million, but we were just a week too short, really. We were kind of upset that we missed that because we knew the horse had a little bit of ability, but I'm glad he showed it today."

Boastfully Irish is out of an unraced half-sister to multiple Grade 2-winning dirt router Irish War Cry, Grade 3-winning turf router Irish Strait, and juvenile stakes-placed dirt sprinter Irish Politics.

*Power Grid electric in a 2-year-old dirt maiden

Trainer Jerry Robb wasn’t surprised when Power Grid won the second race, a $47,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs.

He was shocked that Power Grid waited until his fifth start to reach the winner’s circle.

"I never expected him to get beat anytime I've run him,” Robb said. “He caught a monster in every race. Everyone that’s beaten him has been legit. I expected him to catch one in here, too, but that horse didn’t show up.”

The potential monster that Robb was referring to this afternoon was St Petersburg, a $700,000 yearling making his first start for leading trainer Brittany Russell after racing three times in Southern California for Bob Baffert.

St Petersburg went off the 7-10 favorite in the seven-horse field, but couldn’t step with Power Grid, who advanced in the opening eighth of a mile under jockey Xavier Perez to grab the lead from his inside post.

“[Perez] said that everybody broke even, and he had to take the lead while it was there,” Robb said.

Power Grid sparred with Caseofthemondays through an opening quarter in 22.99, took additional pressure from a three-wide Ur a Collection, and a four-wide St Petersburg after a half-mile in 46.64, then shooed them all away to prevail by 7 ½ lengths in 1:25.93 over the fast track.

St Petersburg was second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Ur a Collection. Then came Caseofthemondays, Twin Lakes, Lino’s Fire, and Turf to Dirt.

Power Grid returned $6.60 to win as the second choice in the betting.

Power Grid faced four next-out winners when debuting in a 5 ½-furlong restricted maiden special at Colonial on July 10. One of them, Trendsetter, returned to beat Power Grid by three-quarters of a length in the restricted $100,000 Hickory Tree Stakes the following month.

Robb moved the colt to the maiden ranks for his third start, and Power Grid finished ahead of two next-out winners when finishing three-quarters shy of S S Quality. Last month, Power Grid finished second for the third consecutive start when wired by Buds Notion in a maiden special weight at Delaware Park.

A bay colt by City of Light, Power Grid was purchased as a short yearling by Mens Grille Racing for $85,000. His winning dam is a full sister to Grade 3-winning turf router Captivating Moon. She is also a half-sister to Grade 1-winning turf router Vacare, Grade 3-winning turf router Single Solution, French Group 3 winner Abtaal, and stakes-winning turf sprinter Nobody’s Fault.

Robb believes the colt shouldn’t have too much of a problem with extra distance. A cursory glance at his pedigree indicates that turf racing might be on the horizon as well.

*Jevian Toledo named “Jockey of the Week” by the Jockeys’ Guild

After winning three races on Jim McKay Maryland Million Saturday at Laurel Park, Jevian Toledo passed Hall of Famer Edgar Prado as the winningest rider in the event’s 40-year history.

In recognition of the feat, The Jockeys’ Guild named Toledo “Jockey of the Week” for October 6-October 12.

A native of Puerto Rico, the 31-year-old Toledo began riding stateside in 2013, making Maryland tracks and Colonial Downs his base. Toledo is a four-time champion rider in Maryland, grabbing year-end honors in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2022.

Heading into Friday’s racing, Toledo boasts 1,752 lifetime victories. His mounts have earned $62,025,634.

*Around the track:

Jockey Mychel Sanchez avoided serious injury when he was unseated from his mount at the start of the sixth race. Although carried off the track and placed in the track ambulance, Sanchez was diagnosed with a bruised back and was cleared to ride the rest of the card by track EMS personnel and the track physician…Jockey Jorge Ruiz captured two races on the program. Ruiz struck with Happy This Day ($7.60) in the opener, and Royalties Riches ($7.40) in the sixth race…Jockey Alice de Bortoli Herrnegger guided Mischievous Trick ($17.80) to a victory in the third race, a heat restricted to Amateur Riders. A winner of dozens of races in her native Italy, she rode her first North American mount on Oct. 2, finishing second at Delaware Park…Live racing resumes on Saturday with a ten-race program. The first post time is 12:10 p.m. ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate…Laurel Park proudly hosts the “Craft Beer Festival” on Saturday, October 25. Enjoy the best in local Maryland craft brewing on our Trackside Apron. For ticket information, click here.