Hazlewood's streak reaches 19

LAUREL, MD— It’s all about the break for Dwelling Legacy.

When she gets out of the gate cleanly, as she did in Sunday’s featured sixth race at Laurel Park, a $53,000 second-level allowance for fillies and mares at 5 ½ furlongs, the 4-year-old is tough to catch.

Leading rider Yedsit Hazlewood was tied on for the start, and the teenage riding sensation was sure to get Dwelling Legacy on the lead and down to the two path after breaking from the far outside.

Dwelling Legacy stepped the opening quarter in 22.59 seconds, and relaxed comfortably on the front end before facing a rail-skimming rally from Howler.

Howler looked strong at the three-sixteenths marker, but Dwelling Legacy shrugged her away despite failing to switch leads in the stretch.

At the wire, it was Dwelling Legacy by three lengths over Howler.

Shkhara Fire finished another 1 ½ lengths back in third. Then came My Flicker, Kilo Road, Delray, Simply Stated, and Mystic Seaport. Strong Like Sara scratched.

Favored Dwelling Legacy returned $7.60 to win as the betting favorite after stepping the distance in 1:04.43 over the fast main track.

“We had a great post today,” said winning trainer Gary Capuano. “We got the outside. She broke like a rocket. She’s tough. We got a little breather around the turn. That horse came to her on the inside, which I think might have been a little bit deeper. [Hazlewood] had enough left to go on with it. She’s not a quitter.”

In her previous start, Dwelling Legacy was bumped leaving the gate, never got near the lead, and finished sixth of seven in a second-level allowance at Delaware Park on Oct. 9.

“The race at Delaware last time out, the track was really deep,” Capuano explained. “She likes a quicker track, obviously. She struggled over that track that day, but had trained really good coming into this.”

Foaled in Maryland, Dwelling Legacy is a homebred owned by Frank Perri Jr.’s Pinochle Partners LLC. She is by Blofeld out of seven-time winner Dwelling Place, by Forest Camp. Her second dam, Randy Cat, was a multiple Group 1 winner in Argentina from the family of multiple Group 1 winner Rocking Trick.

Although Hazlewood was disqualified from a potential third victory in the finale, his fantastic rookie season continued.

In the third race, Hazlewood got aggressive aboard Tierra Santa ($7.20), and they took the field gate-to-wire for trainer W. Thomas McMahon.

Hazlewood has now ridden at least one winner at Laurel Park in each of the last 19 racing dates.

*Around the track:

Live racing resumes Friday with an eight-race program…The first post time is 12 p.m. ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate…The FREE “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available every racing day. Get picks, analysis, trainer stats, horses to watch, track bias information, and much more from The Maryland Jockey Club team of handicappers. Friday’s Guide will be available on Thursday evening: click here to view…Reserve your spot for our weekly “Bubbly Brunch Sundays.” Kick back with friends over delicious brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas in our vibrant Stone Bar Restaurant and Bar. Sunday Brunch begins at 11:00 am ET…Enjoy Laurel Park’s “Breakfast With Santa” on Sunday, Dec. 14, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Partake in an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, take photos with Santa Claus, and bring the kids out for family-friendly activities. Click here to reserve your spot. …Never miss a second of the action with the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to catch full pan and head-on replays.