Baltimore Native Rode Parts of Four Years in Mid-Atlantic
Multiple Maryland G3 Winner Switzerland Takes G1 Golden Shaheen
89th Birthday for Hall of Fame Trainer King Leatherbury Saturday
Nine-Race Program Sunday to Close 2022 Laurel Winter Meet

LAUREL, MD – Former jockey Kerry Hohlbein, a Baltimore native who rode in Maryland over parts of four years between 2007 and 2011, sent out her first starter as a trainer Saturday at Laurel Park.

Money Room, a gelded son of Grade 1 winner Keen Ice, finished fifth under Leonardo Carujo in Race 6, a seven-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds won by 3-5 favorite Zen Master ($3.40).

It was the first race for Money Room since being claimed for $40,000 out of a runner-up finish Feb. 27 at Laurel.

“He’s a nice horse and we’re just trying to see what he is,” Hohlbein said. “I think he’s a good horse.

“I [was] very excited but nervous at the same time,” she added. “I [didn’t] want to mess up putting the saddle on or anything.”

A graduate of Baltimore’s Lansdowne High School, the 37-year-old Hohlbein did not come from a racing background but was inspired by Rosie Napravnik and Forest Boyce to become a jockey. Boyce, a finalist for the 2010 Eclipse Award as champion apprentice, continues to ride in Maryland.

According to Equibase statistics, Hohlbein made her pro riding debut Dec. 28, 2007 at Laurel, finishing seventh on Family Appeal. While working for trainer Dale Capuano, she had five mounts in 2008 and did not ride in 2009 before getting 43 mounts in 2010 and riding her first winner, Dixie Thief, Oct. 27 at Laurel.

Hohlbein’s last of 248 mounts came Dec. 2, 2011 at Laurel. A 17-time winner, she also rode at historic Pimlico Race Course, the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Charles Town, Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, Parx and Penn National over her career.

For the past two years, Hohlbein has galloped for Hamilton Smith, the Laurel-based trainer with more than 2,000 career winners whose current stable star is multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Luna Belle. Hohlbein and her husband, Juan, have two horses.

“I’ve been galloping horses for a while now and I figured I’d try something new, something different,” Hohlbein said. “We’re starting off with just us and seeing how things pan out.”

On Sunday, Hohlbein will send out 3-year-old Distorted Humor gelding Magic Mule in Race 7, an entry-level allowance for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs. Magic Mule is fourth choice on the morning line at 9-2.

Previously trained by W. Thomas ‘Skip’ McMahon, Magic Mule will also be making his first start for Hohlbein. He has finished third or better in 14 of 22 career starts, three of them wins.

“That horse I love,” Hohlbein said. “He tries his eyeballs out every time. You can’t say enough good things about him.”

Multiple Maryland G3 Winner Switzerland Takes G1 Golden Shaheen

Switzerland, 8-year-old upset winner of Saturday’s $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), is a familiar name to Maryland racing fans.

Then trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen for Woodford Racing, Switzerland made his stakes debut in the 2018 Maryland Sprint (G3) on the undercard of the 143rd Preakness Stakes (G1) at historic Pimlico Race Course. Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., the son of champion sprinter Speightstown extended his win streak to four races with a 3 ½-length triumph over favored Long Haul Bay.

After finishing fifth in the A.G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga to end the streak, Switzerland rebounded with a popular, front-running 2 ¾-length victory over Laki in the prestigious Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) at Laurel Park. Maryland-based Feargal Lynch was in the irons.

Switzerland ran twice more in 2018, finishing off the board in stakes at Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds before being sold and exported to Dubai, where he has been based since 2019. Saturday’s win was just his third start since finishing seventh in last year’s Golden Shaheen.

Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables’ Grade 3 winner Wondrwherecraigis, based at Laurel with trainer Brittany Russell, finished 10th of 14 horses in the Golden Shaheen. The 5-year-old gelding had finished first in each of his previous five races, but was disqualified to second in the 2021 De Francis. He won the Bold Ruler (G3) last fall at Belmont Park and Jan. 29 Fire Plug at Laurel before heading to Dubai.

Notes: Hall of Fame horseman King Leatherbury, a winner of more than 6,500 career races best known as the breeder, owner and trainer of late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben’s Cat, turned 89 Saturday … Laurel will close its 2022 winter meet with a nine-race program Sunday, which starts at 12:40 p.m. … Claudio Gonzalez won twice Saturday, with Ridiculous ($9) in Race 5 and Plot the Dots ($7.80) in Race 9, to take a 24-23 lead over Jerry Robb in the trainer standings. Robb won with his lone starter, Minnetonka ($2.60) in Race 1, and has no horses entered on Sunday’s card … Jevian Toledo holds a 38-28 advantage over apprentice Jean Alvelo in the rider standings. Toledo won with Zen Master ($3.40) in Race 6 Saturday, while Alvelo was first with Got a Good Reason ($9.40) in Race 2.