Page McKenney Becomes a Millionaire in Native Dancer
Page McKenney Becomes a Millionaire in Native Dancer
Sweet On Smokey, Love Came to Town Win Stakes
Super Hi 5 Carryover $19,103 Sunday
LAUREL, MD - Despite some anxious moments down the backstretch, Adam Staple's and Jalin Stable's Page McKenney became a millionaire Saturday afternoon with a 3 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 Native Dancer at Laurel Park.
Claimed by trainer Mary Eppler out of a sixth-place finish at Penn National in July of 2013, Page McKenney has since won 14 races, including multiple stakes, and finished second in the Pimlico Special (G3) and third in the Charles Town Classic (G2) and Cornhusker Handicap (G3).
McKenney's career earnings stand at $1.021 million. The chestnut covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.70.
"It means a lot," Eppler said. "What can you say. He shows up every time and runs his race."
The 6-year-old son gelded son of Eavesdropper, who went off the 2-5 favorite, has now won 15 career starts.
Page McKenney broke alertly from the rail and was second behind the pacesetter Warrioroftheroses heading into the first turn. But after Bellarmine and Golden Glint chased the pace from the outside entering the backstretch, jockey Horacio Karamanos and Page McKenney found themselves sixth on the inside behind horses.
"I really thought we were going to get boxed in," Eppler said.
"I saw the horses running off down the backstretch so I took a hold," Karamanos said.
Karamanos patiently waited, moved inside horses approaching the final turn, and then moved three-wide around the turn before driving to the front inside the final eighth of a mile.
"I moved outside and he's coming like a machine like he usually does," Karamanos said.
Sweet On Smokey Takes What A Summer
Sweet On Smokey, a 4-year-old filly owned by BB Horses and trained by Claudio Gonzalez, took the lead entering the stretch before driving off to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 What A Summer Stakes.
Ridden by Victor Carrasco, Sweet On Smokey was rated behind a :23.06 and :46.68 pace set by Raging Smoke before taking the lead at the head of the stretch and driving away to her seventh victory in 23 starts. A daughter of Successful Appeal, Sweet On Smokey was claimed by Gonzalez and BB Horses in July at Monmouth Park for $12,500. She covered the six furlongs in 1:11.05.
Raging Smoke was second, 1 3/4-lengths in front of E Dubai's Humor.
Love Came to Town Drives to Victory in Nellie Morse
Gerald Sleeter's Love Came to Town, a 4-year-old daughter of Medalist trained by Kevin Sleeter and ridden by Mychel Sanchez, ran down the stakes winner Brenda's Way inside the eighth pole to win the $75,000 Nellie Morse by 5 1/2 lengths. Playful Love was third. Favored Miss Mischief was seventh.
Love Came to Town, a winner of six of 14 races, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.50.
Patiently ridden by Sanchez, Love Came to Town was rated second behind a :24.29, :47.54 and 1:12.47 pace set by Brenda's Way before taking the lead and opening up down the stretch.
Kevin Sleeter said he would consider the $300,000 Barbara Fritchie (G2) Feb. 13.
