GROVE EXTENDS LEAD OVER LAKE TO TWO WITH ONE DAY REMAINING IN WINTER MEET
LAUREL, MD. 04-09-10---Chris Grove clinched at least a share of the Laurel Park winter meet training title when Winged Hero wired the field in the sixth race Friday. Grove leads Scott Lake 25-23 with one day remaining in the winter meeting, which began Jan. 1.
Grove began the final week two wins behind Lake, who has won 12 of the last 16 training titles at Laurel and Pimlico, but the Frederick native moved into a first place tie with a two-win day Wednesday afternoon then took the lead Thursday with another score.
“It has been a great week with four winners and I hope we are not done,” said Grove, who has never won a training title in 12 years as a conditioner. “I am certainly thinking about winning it but trying not to press and just letting it happen.”
Grove has five runners entered Saturday: Bishop Head (15-1, race 3), Night Q (4-1, race 4), T.M.’s Treasure (MTO runner, race 5), Hannah’s Dowery (8-1, race 6) and Breezy Boy (8-1, race 8).
Lake counters with a 3-1 entry of Maples Donut and Glazed Wings in the third and World Gone Wrong, a 7-2 shot in the seventh.
SATURDAY’S DAHLIA STAKES ATTRACTS COMPETITIVE FIELD
Laurel Park ends its winter meeting with the grassy $70,000 Dahlia Stakes for older fillies and mares. Seven runners go a mile-and-one-sixteenth journey on Fan Appreciation Day. Promotions include free admission, a complimentary live program and a drawing for Preakness Stakes and Baltimore Orioles tickets.
The lone speed belongs to Julia Tuttle, the 9-5 morning line favorite. She placed in the Lighthearted Stakes at Delaware Park and was fifth in this race last year. She returns off five months rest and has changed barns, going from Ferris Allen to Cody Autry. Shane Sellers, who has moved his tack to Delaware Park, has the mount.
My Main Star (7-2) won her only turf start and that came over this course. Her last start was a third place finish in the Maryland Racing Media Stakes here on Feb. 20. Horacio Karamanos rides for trainer Gary Capuano.
Giddyup Gadfly (4-1) is riding a two-race win streak over the turf at Tampa Bay Downs. Eric Reed, who has kept her training through the winter, will employ Harry Vega.
Sales Tax (5-1) finished second and then fourth in the last two runnings of the All Brandy Stakes. She wintered in Florida, winning at Tampa in a race taken off the turf and then finished 11th in the Grade 3 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream. The daughter of High Yield has registered two bullet drills at Laurel since returning from Florida last month. Sheldon Russell has the riding assignment for trainer Hamilton Smith.
Fareena (6-1) is a stakes winner on the grass. She captured the Rhudy Memorial at Delaware in 2008 but had an abbreviated campaign in 2009 with just three starts. She makes her first appearance for trainer Fenneka Bentley. Luis Garcia will ride.
Million Seller (8-1) left the maiden ranks over the grass at Colonial Downs. Joe Rocco Jr. will ride the A. P. Indy miss for Graham Motion. Motion won this race with Sweet Talker (2006) and Lady Digby (2008).
Saar Treaty (15-1), a Saarland offspring trained by Tim Wooley at the Fair Hill Training Center, beat optional claimers in her most recent start here on Mar. 11. Oliver Castillo retains the mount.
-mjc-
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
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