BALTIMORE BOB MOTORS TO VICTORY IN HENRY CLARK STAKES
BALTIMORE, MD. 4-17-10---Robert Gerczak & Kaygar Stable’s Baltimore Bob delivered one for the hunch players in this afternoon’s feature at Pimlico Race Course, the $70,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes. Today is opening day at the historic Baltimore track and the aptly named Baltimore Bob was both the program and post time favorite.
A crowd of 9,191 turned out under cool conditions to enjoy the afternoon at Pimlico, which will feature live racing through Saturday, May 22. The signature race of the stand is the 135th Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, which is four weeks from today, Saturday, May 15.
Sent to post at 4-5 in the one-mile test on the firm turf, Baltimore Bob and jockey Vladimir Diaz outfinished long shot Crimson Comic to win by a half-length in 1:35.39. The Malibu Moon offspring moved up effortlessly on the pacesetter and caught him in deep stretch but he still had to fight to the finish to secure the win. Baltimore Bob paid $3.80.
“My horse just wanted to run,” Diaz said. “He was push button today and I was just a passenger.”
Baltimore Bob is conditioned by Baltimore County native J.B. Secor, who took over his training when Carlos Garcia retired last December.
Garcia co-owns Baltimore Bob as part of Kaygar Stable and is now Diaz’s agent.
The five-year-old wintered in Louisiana with trainer Helen Pitts and ran well, including a third place finish the Grade III Fair Grounds Handicap in mid-February and returns after posting a number of strong grass efforts this winter.
“Helen did a great job and he came back in tip-top shape,” Secor said. “We just sharpened him up and got some speed into him. This is a very nice horse and he’s been running against some real heavy heads. He showed his stuff today. We hope to have a big spring with him.”
Secor won the Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park last month with Jim’s Prospect, another horse previously trained by Garcia.
“I hadn’t won two stakes in twenty years and now I win two stakes in two months,” joked Secor. “I like it much better this way.”
The first turf race of the stand produced a $12,553.40 trifecta as 21-1 shot Theda’s Smile ($44) finished ahead of 14-1 Lost Letters and 70-1 shot Hold Your Money. The inaugural All Turf Pick 3 wager paid $593.40 with Baltimore Bob and Cold Orient ($10.60) winning the last two races on the card.
Opening day at Old Hilltop also featured a well-received “halftime” concert in-between the fifth and sixth races by country music star Steve Azar and a pre-race ceremony for former Pimlico General Manager Chick Lang, who passed away March 18 at the age of 83.
-mjc-
PHOTO CREDIT- Jerry Dzierwinski, Maryland Jockey Club
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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