Taqarub Wins Maryland Sprint Handicap
BALTIMORE, 05-15-10 – Shadwell Stable’s Taqarub went screaming to the front right from the start of the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap and held on late to notch a half-length triumph in the Grade 3 sprint.
Eibar Coa guided the speedy son of Aldebaran to a front-running victory over an unlucky Roaring Lion while running six furlongs in 1:10.02. Roaring Lion had had dead aim on Taqarub in deep stretch but jockey Javier Castellano couldn’t find room inside the winner and had to settle for second. Ravalo finished another head back in third.
Taqarub, who paid $28.60 to win for his second career stakes victory, is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. He won the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct last year.
Maryland Sprint Handicap Quotes
Andrew St. Lawrence (assistant to winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Taqarub) – “He broke sharp and got right up there. Speed seems to be holding pretty well today. I think it suits this horse. He’s a pretty talented animal. As a 2-year-old turning 3, he was very good on the dirt at Aqueduct, so we weren’t entirely surprised by this run today. The track helped him out.”
Eibar Coa (winning jockey, Taqarub) – “Actually I was kind of surprised that somebody wasn’t after him. There were a lot of horses with speed in here on paper. I got out there and waited for someone to come by me, but they never did. I wanted to be close, but I just kind of inherited the lead.”
Javier Castellano (jockey, Roaring Lion, 2nd) – “I had a rough trip. I was very tight all the way. I never had an opportunity. My goal was to put the horse on the lead, but in the beginning, the other jockey got the jump on me. I had a very tight trip all the way.”
Owner David Redding (owner, Ravalo, 3rd) – “He ran a great race. He’s getting up there in age. I know we’re thinking of running him on turf.”
John Velazquez (jockey, Ravalo, 3rd) – “We broke well and got a good position, but they never came back to us.”
-mjc-
PHOTO CREDIT-Tom McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
This e-mail, and any documents or data attached hereto, is intended for the intended recipients only. It may contain confidential and/or privileged information and no rights have been waived by the sender. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby NOTIFIED that any dissemination, distribution, retention, archiving or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify me at the telephone number shown above or by return mail and delete this communication and any copy immediately. MEC provides no assurances that this e-mail and its attachments are virus free; you are responsible for scanning all e-mails and attachments for viruses. MEC disclaims all liability for damages caused by any virus which may be transmitted by this email. Thank you.
