CAPUANO & KARAMANOS CAPTURE SPRING MEET TITLES
BALTIMORE, 05-22-10---The six-week Pimlico Race Course spring meeting ended today with Dale Capuano and Horacio Karamanos winning individual titles. The 20-day spring stand began at the historic home of the Preakness Stakes on April 17.
Capuano clinched his 31st career training title at the major Maryland tracks when Naseeb wired the field in the third race and picked up another win in the finale when Rainbow Inthestorm nipped Grey Goose Kid. The 47-year-old, who captured the Pimlico spring meet nine times during a 10-year period from 1996-2005, saddled 11 winners during the stand.
“Pimlico has always been good to us,” Capuano said. “It just seems the horses are ready to run once racing shifts to Pimlico. I am disappointed it is such a short meet but it is good to win another title. It has been awhile.”
Scott Lake, who topped the trainer standings at Pimlico the last four years, finished second, three back.
Horacio Karamanos edged Sheldon Russell, Julian Pimentel and Eric Camacho for the riding title. The 36-year-old, who returned to the jockey colony in March after nearly a year and a half riding in his native Argentina, won 11 races with 39 in the money finishes from 75 mounts during the stand. Russell, Pimentel and Camacho each had 10 trips to the winners’ circle.
“I am so happy,” said Karamanos, who has three riding titles at Laurel Park on his resume. “I have had a lot of seconds and thirds too, so my horses ran well. I had been gone for a year and a half so it took time to regain business. We are getting on good horses again and I expect to have a good meet at Colonial.”
Live racing shifts to Colonial Downs in Virginia. The eight-week meeting begins next Saturday, May 29 and ends Wednesday, July 21.
PTK LLC was the leader in the owner standings, finishing first six times from 19 starters, all with trainer Dane Kobiskie.
AMERICAN VICTORY POUNCES IN SHINE AGAIN STAKES
Richard Golden’s American Victory and jockey Travis Dunkelberger waited for the speed to come back to them when they rallied from far back to win Pimlico’s closing day feature, the $50,000 Shine Again Stakes for Maryland-breds.
Trainer Chris Grove saddled both Hannah’s Dowery and Heaven’s Voice in the 1-1/16th mile test but watched as both of his fillies surrendered in deep stretch to the winner as Dunkelberger and American Victory took command down the stretch to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:47.51.
The winner paid $6 for trainer Rodney Jenkins. Hannah’s Dowery was second at 14-1 with even money favorite Heaven’s Voice third. The 3-4 exacta paid $45.80 and the 3-4-1 trifecta returned $109.40.
“My horse is usually right close to the pace,” said Dunkelberger. “If they’re going slow she’ll be right on the pace. If they’re going fast she drops way back so I just took back and hoped they would come back to me and they did.”
The daughter of Victory Gallop is three-for-three with Dunkelberger on the main track.
“She tries really hard every time she runs and probably should have won last time out on the turf but I moved too late,” added Dunkelberger. “She’s going to be a nice horse.”
The 4-year old filly is now three-for-six lifetime for earnings of $68,100.
-mjc-
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. MID 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. MID disclaims all liability for damages caused by any virus which may be transmitted by this email. Thank you.
