BEGGARTHYNEIGHOR DRIVES TO VICTORY IN DANCING COUNT STAKES
LAUREL, MD, 01-28-12---Klaravich Stables, Inc & William Lawrence’s Beggarthyneighbor proved that Beyer numbers are as good a handicapping tool as any as the New York-based invader drove to victory in the $100,000 Dancing Count Stakes for 3-year-olds this afternoon at Laurel Park.
Coming off a maiden win at Aqueduct on New Year‘s Day, the Chad Brown trainee sat off the pace set by Costas Fiftieth before wrestling the lead in mid-stretch while under hard urging by jockey Malcolm Franklin to win by a length in 1:09.80. Trippi’s Secret fended off Ill Conceived to take second.
The winner, a son of Half Ours, paid $5.40 and topped a $42.20 exacta and $105.80 trifecta.
“From start to finish I was confident,” Franklin said. “I had horse the entire race. Turning for home he gave all that he had and didn’t back off.”
ALLEN HONORED FOR REACHING 2,000 WIN PLATEAU
The Maryland Jockey Club honored trainer Ferris Allen for reaching the 2,000-win plateau last month with a winners’ circle presentation following Saturday’s first race. The 60-year-old, who saddled his first winner in 1974, accomplished the milestone when he saddled From Jump Street to victory at Gulfstream Park on December 18, 2011.
“It’s terrific to get this accomplished and as you know it’s a team effort,” Allen said. “Lots and lots of efforts from individuals that go into this. A lot of people don’t realize that it takes one employee roughly for every two horses so if you’re winning a hundred races a year just think of all the human effort that goes into that and I’ve been blessed with great people working for me all along.”
A baseball player at William & Mary, the 60-year-old led all trainers in wins on the Maryland circuit in 1999 and ranked in the top 10 for 16 consecutive years (1995-2010). His barn has earned more than $1 million for 15 straight years.
“I was a school teacher for three years and I thought I’d take a break from teaching to train horses for a year,” joked Allen, who has won 801 races at Laurel and Pimlico since 1995. “We made a decision to be a regional operation so I could be around the family much like what Mario Pino did. We chose Maryland because at the time it was the best year-round circuit and I am hoping we can get back to that. I do think we can get back to that. It is right around the horizon after the slots get going to help purses.”
Allen is best known for conditioning Miracle Wood to a fifth place finish in the 1986 Preakness at odds of 20-1 and winning the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap with Passeggiata in 1999.
“It’s all about standing right here, in the winners’ circle,” added Allen. “We won only six races combined in ’74 and ’75 but I remember each one of them like it was yesterday. As you look back it isn’t just the stakes horses but there have been special mid-level runners and cheap claimers that hang with you through the years.”
-mjc-
PHOTO CREDIT-Jim 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)
Follow us on Twitter @MDjockeyclub
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. Stronach Group 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. Stronach Group disclaims all liability for damages caused by any virus which may be transmitted by this email. Thank you.
