Alwaysmining digs in to take Heft Stakes

Alwaysmining scored his third consecutive win and second straight in a stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday in the $100,000 Heft, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds. The Heft was the first of six stakes on the 10-race card.

A Stay Thirsty gelding, Alwaysmining went wire to wire to win the statebred Maryland Juvenile Futurity on Dec. 8 by 2 1/2 lengths, and jockey Daniel Centeno, who flew in from Tampa, Fla., Saturday morning for the mount, used similar tactics in the Heft.

Alwaysmining was briefly pressed from the outside by Clench, but drew clear before reaching the turn. He dug in gamely when challenged from the inside by even-money favorite Win Win Win in upper stretch and turned him back to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

"We had the one hole, so I wanted to come out running," Centeno said. "They let me go to the lead and he held it the whole way."

Alwaysmining paid $7.20 as the third choice in the five-horse field. He was timed in 1:22.60 over a track listed as good.

Based with trainer Kelly Rubley at the Fair Hill training center, Alwaysmining was purchased by the Runnymede Racing of Gregory and Caroline Bentley after winning a Laurel Park maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths in June. He had previously been owned by Jim McIngvale and trained by Laura Wohlers.

"We're very excited about him," Rubley said. "He came out of his last race well, but this was a pretty quick turnaround."

Win Win Win lost his best chance when he walked out of the gate, spotting the field several lengths. He made a bold move to contention on the far turn, and then battled with determination inside the winner before having to settle for second over a track that may have been favoring outside runners.

Clench finished third, six lengths behind Win Win Win and 1 1/4 lengths ahead of fourth-place Order and Law.

Press Virginia, the 2-1 second betting choice, raced forwardly to the stretch and then tired to finish last.

Gin Talking: Please Flatter Me stays undefeated

Please Flatter Me improved her record to 3 for 3 with a dominating 5 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Gin Talking, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies.

A daughter of Munnings, Please Flatter Me made her first two starts at Penn National, winning a maiden race by 8 1/2 lengths and the statebred Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies by four lengths. Owned by Smart Angle LLC in those races, she made her debut for Sol Kumin's Madaket Stable and the Heider Family Stable on Saturday.

Alex Cintron, who won the $75,000 Jennings in the prior race, was aboard Please Flatter Me.

"She showed what kind of horse she is," Cintron said. "She did it so easy."

Please Flatter Me outsprinted 18-1 Ujjayi for the early lead in the Gin Talking and then pulled away in the stretch. She was timed in 1:23.81 and returned $5.40 to win.

While she certainly was impressive, it should be noted Please Flatter Me's final time was 1.21 seconds slower than the 2-year-old gelding Alwaysmining needed to win the Heft Stakes three races earlier.

Mark Reid, who is stabled at Pimlico, trains Please Flatter Me.

"I knew she had tremendous ability," Reid said. "She just attacks everything.

"She won going seven-eighths today. We're going to just keep stretching her out until we hit that wall."

Ujjayo held second by 1 1/2 lengths over 4-1 Our Super Freak.

Jennings: Cordmaker finishes strongly

Cordmaker was pinched back at the start of the $75,000 Jennings, a one-mile race for Maryland-breds, but finished with a full head of steam to take the lead outside three horses in midstretch and score by 1 3/4 lengths.

A 3-year-old son of Curlin trained by Rodney Jenkins, Cordmaker paid $13.40 in the eight-horse field. He was timed in 1:35.84 over a "good" track. Cordmaker is owned by the Hillwood Stable of Ellen Charles and was ridden by Alex Cintron.

"After his last work, when he went 59 in hand, I thought if I get the mile, I've got the horse," Jenkins said after the race.

Rockinn On Bye, the 9-5 favorite, finished second for the 23rd time in his 64-race career after challenging in midstretch. It was a half-length farther back to third-place finisher John Jones, who set the pace to midstretch while attempting to three-peat in the Jennings.