Armoire turns tables on Queen Caroline in Cox Stakes

Last year, Armoire finished second to Queen Caroline in two Virginia-bred or -sired stakes at Laurel Park: the Nellie Mae Cox and the Brookmeade. On Saturday, Armoire got the better of her rival in the $75,000 Cox.

Zenbennie and Well Blessed set a glib pace in the one-mile turf race with Queen Caroline biding her time in third and Armoire in fifth. On the far turn after a half-mile in 46.03, Queen Caroline bid three wide and Armoire four wide. Armoire came away with the lead in upper stretch and scored by 1 1/2 lengths under jockey Daniel Centeno.

Armoire, a 5-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller, is owned and was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone and is based at Fair Hill with trainer Arnaud Delacour.

"We had a good pace in front of us and she was very relaxed," Delacour said. "She made a nice move."

Armoire paid $4.20 as the favorite. She was timed over good ground in 1:34.61 and covered her final furlong in 11.91 seconds under mild urging.

Drop Dead Red finished well to be second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Queen Caroline, who flattened out.

Armoire and Queen Caroline were both making their first start of the year in the Nellie Mae Cox. They could meet again in the $75,000 William M. Backer, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Virginia-registered horses at Laurel on Aug. 4. Last year, Armoire finished second in the Backer and Queen Caroline was third.

Complete St., who finished fourth, ran up behind a wall of horses in upper stretch and lost her momentum. She would have been closer with a clean path.

M. Tyson Gilpin: Altamura wins black finish

Altamura and her trainer, John Stephens, both scored their first stakes wins in the $75,000 M. Tyson Gilpin, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares.

Altamura, who was making her fourth career start in the Gilpin, won a restricted maiden race at Laurel eight days ago. She didn’t have the smoothest of trips Saturday, but jockey Horacio Karamanos found running room when he needed it and she was up to win a blanket finish as the widest of four horses.

Karamanos eased Altamura back from between horses on the backstretch and had plenty of room on the turn. He aimed her for a hole well out in the course in the stretch but when it began to close Karamanos bulled his way through, and then just got up by a head.

Altamura paid $18 in the eight-horse field. She was timed in 1:02.05. Like Nellie Mae Cox winner Armoire, she is a daughter of Artie Schiller.

"She has really improved since her first start," Stephens said.

Runner-up Virginia Fable set quick fractions of 22.26 and 44.93 on a short lead inside 7-2 Northern Eclipse. She put that rival away in upper stretch, battled with ground-saving Uphill Battle through the final furlong, and just missed.

Uphill Battle, along the inside just off the early pace, stayed to the rail in the stretch and finished a neck behind Virginia Fable.
Fourth-place Sister Says raced in last position early, then closed well to finish between the winner and Virginia Fable. She was beaten a half-length.

The favorite, What the Beep, raced in good early position, lacked the needed response, then made contact with Altamura in midstretch and finished fourth. She ended up 1 1/2 lengths behind Sister Says.

Northern Eclipse tired to finish sixth. Do What I Say, the 3-1 second choice, lacked a rally when asked and finished seventh.