Beasley planning to stick around
The opportunity to ride first call for owner Michael Gill has lured Jeremy Beasley to Maryland.
Although he is just 24, Beasley has already shifted his home base several times. Most recently, Beasley was a regular in Texas, where he was leading rider at both Sam Houston Race Park and Retama Park, and set a meet record at Sam Houston by winning 13 stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen in 2003.
Beasley was also based at Calder for two seasons and had stints riding in Chicago and New York.
Although Texas is his home state, Beasley said he intends to remain in Maryland indefinitely.
"My plan is to stay around and not go back to Texas," Beasley said. "The only reason I went back the last time was for Asmussen. He taught me pretty much everything I know in this business."
Beasley has yet to hit a hot streak since arriving at Pimlico. He has won with just 7 of his first 60 mounts.
Co-features for 2-year-olds
A pair of $40,000 stakes for 2-year-olds highlight Saturday's program at Pimlico. Both the H. Steward Mitchell and the Toddler, restricted to fillies, will be contested at six furlongs.
Late Night Lover and Monster Chaser, who ran one-two in the Maryland Million Nursery, are rematched in the Mitchell, which goes as race 6.
Monster Chaser followed up his runner-up effort in the Nursery with a victory in the Rollicking on Oct. 30.
Two others with the potential to play spoiler are Seeyoubychance and Karbobway. Seeyoubychance makes his stakes debut for trainer Dale Capuano after three consecutive rising Beyer Speed Figures against optional claiming company. Karbobway rebounded from a poor performance in the Nursery to easily defeat maidens a month later.
Golden Malibu, winner of the Heavenly Cause on Oct. 30, and Maysville, who has won her first two starts by a combined margin of 17 1/4 lengths, are the prime contenders in the Toddler, which goes as race 9.
* Brandon Whitacre has gotten approval from the Maryland Racing Commission to extend his status as an apprentice until March 11, 2005. Whitacre, 21, filed an appeal because he missed 75 days because of a racing-related injury sustained at Charles Town. Through Wednesday, he had ridden 137 winners in 2004.
* Mario Pino is apparently a fast healer. Pino, 43, was expected to be out four to six weeks after breaking his right collarbone in a spill Nov. 11. After receiving a favorable prognosis in a follow-up visit to his doctor on Tuesday, Pino could resume riding as soon as Sunday.