Carmouche wraps up riding title as Laobanonaprayer wins Fifth Avenue

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On the day after he won his first Grade 1 stakes, jockey Kendrick Carmouche wrapped up his first New York Racing Association meet riding title when he guided Laobanonaprayer to a dominant eight-length victory in Sunday’s $250,000 Fifth Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Series.

The win was the 22nd of the Aqueduct fall meet for Carmouche. Carmouche also won Sunday’s finale, finishing the 18-day fall stand with 23 wins, four more than Jose Lezcano.

“My first title in New York, I’m very blessed,” Carmouche, 36, said. “I came to New York five years ago and I got a title for the fall meet. I’m very pleased with myself. I’m sure mom and dad and all my fans and people are just so happy for me. I’m on Cloud 9 right now. I might not come down until next Thursday, but that’s okay, I love it.”

Carmouche got the meet off to a hot start when he won nine races in the first three days. That was Breeders’ Cup weekend and a lot of big-name riders were at Keeneland riding in the two-day Breeders’ Cup.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

“While all the big riders went to Kentucky it gave me the opportunity that I’ve been wanting and I was ready for the opportunity and I seized the opportunity at hand,” said Carmouche, won Saturday’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile on True Timber. “I’m very grateful for those trainers and owners who gave me the shot to show other people that I can win races and be in the winner’s circle.”

With Laobanonaprayer, Carmouche was riding the horse to beat in the Fifth Avenue as she was coming off a 5 1/2-length victory in the Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont on Oct 24.

Sitting fourth early, Carmouche advanced Laobanonaprayer into third entering the far turn, was second approaching the quarter pole and ran by the pacesetting Jill’s a Hot Mess in upper stretch to win going away. Jill's a Hot Mess finished second by 3 1/2 lengths over Shanes Pretty Lady.

Laobanonaprayer, a daughter of Laoban, covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.95 and returned $4 as the even-money favorite.

Laobanonaprayer gave trainer Daniel Velazquez his second stakes win of the weekend, as he also took Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Remsen with Brooklyn Strong.

“She did showcase herself today and I knew seven-eighths was perfect for her,” said Velazquez, who is also the owner of Laobanonaprayer. “There was a little doubt first time out when we went three quarters and she got in a little trouble. But we added blinkers, she’s got speed and Kendrick, it’s just perfect.”

Velazquez said he would like to try Laobaononaprayer against open company at some point in her 3-year-old year.

Hold the Salsa rebounds in Great White Way

Hold the Salsa’s fourth-place finish to Brooklyn Strong in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes looked a little better after that horse won Saturday’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes.

Hold the Salsa then came back to win Sunday’s $250,000 Great White Way Division of the New York Stallion Series by a neck over It’s Gravy.

It was the third victory from six starts for Hold the Salsa, a son of Hold Me Back owned, bred and trained by Richard Lugovich.

Hold the Salsa, ridden by Junior Alvarado, was sent off as the second choice behind Dreamer’s Disease, the 3-5 favorite coming out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Dreamer’s Disease stumbled badly at the start under Dylan Davis, rushed up and tired to seventh. Uno, the second choice on the morning line, scratched due to a foot problem.

Dreamer’s Disease rushed up to be part of a strong early pace, dueling with The King Cheek and Market Alert through a quarter of 22.80 seconds. Hold the Salsa was sixth, about six lengths off the pace.

Dreamer’s Disease and Market Alert were a head apart after a half-mile in 46.45 seconds and Alvarado had Hold the Salsa in third approaching the five-sixteenths pole.

Market Alert put away Dreamer’s Disease in midstretch and was continuing on, but Hold the Salsa collared him 20 yards from home and held off a late run from It’s Gravy. It was a length back to Market Alert in third.

Hold the Salsa had won the Bertram F. Bongard in September. Alvarado said Lugovich told him that an endoscopic examination following the Sleepy Hollow showed mucous in the colt’s lungs.

“He had a lot of mucous when they scoped him after the race last time, that gave me a little confidence that if he was going to be [healthy] that he was going to run pretty good and he showed up today,” Alvarado said.

Hold the Salsa covered the seven furlongs in 1:25.70 and returned $12.40 to win.

That was the fifth stakes win of the Aqueduct fall meet for Alvarado in what is his last ride in New York for a while. He was scheduled to leave Monday for South Florida to begin riding at Gulfstream Park later this month.