Crabcakes holds on in Maryland Million Distaff

LAUREL, Md. - As expected, Crabcakes, the promising 3-year-old filly who races for the Morgan Ford Farm of Wayne and Susie Chatfield-Taylor, proved a prompt winner of the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff at Laurel Park on Saturday.

With Forest Boyce aboard, Crabcakes stalked pacesetting longshot She Rolls. Entering the stretch, She Rolls carried Crabcakes wide, but Crabcakes drew clear and then held off the late run of My Magician to win by a half-length.

Crabcakes, who is trained by Bernie Houghton, paid $2.40 and was timed in 1:23.03 for seven furlongs. A 3-year-old daughter of Great Notion, Crabcakes carried 119 pounds and conceded from two to 10 pounds to her mostly older rivals.

Crabcakes was bred and owned by the Buckingham Farm of the late Elizabeth "Binnie" Houghton, who was Bernie's aunt. Binnie Houghton died at age 79 in August and left approximately 12 horses to the Chatfield-Taylors, including Crabcakes, who is now 6 for 10 in her career with earnings of $286,417.

Susie Chatfield-Taylor said she and Binnie Houghton were friends dating back to their boarding school days. Chatfield-Taylor later broke yearlings for Houghton, and Wayne Chatfield-Taylor said he, his wife, and Houghton owned a number of horses together over the years.

Wayne Chatfield-Taylor pointed out that the female bloodlines in the pedigree of Crabcakes, have been in the Houghton family since 1925.

"Susie broke this filly's fifth dam," he said.

Susie Chatfield-Taylor, a little emotional after the race, said she missed her old friend.

"I just wish she was here with us today," she said.

Bernie Houghton said he would consider running Crabcakes in the $100,000 Safely Kept, an open stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Laurel on Nov. 11, but that the $75,000 Politely against open older fillies and mares on Dec. 30 was more likely.

"We're going to give her one more run and then put her away for the winter," Houghton said.

My Magician closed from far back and was slowly getting to the winner late. Front-running She Rolls finished a length back in third at 60-1.