Isotope stays inside for Thirty Eight Go Go win

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart told jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. to try and get Isotope to the outside from post 1 in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday - but he could not. The result was a ground-saving victory for the 4-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal.

The win was the second of the day for Englehart, who keeps a division of his stable at Laurel. He won a 2-year-old maiden race earlier on the card.

The Thirty Eight Go Go, a mile race for fillies and mares, scratched down from 14 runners to 10. Sower, the even-money favorite, went right to the lead under Horacio Karamanos and set fractions of 23.73 and 46.63 while Isotope tracked her while racing inside 40-1 Mo Knows.

Isotope took the lead from the rail entering the final furlong and pulled away to score by 1 3/4 lengths. Trace of Grace rallied from far out in the track to get second by a nose over Mo Knows. It was a neck farther back to Sower in fourth.

Forever Liesl, the 5-2 second choice, had a rough trip. She lacked racing room inside horses on the far turn and then had to alter course inside Sower when that one drifted out in front of her after being hit left-handed a sixteenth from the finish. She finished three-quarters of a length behind Sower.

The stewards conducted an inquiry into the incident and Victor Carrasco, Forever Liesl's rider, lodged an objection. After a review, Forever Liesl was moved up to fourth and Sower was disqualified to fifth.

Isotope paid $14.40 and completed the course in 1:37.63 over a "good" track.

"I tried to get her outside, but nothing went right for me," Vargas said. "She has been working so good. I worked her last week."

Isotope, whom Englehart claimed for $25,000 in September 2017, is now 7 for 19. The Thirty Eight Go Go is her first stakes win.

Dave's Friend: Colonel Sharp holds on

Midtowncharlybrown and Colonel Sharp hooked up in a take-no-prisoners speed duel in the six-furlong Dave's Friend. Colonel Sharp won that battle and then just held on by a rapidly diminishing head to win the war.

Colonel Sharp, on the outside, and Midtowncharlybrown carved out splits of 22.05 and 45.02 in the $100,000 Dave's Friend while being chased by 8-5 favorite Laki and Ohio shipper Altissimo, who was saving ground.

Colonel Sharp and jockey J.D. Acosta got the better of Midtowncharlybrown entering the stretch and Laki made a bid after them soon after. But Colonel Sharp kept going and he looked home free a sixteenth from the finish.

Altissimo, a winner of five Ohio-bred stakes this year, refused to quit, however, and just missed while coming up the rail.

It was three-quarters of a length back from Altissimo to Laki in third.

Colonel Sharp paid $12.80 in the seven-horse field and was timed in 1:09.30 over a "good" track.

"I wanted to sit behind the speed, but he broke so sharp I didn’t want to take him back," Acosta said.

Trainer Hugh McMahon said Colonel Sharp will now be pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 General George at Laurel Park on Feb. 16.

"I think it will be the General for the Colonel," McMahon said. "This horse is so easy to train. You just have to stay out of his way."

Colonel Sharp is owned by the Rising Sun Racing Stables of Dan Eubanks. He came into Dave's Friend off a victory in a no-conditions allowance sprint at Laurel. In September he won the $75,000 Maryland Coalition Stakes at Timonium.

A 5-year-old Colonel John gelding, Colonel Sharp is 5 for 12 this year and 8 for 25 in his career.

Politely: Elevated Vision pays $78.40

Under a well-judged ride by Jevian Toledo, 38-1 Elevated Vision took first run at weakening front-runner Limited View entering the stretch, opened up, and then held off the cavalry to win the $75,000 Politely Stakes by a length.

The Politely, the last of six stakes at Laurel on Saturday, was a six-furlong sprint for Maryland-bred fillies and mares.

Limited View sprinted clear early while Elevated Vision raced several lengths back. Limited View began to tire after a half-mile in 45.93 and Elevated Vision moved up to grab the lead.

My Magician, who won the Politely a year ago, finished with a late bid from the middle of the track to grab second by a neck over Anna's Bandit, who came up the inside. It was a neck farther back to Hailey's Flip in fourth.

Crabcakes, the 3-5 favorite, raced in stalking position early, dropped back a bit along the inside on the far turn, and then lacked the needed rally and finished eighth in the nine-horse field.

Elevated Vision returned $78.40 and was timed in 1:10.69 over a "good" track.

"It looked like a tough spot," Toledo said of the Politely, "but she put me in a great spot, and when I asked, she gave me everything."

Elevated Vision is trained by Phil Schoenthal and owned by D Hatman Thoroughbreds.

"She's got a big pedigree, so we thought we'd take a shot," Schoenthal said.

Elevated Vision is a 3-year-old daughter of Great Notion out of the Polish Numbers mare Sparkling Number. Her dam won three stakes, and Elevated Vision is a half-sister to Illuminant, winner of the Grade 1 Gamely and Grade 2 Monrovia stakes.