Fresh off a maiden win on Nov. 21, Joe overcame a wide trip to capture Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Championship at Laurel Park. Saturday’s card also included the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship. Both stakes were restricted to Maryland-bred or -sired 2-year-olds at seven furlongs and were postponed two weeks due to track maintenance issues. Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Michael Trombetta, Joe broke from post 11 and raced five wide from midpack as Royal Spy, favored Local Motive, Mr. Mox and Coastal Mission sparred through an opening quarter in 23.02 seconds. Mr. Mox and Local Motive knocked heads through a half-mile in 47.26 as Joe continued his overland journey. Despite racing four deep on the turn and five paths off the rail turning for home, an undaunted Joe advanced on the leaders. :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analytics, and expert picks. He changed leads in midstretch, charged to the front and prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over Alottahope, who faced traffic issues while saving ground behind the leaders. Coastal Mission was another three-quarters of a lengths back, a nose better than fourth-place finisher Mr. Mox. Then came Local Motive, One Ten, Crabs N Beer, Shady Munni, Kobe Tough, Uncle Irish, Royal Spy and Gallant Gold. Wish Me Home scratched. Joe ran the seven furlongs in 1:25.63 and paid $9 as the third betting choice. Reached by telephone after the race, Trombetta mentioned that he was "a bit" concerned that Joe would be outrun in the early stages as he cut back in distance from a one-turn mile. "I knew I was going to catch hell going through the turn," he remarked about today’s wide trip. "Fortunately, he was good enough to overcome it." A homebred campaigned by Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group, Joe is a half-brother to Grade 3-placed turf router Irony of Reality by Declaration of War. Bred both sides for grass, he made his career debut in a turf sprint at Laurel on Oct. 24. "Being we were getting to the end of turf season, and I wanted to get him started, I didn't want to run him two turns first time out," Trombetta continued. "I figured I'd get a look at him on the grass before we went on to more distance." Joe moved to the main track for his second start and was a convincing winner by 3 1/2 lengths with a 67 Beyer. "My crew has loved this horse since Day 1," Trombetta admitted. "They've been telling me for months that he is well above average, and it looks like they're right." Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship Luna Belle rallied from last to down heavily favored Jester Calls Nojoy in the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship. Patiently handled by Denis Araujo, Luna Belle settled very nicely at the back as Jester Calls Nojoy set rated fractions of 23.81 and 48.05 seconds. The chalk opened a clear lead midway on the turn as Luna Belle commenced a four-wide bid to move into second with five-sixteenths to run. Jester Calls Nojoy was still in front at the three-sixteenths marker, but it was only a matter of time before Luna Belle dispatched her. The daughter of Great Notion completed the seven furlongs in 1:25.31, finished 2 3/4 lengths in front of Jester Calls Nojoy, and paid $11.60 as the third choice in the wagering. It was another 6 lengths back to Sweet Gracie in third. Preparefortakeoff, Dazzy, Click to Confirm and Sparkle Sprinkle were next. Luna Belle finished seventh and third in her first two starts, both on turf at Colonial Downs. She graduated from the maiden ranks in her third race, a special weight on dirt at Colonial on August 24. Luna Belle then finished third behind Sparkle Sprinkle and Sweet Gracie in an entry-level allowance at Laurel before placing fourth, beaten only a length, in the Maryland Million Lassie on Oct. 23. "I think we ran the best horse in the Maryland race (Lassie), but she got in a little trouble and got beat," trainer Hamilton Smith said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park. "Everything went her way today and she showed her worth." Three weeks after the Lassie, Luna Belle finished second in the Smart Halo, an open stakes race at Laurel. The Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship was Luna Belle's first start beyond six furlongs. "I think the farther she goes, the better she's going to be," Smith added. A homebred owned by Smith and Deborah Greene, Luna Belle is out of stakes-placed Heavenly Moon, a very productive Mojave Moon mare. Heavenly Moon has also foaled stakes-placed performers The Poser, Moon Virginia and Chinquapin.