Laurel Park: Extrasexyhippzster passes distance test in Miracle Wood

Extrasexyhippzster faltered two races ago when he was asked to run seven furlongs for the first time, but he was strong in the stretch when he returned to his home track at Laurel Park to run a mile in Saturday’s Miracle Wood Stakes.

Sitting patiently behind a contested pace until asked for his best run by Julian Pimentel, Extrasexyhippzster ($8.40) rallied from fourth at the top of the stretch to score by 3 3/4 lengths in the Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds, one of four stakes worth $100,000 apiece on the nine-race card. He completed the distance on a fast track in 1:36.75 for his third win in five starts.

Trainer Mike Trombetta said he discounted Extrasexyhippzster’s fourth-place finish in the Marylander on Dec. 7 because it was contested on a muddy track.

“He didn’t seem to like the off track,” said Trombetta, who one race later won the 1 1/16-mile Native Dancer with 4-year-old gelding Bold Curlin. “The track was a little greasy and he didn’t seem real comfortable on it.”

Two weeks later, Extrasexyhippzster shipped to Aqueduct and posted a convincing five-length win in the six-furlong Don Rickles Stakes. The Miracle Wood, a one-turn mile, was Extrasexyhippzster’s chance to prove longer distances are within his scope.

“This time of the year you start trying them a little further to see if they’re going to be able to get the longer distances and for me today he passed the test,” Trombetta said. “I don’t know where I’ll run him back but the obvious is to continue to add distance and two turns.”

Joint Custody, bidding for his third straight win, checked in second as the slight favorite at 2-1. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to 20-1 longshot Mr. Rover.

Taris stays perfect in Wide Country

Penn National-based 3-year-old filly Taris scored her second straight blowout victory when she cruised by 5 1/2 lengths in the seven-furlong Wide Country.

Ridden by Clinton Potts, Taris ($2.40) ran the distance in 1:24.71. She romped by 11 3/4 lengths in her career debut in New York on Dec. 21.

Trainer Todd Beattie said he will point Taris, a daughter of Flatter owned by Commonwealth New Era Racing, to either the one-mile Caesar’s Wish Stakes at Laurel or the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park. Both stakes are March 8.

“She just continues to impress me,” Beattie said of Taris. “I’m going to go south with her and try to avoid this cold weather, freshen her up a little bit at my sister Holly’s farm in Ocala. I’m sure she wants to run long and run farther.”

In the other stakes:

Bold Curlin ($9) rallied between horses under Victor Carrasco to win his stakes debut in the Native Dancer. He won by two lengths over Indian Jones and Managed Account, who finished a nose apart for second. The winning time was 1:43.62.

The 7-year-old mare Winning Image ($9.40), making her first start since October, won the six-furlong What a Summer for fillies and mares. Winning Image, now 12 for 26 lifetime, was ridden by 61-year-old jockey Tony Black. It was Black's first stakes victory since August 2008, when he won the $100,000 Kelso at Delaware Park. Trained by Michael Aro, Winning Image ran the six furlongs in 1:10.37.