Litfin's review: Jose Ortiz, Maragh hot
Four-baggers for Jose Ortiz, Maragh
Rajiv Maragh teamed up with Jose and Irad Ortiz Jr. to win 10 of the 12 races Saturday.
Maragh and Jose Ortiz each won four, while Irad Ortiz took two turf sprints.
Maragh’s four-bagger was highlighted by Merry Meadow ($14), who turned in a career-best performance to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap by nearly four lengths.
Merry Meadow, making her first start since a fourth in the Barbara Fritchie in February, stalked unheralded 20-1 shot Jane of All Trades to the stretch, poked a head in front with a furlong remaining, and drew clear.
“She was really sharp and put me in a very comfortable position,” said Maragh, who also won with Howl (1st, $8.50), Missconnect (3rd, $3.20) and Isn’tshejustgrand (11th, $11.20). “We saved ground from the inside, and she finished strongly when I tipped her outside.
Jose Ortiz booted home All My Memories ($10.20), Ultimate Shopper ($6.80), Vona ($4.50) and Schoolyard Dreams ($3.80), and narrowly missed a fifth victory when Noble Cornerstone (8th) was nipped at the wire.
Green Mask ($7.40) overcame traffic on the turn and into the stretch to take the $100,000 Paradise Creek Stakes over four rival 3-year-olds. The seven-furlong race was the first start on grass for Green Mask, who is now 2 for 2 for Christophe Clement.
Big day for Whisper Hill Farm
Whisper Hill Farm fillies won twice on the card.
Pearls for Girls (2nd, $2.90) was an easy maiden graduate second time back from a layoff for John Kimmel.
Ultimate Shopper ($6.80) went wire to wire in a preliminary allowance while making her second start of the year for Eddie Kenneally.
Horse to watch
Stockholder
Trainer: John Shirreffs
Last race: May 17, 4th
Finish: 3rd by 7
Beyer: 72
This 3-year-old half-brother to Grade 2 winner Nefertini broke sluggishly, lagged behind by double-digit lengths through the early going, found his best stride into the stretch, and finished well in a seven-furlong maiden special run faster than a first-level allowance a race earlier.