Maida leads all the way in taking Weather Vane
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The Weather Vane, a $100,000 race for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs, was packed with early speed. On paper, the speediest of the five fillies who made their way to the Laurel Park (Md.) starting gate was Maida, trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by her husband, Sheldon Russell.
On Saturday, it was a case of paper translating to reality, as Maida ($6) went gate to wire for an easy eight-length score over the favored G W's Girl (7-5 at post time) in second. It was another six lengths back to Conquerthosewecan in third.
After three horses scratched, Maida had the inside post and drove straight for the rail, taking the early lead. She quickly lengthened her lead over a stalking G W's Girl to 2 1/2 lengths, followed by Conquerthosewecan, Burner Account, and Social Fortress, who was coming off a layoff of nearly a year. The opening quarter-mile went in 22.55 seconds.
The order in which the field started would prove to be the order in which they finished, although the gaps between horses widened considerably. Showing no mercy, Maida completed the half-mile in 45.38 seconds and covered five furlongs in 57.17 before crossing the wire in a nifty 1:09.63. That was under a hand ride from Sheldon Russell. Had Maida been challenged even a lick, she might have gone quicker, but that was far from necessary.
"She's a lovely galloper," Sheldon Russell said from the winner's circle after the race. "She traveled beautiful. I just put her in cruise control. She's got a high cruising speed. She definitely wasn't slowing down."
Maida, by Improbable and out of Eve Giselle, is now 3 for 4 in her career. She's only raced six furlongs, with her lone blemish coming over a muddy Pimlico track on debut.
Saturday marked Maida's first stakes win. Barring apocalyptic circumstances, it won't be her last.
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