Nimitz Class steams to Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes triumph
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LAUREL, MD - In naval terms, a Nimitz class is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Two dozen miles from Annapolis, Nimitz Class the horse exploded to another powerful victory on Saturday, this time in the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes for older horses at a one-turn mile.
Nimitz Class ($3.20), sent away the 3-5 favorite in the seven-horse field, ran to his backing. He broke nicely under jockey Jevian Toledo, attended pacesetter Hello Hot Rod through fractions of 24.21 and 47.26 seconds, then took over for good after six furlongs in 1:11.44.
“This horse loves the competition,” Toledo said after the race. “He feels the horses and he just goes all day long. He’s in front, but at the same time, he’s waiting for company.”
Nimitz Class strutted down the long stretch to the second wire, drawing off to win by 6 1/4 lengths in 1:36.43. Double Crown got his nose down for second over Ournationonparade. They were followed by American Patrol, Rough Sea, American d’Oro and Hello Hot Rod. Treasure Trove scratched.
“He’s getting better and better,” Toledo said after the race. “When I rode him the first time [a half-length win in the Robert T. Manfuso at Laurel on Dec. 30], he was kind of a lazy horse, and I got on top of him the whole way. The last couple of races, man, he just breaks, picks the bridle right away, and he just carried me around.”
Nimitz Class was foaled in Pennsylvania, and is a homebred owned by Tom Coulter’s Arrowwood Farm. He was a solid sprinter last year, capturing the Danzig for statebreds traveling six furlongs at Penn National on June 3, then placing second in Laurel’s seven-furlong Concern on July 2.
It is as a route horse, however, that Nimitz Class has really blossomed. After winning the Manfuso at 1 1/16 miles in his final start last year, he walloped eight others in the John B. Campbell on Feb. 18 to the tune of a career-best 101 Beyer. Nimitz Class is unbeaten from four starts routing on dirt.
When asked about the key to Nimitz Class’s development, trainer Bruce Kravets replied, “I think it’s the added ground, the blinkers, and that the horse keeps getting better.”
Nimitz Class is by Munnings and is a half-brother to multiple-stakes-winner Kaylasaurus. Their dam, Five Diamonds, won the Twxit Stakes at Laurel in 2009. He has won 8 for 14 races for lifetime earnings of $354,480.
*Not For Love
Josue Arce won the first stakes of his training career when Breezy Gust upset millionaire Eastern Bay in Saturday’s Not For Love for older Maryland-bred or -sired sprinters at six furlongs.
Ridden by Dexter Haddock, Breezy Gust ($6) raced in an outside stalking position as Kenny Had a Notion, Coastal Mission and Arden’sluckytobe scrimmaged through an opening quarter-mile in 22.41 and 45.88 seconds.
Kenny Had a Notion emerged from the pace scrum with the lead, but was met from the outside by Breezy Gust. Meanwhile, Eastern Bay, who saved ground in the pocket on the turn, attempted to split the two leaders under jockey William Humphrey, and was placed in very tight quarters.
Breezy Gust stayed on to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:10.30. Kenny Had a Notion held second by a neck over Eastern Bay. Then came Karan’s Notion, Coastal Mission, Brilliant Ice and Arden’sluckytobe, who checked severely while racing along the rail on the backstretch.
Two jockeys lodged unsuccessful objections with the stewards. Bryson Butterfly, aboard Arden’sluckytobe, claimed foul against Coastal Mission for the backstretch incident. William Humphrey, the rider of Eastern Bay, believed Breezy Gust was responsible for Eastern Bay’s traffic issues.
“I feel so blessed, so thrilled, so happy,” Arce said in the winner’s circle. “I claimed this horse for $15,000. He always had class and he’s a Pennsylvania-bred. I’m based in Philadelphia. It’s a big advantage to get the 40% [statebred bonus].”
Breezy Gust is a 6-year-old gelding by Great Notion out of Takenbythebreeze, by Shore Breeze. Bred by Michael Anspach, Breezy Gust raced seven times for Anspach’s Shooting Star Stable and trainer Kate DeMasi before being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Danny Velazquez on Oct. 13, 2020.
Breezy Gust finished third in the 2021 Page McKennry Handicap at Parx before being pulled up in his next two races. After being claimed for $15,000 by trainer Ernesto Padilla-Preciado last spring and staring once for that trainer, he was scooped up by Arce out of a winning effort in a conditioned event.
At first, Breezy Gust performed well, winning for a $35,000 claiming option at Parx Racing on June 15, 2022, then finishing third in the Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes two months later.
Arce added blinkers to the gelding, and he underperformed in his next five starts. He believes that removing them prior to Breezy Gust’s victory in a $16,000 starter allowance at Parx on Jan. 17 was a key factor in the gelding’s improvement. In his subsequent start, and final prep before the Not For Love, Breezy Gust finished second for the $50,000 claiming option in a statebred event on March 8.
“I thought they were going to help him because he usually looks around a lot,” Arce said. “I tried them on, and it didn’t work out. I was wrong, I took them off and he’s back.”
Before transitioning to the training game in 2021, Arce was a successful rider, winning 393 races and $8,830,435 in purses while competing from 2004 to 2018. His biggest victory as a rider came aboard Malibu Mint in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Gulfstream West in 2006. He gallops Breezy Gust, one of 11 horses Arce has in training in Pennsylvania.
Breezy Gust has now won one-third of his 30 lifetime starts for career earnings of $387,035. Arce’s Trending Stable owns the gelding.
*Conniver
On Friday afternoon, jockey Jaime Rodriguez rode seven winners, tying the record for the most victories by a rider on a single card at the Maryland track.
It wasn’t astonishing that Rodriguez won two more on Saturday, but the fact that his winners paid so well was a bit surprising.
One race after Rodriguez booted home Borracho ($18,60) to a gate-to-wire victory, he guided 26-1 shot Mavilus to a late-kicking win in the Conniver Stakes for statebred- or sired fillies and mares at seven furlongs.
Odds-on favorite Response Time, wearing her usual blowout patch on the inside of her left rear hock, set a solid pace of 23.44 and 46.39 seconds while pushed by Street Lute.
Response Time came up empty turning for home, Street Lute took over, and the cavalry was at her heels. Street Lute fought them all off until Mavilus ($55.20) charged down the center of the track under Rodriguez to win by a half-length in 1:25.16.
Street Lute held second, a neck ahead of stablemate Award Wanted. Next under the line were Summer Odds, Combat Queen, My Flicker, Quiet Imagination and Response Time.
“She broke pretty good and everything,” Rodriguez said. “I knew there was a lot of speed in the race and wanted to get her comfortable. Once we got to the three-eighths to the quarter pole, she started going. Finally, when I had time to take her out, she exploded in the clear.”
Trained by Carlos Mancilla for owner Michael Scheffres, Mavilus was claimed for $5,000 out of a third-place finish on Feb. 13, 2022. Mavilus has been a consistent campaigner for Mancilla, hitting the board in 13 of 14 starts including a victory in the Maryland Million Starter Distaff Handicap on Oct. 22.
In her only other start this year, Mavilus finished in a dead heat for third in a first-level allowance on Feb. 10. She has 9 wins from 37 starts for earnings of $257,333.
Bred in Maryland by Kevin Morgan, Mavilus is a 5-year-old mare by Orientate out of the Rock Slide mare Mavia. A $5,500 yearling purchase, she was claimed for $25,000 in 2021.
Rodriguez, 32, shares the Laurel single-day record with Horacio Karamanos and Chuck Baltazar. Karamanos won seven races on Oct. 26, 2006. Baltazar set the standard on Dec. 15, 1969.
Rodriguez began riding domestically in 2010 and had his most productive season last year setting personal bests in wins (243) and earnings ($7,503.016).
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