Opportunity knocks and Lebda answers in Miracle Wood

Lebda took advantage of a horrible break from 3-5 favorite Dreams Untold to record a front-running three-quarters of a length victory in the $100,000 Miracle Wood Stakes for 3-year-olds at Laurel Park on Saturday.

Breaking from the rail, Lebda was put right on the lead by Alex Cintron, running an opening quarter in 22.96 seconds and a half-mile in 45.57 while being chased in the one-mile race by New Commission, Albert Park, Bernie’s On Fire, Romanoff.

Meanwhile, Dreams Untold, coming off a 14 ¼-length maiden score at Parx on Jan. 4, went to his knees out of the gate under Irad Ortiz Jr. Dreams Untold made an eye-catching move along the inside to get into second by the quarter pole. But as he understandably flattened out, Lebda kept on going, and though he tired late, he held off Mine Not Mine for the victory.

It was 4 1/2 lengths back to Romanoff in third. Amen Corner finished fourth, followed by Dreams Untold, who was beaten 11 lengths. New Commission, Bernie’s On Fire, and Albert Park completed the order of finish. Gray Gary scratched.

Lebda, a son of Raison d’Etat owned by Euro Stable and trained by Claudio Gonzalez, covered the mile in 1:38.38 and returned $9.80 as the 7-2 second choice.

“That was the plan, to go to the lead,” Cintron said. “I had to use him a little bit early to get him there. He was doing it comfortably. I dropped him close to the fence, I waited to the five-sixteenths to see how much horse I had, then I waited to the quarter pole and I let him go.”

Lebda, who was coming off a third in the Heft Stakes last out, improved his record to 3 for 7.

Alwaysmining game in Campbell victory

Alwaysmining, who dominated the 3-year-old stakes here last winter with several open-length victories, showed grit Saturday winning the $100,000 John B. Campbell Stakes by a neck over Monongahela. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Someday Jones, the 8-5 favorite, in third.

The win was the ninth in 19 career starts for Alwaysmining, a 4-year-old gelding by Stay Thirsty. He is 9 for 12 at Laurel.

Jockey Julian Pimentel sent Alwaysmining to the front entering the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile race and had Monongahela, under Irad Ortiz Jr., within three-quarters of a length through a quarter in 24.58 seconds and a half-mile in 48.11. The pair were on even terms at the five-sixteenths pole, and Alwaysmining battled back along the rail to get the victory.

“The plan was to get to the lead and try to go as easy as I can, but I had that horse next to me the whole time,” Pimentel said. “Nothing you can do about that. He never really let him go by. He always kept his nose in front of him and kept trying the whole time.”

Alwaysmining, owned by Runnymede Racing and trained by Kelly Rubley, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.46 and returned $6 as the second choice.

“After we saw the scratches this morning we thought we might end up on the lead and slow it down the best we could and hope to have enough to finish,” Rubley said.

Naughty Thoughts upsets Wide Country

When Jonathan Maldonado claimed Naughty Thoughts for $25,000 last November, he thought he was getting a filly to compete in Maryland-bred races. He didn’t think he was getting his first U.S. stakes winner.

But Naughty Thoughts, under Jevian Toledo, took over from Miss Marissa after the opening quarter and was never caught, upsetting the $100,000 Wide Country Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths. Princess Cadey rallied for second by one length over She’smysunshine. Miss Marissa was fourth followed by Bella Aurora, the 4-5 favorite, who broke poorly from the rail. Lady George and Bankruptonthebeach completed the order of finish. Paisley Singing and Sunday Inn were scratched.

Naughty Thoughts, a daughter of The Factor owned by Rafael Lopez, won for the fourth time in 15 starts. She covered seven furlongs in 1:24.01 and returned $18.20.

“She’s a pretty good filly,” Maldonado said. “She can come from behind or she can be in front. I thought [Princess Cadey] was going to take the lead but I told Jevian, ‘If she wants to go to the lead, let her be.’ I think she’s a filly that when you try to fight with her and she wants to run, she doesn’t perform like I want. So I told him, ‘Let her run. If they catch you, they catch you.’ Thank God she had enough to win the race.”