Patience pays off for General Downs in Native Dancer Stakes
While the horses around him were expending early energy, General Downs benefited from a patient ride by Julian Pimentel in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park. When Pimentel asked for run nearing the stretch, General Downs had plenty to give, opened up, and then held off the late-runners to score by three-quarters of a length.
Saratoga Jack figured to go to the lead in the 1 1/16-mile race, but he threw his head as the gates opened, was steadied, and ended up behind horses. Tour de Force inherited the lead, but Saratoga Jack became rank and moved up to take the advantage early on the backstretch.
Just Call Kenny joined the fight soon thereafter and that left General Downs sitting in the pocket behind the front three. Just Call Kenny came away with the lead but General Downs ran by him in upper stretch, breaking the race open.
"I had a perfect trip," Pimentel said. "He sat behind the speed and when it was time to go, he went."
General Downs paid $10.20 in the seven-horse field and was timed in 1:42.92.
Florida shipper Real Daddy rallied in the stretch to finish second, a neck ahead of Just Call Kenny. Bonus Points, the 2-1 favorite, lagged too far back early and finished fifth, beaten two lengths.
General Downs is a 6-year-old Mineshaft gelding who races for West Point Thoroughbreds. He was turned over to trainer Kelly Rubley this year and has a 9-2-4-1 record since returning from a 10-month layoff in May.
"He had a nice long break before he came to me and it looked like he needed it," Rubley said.
Rubley is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in northern Maryland.
"He loves his turn-outs, and he gets them every day when weather permits," Rubley said. "It's made him a happy horse."
General Downs is now 4 for 18 with earnings of $209,056. The Native Dancer was his first start in a stakes.
Fire Plug: Home Run Maker up in time
Home Run Maker saved ground to the stretch of the six-furlong Fire Plug, and when jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. took him outside the leaders he reeled in 8-5 favorite Sheikh of Sheikhs to win his stakes debut by a half-length.
One for 8 in New York before being sent to trainer Jeremiah Englehart's Laurel Park string, Home Run Maker has now won three straight races after losing his Maryland debut by a head.
"This horse is doing fantastic right now," Vargas said. "When I took him out in the stretch, he took off."
Shane's Jewel set the pace in the $100,000 Fire Plug while being stalked by Sheikh of Sheikhs as Home Run Maker saved ground in third.
Sheikh of Sheikhs came away with the lead in upper stretch but Home Run Maker didn’t let him get away and was up to take the lead in the final sixteenth.
Shane's Jewel finished third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Sheikh of Sheikhs. Cautious Giant, the 9-5 second choice, lodged a three-wide bid to contention on the far turn but lacked the needed closing kick and ended up fourth.
Home Run Maker paid $9 and covered the course in a blazing 1:08.42. The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief is now 4 for 12 in his career.
