Plot the Dots keys one-two finish for Cash barn in Jennings Stakes
Trainer Lynn Cash entered three horses at Laurel Park in Saturday’s $75,000 Jennings for Maryland-sired 4-year-olds and up.
At the end of the one-turn mile contested over fast going, Cash-trained runners ran one-two, with Plot the Dots ($12) getting the better of Galerio by five lengths in 1:39.27.
Plot the Dots, 6, settled in midpack as Cash-trained Monday Morning Qb sparred outside longshot Whiskey and You through fractions of 23.94 and 47.66. Favored Ournationonparade made a smooth three-wide bid to confront the leaders at the five-sixteenths pole, but he was soon joined from the outside by Plot the Dots.
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Ournationonparade held a brief lead after six furlongs in 1:13.53, but Plot the Dots had all of the momentum. He soon wrested the lead away from the chalk and drove home to win comfortably over Galerio, who rallied from last to finish two lengths ahead of third finisher Ournationonparade.
Then came One Ten, Exculpatory, Whiskey and You, Ain’t Da Beer Cold and Monday Morning Qb.
Plot the Dots was claimed by Cash’s Built Wright Stables for $40,000 out of a fourth-place finish in an optional claiming event at Laurel on Oct. 13. The gelded son of Uncle Mo finished fifth in his first start for Cash, then captured a $55,000 optional claiming event on Nov. 24. In his two starts preceding the Jennings, Plot the Dots raced in open stakes, finishing fourth in Laurel’s Robert T. Manfuso on Dec. 30 and Aqueduct’s Queens County on Jan. 7.
In a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park, Cash said that “back class” was the main reason why he claimed Plot the Dots. In 2022, Plot the Dots finished third in the Native Dancer at Laurel.
In a phone interview after the Jennings, Cash detailed the work he put into getting both Plot the Dots and Galerio back to their best form.
Plot the Dots has had minor bleeding and lung issues throughout his career, and Cash said he “hauled him to the salt room every day for the last five days.”
“It’s a half-hour treatment,” Cash said. “We did that five times with him to get him ready for this short turnaround. What a difference!”
Stakes winner Galerio, second in the Jennings in 2021 and third in last year’s edition, was claimed by Cash for $50,000 out of a runner-up effort last April.
“When we claimed him, we had to decide whether we inject him and run or clean his knees up,” Cash said. “The upper joints in both knees had chips. We took the chips out of both knees.”
Galerio finally returned to the races last Saturday and finished last of six in a high-level allowance race.
“Last time, he ran off,” Cash said. “He was screaming down the backstretch. He had a little bit less energy in him today.”
Bred in Maryland by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, Plot the Dots has won 8 times from 33 starts with career earnings of $436,716. He is from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner Lawyer Ron.
Xtra Heat Stakes
L Street Lady earned her first stakes victory after a pace-prompting trip under Toledo in the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.
Trained by Brittany Russell for Madaket Stables, L Street Lady settled in second as favored Chickieness carved out fractions of 23.02 and 47.63 seconds. L Street Lady ($4.80) turned up the pressure in earnest turning into the stretch and she drove by a stubborn Chickieness despite failing to change leads to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:12.81. We’ll See finished 8 3/4 lengths behind in third. Then came Filtered Light and Grace and Charm. Ojitos Bellos scratched.
“I told Toledo to be smart,” Russell said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park. “Stay on her. You knew the filly inside [Chickieness] was going to go, and you didn’t want her to get too much of an advantage. She responded at the end.”
L Street Lady finished third on turf on Oct. 28 in her debut, then rebounded with a 7 1/2-length triumph on dirt Dec. 4.
Bred by T & G Farm of Kentucky, L Street Lady was purchased by Madaket Stables for $125,000 as a yearling. She is by Munnings out of the Scat Daddy mare Lady Gayle.
With two wins from three starts, L Street Lady now boasts lifetime earnings of $96,400.
Geisha Stakes
Trainer Jerry Robb told Daily Racing Form earlier this week that he was “shocked” that Award Wanted won a high-level allowance traveling 5 1/2 furlongs at Laurel on Dec. 18.
“That was a very, very tough race,” Robb said. “I had another horse in there [fifth-finisher Whiskey and Rye] that I thought would win easy. There was a little bit of a speed duel and it set up perfectly.”
Award Wanted ($11.40) continued to surprise her trainer when she parlayed a perfect pace-tracking, ground-saving trip into a 5 ¾-length triumph over 22-1 shot Bourbon Wildcat in the $75,000 Geisha for Maryland-sired fillies and mares at one mile. Heavily favored Malibu Beauty finished another 2 1/4 lengths behind in third.
“I was confident the mile would work, but I wasn’t confident she would beat [Malibu Beauty] today, but I’ll take it,” Robb said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park.
Sweet Gracie, Startwithabang, Sweet Surprise and Fool Yourself completed the order of finish. Intrepid Dream scratched.
Malibu Beauty remained well off the inside on the backstretch. That allowed Bourbon Wildcat to move through and push Malibu Beauty through fractions of 24.17, 48.98 and 1:13.57 seconds. Award Wanted sat behind them in the pocket and scooted along the fence in the stretch under jockey Angel Cruz to win decisively in 1:40.76.
A 6-year-old mare bred by Dr. Alexandro Rubim Dias, Award Wanted was claimed by No Guts No Glory Farm and Erica Upton for $16,000 out of a win in February 2021. Award Wanted has won 7 of 23 starts for those connections. The Geisha was her first stakes victory.
By Macho Uno, Award Wanted has earned $350,450. She is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner V. I. P. Ticket.
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