Toledo doubles up in Nellie Morse, John B. Campbell Stakes
LAUREL, Md. - Since being purchased by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group for $107,000 at public auction last summer, Hybrid Eclipse has certainly paid dividends.
The 5-year-old Paynter mare won her third stakes for Grant on Saturday when she grabbed the $100,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares at Laurel Park.
Ridden by Jevian Toledo for trainer Brittany Russell, Hybrid Eclipse tracked a slow pace from between horses in the 1 1/16-mile race as longshot Runaway Monet and Pistol Liz Ablazen cruised through splits of 23.92 and 48.23 seconds.
Rail-skimming Mona Tiger and a wide Award Wanted made it a four-pack on the lead entering the far turn. Meanwhile, Hybrid Eclipse advanced under heavy urging and swung to the far outside for the stretch drive.
Toledo stayed busy on Hybrid Eclipse and she kept to her task, besting Award Wanted by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:44.96. Pistol Liz Ablazen was another three-quarters behind in third. Next up were Moma Tiger, Ninetypercentybrynn, Runaway Monet, and Buy the Best.
Hybrid Eclipse returned $4.60 as the betting favorite.
Russell admitted she was concerned about the race shape.
“They were all on top of each other on the backside,” Russell said. “She didn’t have room to breathe and get comfortable. I kind of thought she was off the bridle. She just never looked really happy. Plenty of them looked like they were traveling better than she was, but when he got her clear, she responded.”
Hybrid Eclipse was bred in Kentucky by Alex Venneri Racing. She won four races for trainer Linda Rice before being purchased by Grant. Overall, she has 7 wins from 19 starts for career earnings of $431,824, and has nabbed five races from seven starts at Laurel.
John B. Campbell Stakes
Toledo booted home Nimitz Class in the $100,000 John B. Campbell for 4-year-olds and upward at 1 1/16 miles.
A 4-year-old son of Munnings bred and owned by Tom Coulter’s Arrowwood Farm, Nimitz Class broke quickly and immediately went to the lead.
Pressured by Ain’t Da Beer Cold through fractions of 24.10 and 47.82, Nimitz Class dispatched his primary pace pursuer, opened a clear lead at the three-sixteenths, and held off Ournationonparade’s late rally to prevail by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:42.29.
Ain’t Da Beer Cold held third, 3 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Completing the order of finish were Treasure Trove, Forewarned, Double Crown, Vance Scholars, Plot the Dots, and Armando R. Shake Em Loose was scratched.
The 9-5 favorite, Nimitz Class returned $5.60 to win.
“I knew there wasn’t much speed in the race, so my plan was to break forward and put him close,” Toledo said. “When I broke in front, there was no point to take him back. He relaxed beautiful, and when I asked him, he took off.”
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Trainer Bruce Kravets said that he didn’t expect Nimitz Class to be on the lead.
“He does have a little natural speed. He broke really sharp, and we got all the trust and faith in this jock,” he said.
Nimitz Class is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Kaylasaurus.
“He was always near the top of our list,” Coulter said. “Pretty well behaved. I saw him down in South Carolina training, and he was focused and moving forward, and always a good horse.”
Nimitz Class has won 7 of 13 starts for earnings of $294,480. He has won three of his last four starts, including Laurel’s Robert T. Manfuso Stakes on Dec. 30.
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