Yaupon returns to winning form in Lite the Fuse Stakes

Yaupon, the beaten favorite in both the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Dubai Golden Shaheen, returned to form with a victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Lite the Fuse Stakes at six furlongs over Pimlico’s main track.

A multiple graded stakes winner last year at 3 for trainer Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was outsprinted for the early lead in the Lite the Fuse by fleet New York invader Chateau, a gelding that controlled fractions of 22.86 and 45.49 seconds.

Entering the turn, Chateau still had the lead, but faced double trouble from Grade 3 winner Laki and a three-wide Yaupon. Chateau’s rider, Charlie Marquez, dropped his whip at the eighth pole and Yaupon soon surged to the front.

Yaupon strode under the wire 1 3/4 lengths ahead of hard-trying Laki with Chateau another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. Whiskey and You finished fourth and last. Threes Over Deuces, Valued Notion, and Lebda scratched. Yaupon paid $2.80 to win after completing the distance in 1:09.42. There was no show wagering.

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“Today, he broke really sharp,” winning rider Ricardo Santana Jr. said during a post-race interview broadcast by Pimlico. “He made a good position and I let him get a second deep breath.”

Yaupon has won five races from seven starts. He is a son of Uncle Mo out of Grade 1-placed Modification and is a half-brother to multiple Grade 2-placed turf router Sawyer’s Hill.

The Lite the Fuse is a part of the MATCH (Mid-Atlantic Championships) series that features 24 stakes in Maryland and Virginia in 2021.

Caesar’s Wish

Mrs. Orb, down from New York for trainer Mike Miceli, found the company to her liking and grabbed the $100,000 Caesar’s Wish Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

Ridden by Horacio Karamanos, Mrs. Orb was outpaced heading into the backstretch as Artful Splatter carved out quick fractions of 23.52 and 46.63 seconds while chased by His Glory.

Midway on the backstretch, Mrs. Orb and Trolley Ride moved in tandem from the back of the pack with the latter seemingly moving better on the second turn.

Trolley Ride swept past the pacesetters at the three-sixteenths, but Mrs. Orb had not thrown in the towel just yet. She continued to grind away and got by a game Trolley Ride inside the final half-furlong.

Mrs. Orb ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.17 seconds and was a half-length better than Trolley Ride. Sweet Sami D finished another 2 1/2 lengths back in third. Completing the field were Artful Splatter, His Glory, Suggestive Honor, and Gracetown. Morning-line favorite Landing Zone scratched. Mrs. Orb paid $6.20 as the public choice.

“She’s a tough gal, not the easiest to train, but you don’t mind when they can run,” Miceli said of the temperamental 6-year-old daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Orb during a post-race interview broadcast by Pimlico.

Trolley Ride ran well in defeat. Steadied at tail end of the field going into the first turn, she commenced an early three-wide rally and continued to fight once confronted by the winner.

Mrs. Orb has hit the board in 12 of her last 13 starts. The Caesar’s Wish was the third stakes victory of her career, but first outside of statebred competition.

The Caesar’s Wish is a part of the MATCH (Mid-Atlantic Championships) series that features 24 stakes in Maryland and Virginia in 2021.

Concern

Alwaysinahurry bided his time saving ground behind a hot pace, eased to the outside turning for home and wore down heavily favored Mighty Mischief to capture the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-olds at 6 furlongs.

Although stakes-placed last year at 2, the Maryland-bred gelded son of Great Notion “disappointed me a few times,” winning trainer Dale Capuano said during a post-race interview broadcast by Pimlico. “So, we gave him some time off for the winter and let him mature a little bit. Now he’s on Lasix and today he ran like I thought he could.”

Mighty Mischief, a gate-to-wire winner in his last three starts including Pimlico’s Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes, found his customary spot on the lead, but was hounded by Sibelius, Three Two Zone, and Roderick through a first-quarter split of 22.97 seconds.

Roderick continued his assault on the turn, but Mighty Mischief dispatched his primary pace pursuer after a half in 45.95 seconds. Mighty Mischief was game but could not fend off Alwaysinahurry.

The third winner on the day piloted by Jorge Ruiz, Alwaysinahurry ran the six furlongs in 1:10.56 seconds while 4 3/4 lengths clear of Mighty Mischief. It was another three lengths back to Three Two Zone in third. They were followed home by Singlino and Roderick. Singlino was eased and walked off the track after stumbling on the turn. Alwaysinahurry paid $20.20 as the fourth betting choice.

Purchased for $70,000 as a yearling by Mopo Racing, Alwaysinahurry is out of the very productive Otherwise Perfect, a mare by Lemon Drop Kid. Other high-quality runners foaled by Otherwise Perfect include Grade 3-placed dirt sprinter Frisca, multiple stakes-winner Clubman, stakes-winner I Stand Alone and multiple stakes-placed Stonebriar.

Jameela

A twist of fate led to Ellanation’s upset victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Jameela Stakes for Maryland-bred fillies and mares traveling five furlongs on the turf.

“We sold this filly for $160,000,” David Hayden of Dark Hollow Farm said in a post-race interview broadcast by Pimlico. After winning three of her first eleven starts, “she had a chip in her knee and the people were not willing to put any time or money in her. So, they asked if we were going to buy her back.”

Dark Hollow purchased the mare for $8,000, sent the filly for surgery and Ellanation then went to the sidelines for over one year to recuperate. She finished off the board in her first three starts for trainer Michael Trombetta before pulling off the Jameela upset.

Ridden by Victor Carrasco, Ellanation tracked in the second flight as Can the Queen, Quiet Company, Introduced, and Spun Glass sparred through an opening quarter in 22.60 seconds.

Can the Queen and Quiet Company separated themselves from their pace foes in the upper stretch, but Carrasco altered Ellanation off heels to split rivals three wide. Ellanation assumed the lead, then held off Dendrobia’s determined late charge.

Ellanation completed the distance in 58.59 seconds over the good turf course. She paid $22 to win as the 10 to 1 fourth choice in the seven-filly field. Dendrobia was a half-length back in second with Quiet Company another half-length behind in third. Can the Queen, Introduced, Spun Glass, and Carolina Ice completed the order of finish.

Odds-on favorite Introduced seemingly had no excuse after looming at the five-sixteenths pole. Never Enough Time, Proper Attire, Hello Beautifui, Rapidashqueen, and Paisley Singing scratched.

Ellanation, a 5-year-old mare by Alternation, is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning turf performer Mystic Love and stakes-winning dirt router Bridget’s Big Luvy.

Rainbow Pick 6

The Fourth of July program at Pimlico featured a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow Pick 6. There was a Maryland state record carryover of $1,435,080.75 going into the Sunday card with the total pool exceeding. $6,200,000. Here are the results:

Race 6 - #5 – Behind the Couch ($13)

Race 7 - #11 – Ellanation ($22)

Race 8 - #3 – Alwaysinahurry ($20.20)

Race 9 - #7 – Mrs. Orb ($6.20)

Race 10 - #7 – Yaupon ($2.80)

Race 11 - #3 – Crack the Safe ($23.80)

The Rainbow Pick 6 returned $155,140.40 for a $1 wager and $31,028.08 for the 20-cent minimum.