Laurel: High Roller Earns First Stakes Win in $75,000 Frank Whiteley Jr.

By David Joseph —-

Filly Winner Looks ‘Super’ $75,000 Marshua
Winter Leaves Rivals in the Cold in $75,000 Nellie Morse
Jockey McCarthy Posts Three-Stakes Riding Triple

LAUREL, MD – Louis Ulman and Stephen Parker’s High Roller opened his sophomore season in successful fashion, taking the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off a late bid from favored stakes winner O Dionysus to win the $75,000 Frank Whiteley Jr. Saturday at Laurel Park.

The sixth running of the seven-furlong Whiteley for 3-year-olds was the first of four stakes worth $300,000 in purses on the nine-race program that included the $75,000 Marshua for 3-year-old fillies and $75,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares 4 and up. All three stakes were won by jockey Trevor McCarthy, Maryland’s leading rider in 2014 and 2016.

“I’ve never won three in a day before,” McCarthy said. “I knew I had a very good chance of doing well today, but I wasn’t sure I could win [three]. The trainers did a great job and had them ready.”

The Whiteley was the fourth career start and second in a stakes for High Roller ($12.20), who finished third behind well-regarded subsequent Grade 2 winner El Areeb in the James F. Lewis III Nov. 19 at Laurel. The winning time was 1:23.86 over a fast main track.

“We thought [O Dionysus] was the horse to beat and that’s how it ended up,” winning trainer Dale Capuano said. “We weren’t crazy about the one-hole for him but we thought he’d like going further, which it looked like he did, so it’s all good.”

High Roller broke running from Post 1 under McCarthy and saved ground along the rail as Generous Jack and Blackjack Buster dueled through a quarter-mile in 23.15 seconds and a half in 46.63 with The Great Ronaldo to their outside.

O Dionysus, favored at 2-5 in a field of eight, was keen early but restrained by jockey Jevian Toledo and wound up boxed in behind horses to the final turn. McCarthy began to separate from his rivals after straightening for home and O Dionysus was unable to reel him in after finding room in mid-stretch and wound up second, beaten a half-length.

Butch Walker came on late for third, followed by Eastern Bay, In Arrears, Blackjack Buster, Generous Jack and The Great Ronaldo.

“He broke really good for me today and he was sharp. I was able to get him back a little bit,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been telling Dale he needs to go seven-eighths. He needs that more [distance] and he’s going to want to go further, big time. I can’t wait to ride him going longer. We’ll see what he’s got.”

Capuano said High Roller would be pointed to the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 18 at Laurel.

Filly Winner Looks ‘Super’ in $75,000 Marshua

Equine Prep’s Star Super, second in back-to-back stakes to end her 2-year-old campaign, rallied after being headed in deep stretch to edge Lucky in Malibu by a neck and earn her first black-type victory in the $75,000 Marshua.

The win completed a sweep of the 3-year-old races for jockey Trevor McCarthy, who one race earlier took the Frank Whiteley Jr. aboard High Roller.

“He’s just a very good rider and he’s very aggressive. He can get the horses to the finish,” winning trainer Cal Lynch said. “He’s a difference-maker for me. Jockeys don’t make 10 lengths difference but they’ll make a length or two. He just rides a very smart race. He just knows what he’s doing and it’s a pleasure to have him on the team.”

Star Super ($3), the 1-2 favorite of eight sophomore fillies, settled in mid-pack behind a quarter-mile of 22.25 seconds set by Scarlett’s Ransom and a half in 46.33 from Unaquoi. McCarthy kept the daughter of 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver in the clear racing three wide, and confidently rolled up to take the lead after five furlongs in 58.86.

“I was really happy with the way she broke today. We had a great post position. She was just sitting there third just stalking,” McCarthy said. “She moved out right around the turn and once I got her in the stretch she opened up about one or two [lengths] and was kind of waiting a little bit. As soon as [Lucky in Malibu] came to her, that just pushed her right along. She’s game.”

Lucky in Malibu, 6 ½ lengths behind Star Super while third in the Gin Talking Dec. 31, followed the winner’s move to her outside around the far turn and nearly moved to even terms in mid-stretch but could not get by Star Super, who hit the wire in 1:11.30 for six furlongs.

“I was confident coming into the race. I was a lot more confident this morning than I was at the sixteenth pole, but that’s her. She does like to fight and she was playing a little bit with the field but she’s a very talented filly,” Lynch said. “[Lucky in Malibu] is a very nice filly. In the paddock she was the one I was afraid of. This is a very exciting filly.”

Squan’s Kingdom was third after a slow start, 1 ½ lengths behind Lucky in Malibu. I Am I Will, Ianthe, Unaquoi, Item and Scarlett’s Ransom completed the order of finish.

Lynch said the seven-furlong, $75,000 Wide Country Stakes Feb. 18 at Laurel is a likely next start for Star Super.

Winter Leaves Rivals in the Cold in $75,000 Nellie Morse

Matthew Schera’s Winter swept to the lead around the far turn and powered down the stretch to a 2 ¾-length victory in the $75,000 Nellie Morse, her first career stakes win and the third in a row for jockey Trevor McCarthy.

A 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Again, Winter ($9.40) ran about 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.32. Parx shipper Addibel Lightning was second, with 14-1 long shot Moon River third. Bawlmer Hon, the 8-5 favorite, wound up fifth behind Alpine Sky, like the winner also trained by Cal Lynch.

“There were a couple of fillies in there that were tough. My other filly I thought if she didn’t get in trouble at the three-eighths pole, she’s third,” Lynch said. “The winner is just a good horse. Mr. Schera has given us some really nice horses and we’re just trying to do our part and keep bringing them over here.”

McCarthy gave Winter a clear path on the outside from Post 3 as Bawlmer Hon and Moon Virginia set fractions of 24.19 and 48.07 seconds. Winter cruised past the leaders leaving the backstretch and kept rolling for her second consecutive win and third in four starts since joining Lynch.

“She was training well. Cal’s done a super job with her,” McCarthy said. “Once I got her to the outside on the first turn I was really happy with the position. Just past the half-mile pole I was being really patient with her. I was worried somebody was going to come up on the outside of her. It’s not her favorite thing to be inside. She likes to be out and kind of do her own thing. Once I got here there she was making a nice move on the turn and I was just waiting to let her loose in the stretch and she went on with it.”

Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.