John Haran.
[FOUR FOOTED FOTOS]
By John Manley
John Haran nearly short-circuited the toteboard at Indiana Grand following the running of last Thursday’s Unreachable Star Stakes, a route race for Hoosier-breds. He sent out the second- and third-longest shots in the nine-horse field and they finished first and third at long odds.
Uphold, a 5-year-old gelding that Haran claimed for $10,000 out of a win three weeks prior, splashed his way to a length victory over the sloppy surface with Angel Rodriguez as a guide. Barefootbootlegger, the other Haran runner, held on for third after leading much of the way. Uphold paid $68.20, $19.00 and $7.40 across, while the 44-1 Barefootbootlegger paid $17.60 to show. The trifecta with the Harans sandwiched around a 5-1 shot, came back $5,701.00 for $2. Haran owns both runners as part of the Clabar Mor Stable.
MARYLAND DOMINATION
Jerry O’Dwyer and Cathal Lynch dominated the Friday card at Laurel last week. O’Dwyer sent out the winners of three races, while Lynch knocked down a pair. O’Dwyer began the skein in the fourth race with DARRS Stable’s Larimar, a recent arrival in his shed row. Larimar was always prominent in this starter optional claiming sprint and got up by almost two lengths under Johan Rosado, who rode all three of O’Dwyer’s winners. Larimar paid $8.40 to win as the third choice among four runners.
Half an hour later, Double O Racing’s Market Cap broke his maiden by seven rollicking lengths in a main track mile. Market Cap returned $9.00 to win in his third career start.
Lynch got going in the sixth race with Francatelli, a 3-year-old gelding he co-owns with Maribeth Sandford. Jaime Rodriguez put Francatelli on the lead out of the gate in this third-level allowance sprint and kept him there to the wire, almost two lengths the best. He paid $4.80 as the heavy favorite. Francatelli, which won the King Corrie at Woodbine in September, is now 4-for-7 lifetime.
Lynch was right back in the seventh race with Charles Biggs’ Magical Anna, a 3-year-old filly that was in for a $16,000 claiming tag in this sprint that was moved to the main track. Lauralea Glaser rode Magical Anna, which she kept close to the early pace before drawing away late to win by one and one-half lengths. She paid $9.40 to win and went unclaimed.
O’Dwyer capped things off in the ninth race with David McCarty’s Doubleoseven, a fitting winner that presaged Sean Connery’s passing by a day. The 2-year-old gelding, making career start number two, held on under Rosado to prevail by a neck for a $12.00 win mutuel.
GRAHAM SHINES
James Graham shone brightly on Wednesday at Churchill Downs, where he earned three appearances in the winner's circle. He kicked off the program by prevailing in a photo finish in the first race, a claiming sprint on the main track. He'd kept the Tom Amoss-trained Cave Run prominent throughout and had enough steam left in the engine to get up by a head. Cave Run paid $7.60 to win.
Fast forward now to the ninth race in Louisville, an 11-furlong race on the turf, which found Graham biding his time on War Like Goddess, trained by Bill Mott. The Dubliner gave the 3-year-old filly her cue around the far turn and she went into overdrive, skimming the rail en route to a three-length triumph that yielded $14.80 in the win slot.
Graham then accounted for the late double and an Irish riding trifecta in the 10th race, a claiming mile on the main track. Helen Pitts gave him the mount on Subdued and he kept the gelding in midpack until laying him down at the quarter pole. He went on to tally by two lengths, paying $6.80 to win. Following him home were the Declans, Carroll on Drink and Cannon on Allen, second and third, respectively. The Graham double came back $51.20, while the Irish riding tri returned $56.20.
TWO FOR AGNEW
The Naoise Agnew outfit appears to be gaining some traction at Penn National. He struck twice last week, first with Nomad Farm’s Data Doll, a recent arrival, in Wednesday’s seventh race, a maiden claiming sprint. The 4-year-old filly surged late under Tyler Conner to score by nearly four lengths. She paid $3.40 to win.
Agnew got another win on the Friday program at Penn when Blackstone Farm’s Grab the Gold wired a field of sprinters at the $10,000 claiming tier by seven lengths. The 4-year-old gelding, trying platers for the first time in seven career outings, paid $3.00 to win. Agnew is now 5-for-11 at Penn National this year.
