Wednesday’s fourth race at Penn National was all Naoise Agnew. He sent out two starters in the second-level allowance sprint and they comprised the exacta, although not in the order predicted by the toteboard.
Tom Coulter’s Organized Chaos went off as the 8-1 second choice and was in control, three lengths in front, as the field straightened for home. But Julio Hernandez was just getting Blackstone Farm’s Upstate and Back into gear. The 3-year-old homebred colt rallied to catch his stablemate in the final strides.
Upstate and Back paid $36.60 to win, $13.20 to place and $4.00 to show. Organized Chaos paid $11.20 to place and $3.00 to show. The exacta came back $344.00.
That wasn’t the last chance to catch an Agnew longshot. Blackstone Farm’s Justice Or Appeal, a 3-year-old homebred filly, wired a field of claiming sprinters in Friday’s fourth race. In front by as many as five lengths at one point, Leonardo Corujo brought her home clear by a length. The reward was $48.40 in the win slot.
MEOW
Jockey Grace McEntee got her first American victory in the second race at Turfway Park on Saturday, when she rode Coalminer’s Kitten to a two-and-one-half lengths score. She brought an 0-for-39 mark at the meet into the race but finished the meet (which ended Saturday) with a positive ROI by virtue of the $104.98 win price.
Ironically, the second finisher was the heavily favored Laytown, presumably named for the County Meath beach town. The exacta returned $395.44.
McEntee, 22, is the daughter of Newmarket-based trainer Phil McEntee and granddaughter of 1966 Irish apprentice champion jockey Phil McEntee. She is also the niece of trainer Paul McEntee. She and boyfriend Tyler Heard decided to give Kentucky a try in the British racing offseason. He has had more success, riding four wins while competing in a deep jockey colony. Their immediate plans are uncertain.
WET AND LOVING IT
There’s something about a wet track that brings out the best in John Haran’s horses. His Queenies Way won Friday’s fifth race at Oaklawn Park over a sloppy surface. The 3-year-old filly, fresh off a maiden breaker two weeks prior, battled throughout this claiming sprint, with the wire coming up just in time. Walter De La Cruz rode the $33.80 winner.
