Laragh

IEAH Stables, Gary Tolchin and Pegasus Holding Group Stables’ Laragh took the lead shortly out of the gate and never looked back to win the 25th running of the $115,300 Edgewood for 3-year-old fillies over the Matt Winn Turf Course by 1 1/4 lengths over Magical Affair.

Ridden by Edgar Prado, Laragh carved out fractions of :23.57, :48.43 and 1:13.04 while racing on an uncontested lead. Favored Magical Affair, under Julien Leparoux, closed ground late to salvage second with Banker’s Choice finishing another 3 ¼ lengths back in third under Calvin Borel.

Trained by John Terranova, Laragh returned mutuels of $7.40, $3.80 and $3. Magical Affair paid $3.40 and $2.80 with Banker’s Choice returning $4.80 to show in the field of 10.

Laragh, winner of the Grade I Hollywood Starlet last December after a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, covered the mile and a sixteenth on a “good” turf course in 1:43.88.

The victory was worth $67,911 and increased Laragh’s career earnings to $581,876 with four wins in eight starts.

EDGEWOOD QUOTES

EDGAR PRADO (rider of winner Laragh):  “She is a very nice filly who has a lot of natural speed. We didn’t want to take her out of her game. We went to the lead and she was nice and relaxed. I was just hoping she would have enough at the end and she did. The main thing with her is to get her to relax. Today she showed us an extra gear and I was very happy to see that.”

JOHN TERRANOVA (trainer of winner Laragh): “This was our first preference and we just entered the race for tomorrow (the Eight Belles) in case something weird happened. We wanted to keep our bases open, but this was the spot we were aiming for and she ran huge today. As long as you don’t fight her, she’ll give you everything she’s got. Edgar (Prado) rode her perfectly. She’s big speed and she can carry it. When I saw the half in :48 it was all over.”

JULIEN LEPAROUX (rider of second-place finisher Magical Affair):  “My horse started off slow, but once we get rolling we made up some nice ground. It was going to be tough to catch the winner but I was happy with her effort and she fought hard to get the place spot.”

Stewart Armstrong’s favored Dream Play cruised to an early lead over a sloppy track at Aqueduct was never seriously challenged as she romped to a 5 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s $147,000 Comely (Grade III).

The race marked Dream Play’s first try at a distance beyond six furlongs and her initial run over a wet racing surface, but the daughter of Hennessy passed both tests beautifully as she covered the mile distance in 1:39.51 under jockey Eddie Castro.  The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee won for the third time in five races and pushed her career earnings to $186,406.

“My opinion was to go onto the lead,” said Castro. “She’s run good on the lead, but not so good when she’s not in front. I was able to get up pretty easily and when I asked her, she kicked in.”

Don’t Forget Gil, an easy winner of the Florida Oaks (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs last time out, finished second and Holdontoyourdream was third.

The Comely result was a major disappointment for IEAH Stable’s Laragh, winner of the Hollywood Starlet (GI) and third to champion Stardom Bound in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.  The John Terranova-trained daughter of Tapit was making her 3-year-old debut in the Comely and a strong effort could have landed her a start in the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 1.  Laragh chased Dream Play early, but faded in the stretch and finished last in the field of five 3-year-old fillies.

Despite her impressive Comely win, Dream Play is not a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks.  She could make her next start in the $150,000 Nassau County at a mile at Belmont Park on Kentucky Derby Day, May 2.  The Grade I Acorn at a mile on June 6 will also be considered.

KENTUCKY/JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE WORKS TOWARD KENTUCKY OAKS AT KEENELAND – West Point Thoroughbreds’ streaking Justwhistledixie continued her preparation for the Kentucky Oaks with a four-furlong work on Friday, April 10 over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland.

The winner of five consecutive races worked a half-mile in :50.40.  The daughter of Dixie Union, who is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, won the Bonnie Miss (GII) and Davona Dale (GII), both at Gulfstream Park, in her most recent outings. 

Justwhistledixie was the favorite over champion Stardom Bound and Fantasy (GII) winner Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wage In March.

Stardom Bound Back On Track – Stardom Bound, America’s reigning 2-year-old filly champion, jogged Sunday at Keeneland in her first trip to the track since her upset loss in the $400,000 Ashland (GI) over the Lexington track on April 7.

Her third-place finish behind 24-1 shot Hooh Why in the 1 1/16-mile Ashland snapped a string of five consecutive Grade I stakes victories for the Rick Dutrow Jr.-trained Stardom Bound.

IEAH Stable’s Laragh, one of the outstanding 2-year-old fillies of 2008, will make her debut as a 3-year-old in Saturday’s 60th running of the $150,000 Comely (Grade II) at Aqueduct.

The daughter of Tapit finished a good third to champion Stardom Bound in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI), and then completed out her 2-year-old season with a victory in the Hollywood Starlet (GI) over the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park.

The $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs remains a goal for trainer John Terranova’s filly, but the one-mile Comely is obviously an important stepping stone for Laragh.  It will also mark the debut on dirt for Terranova’s filly, who started her career on the grass.

“She’s bigger, she’s stronger, and hopefully, she’s faster,” Terranova said.  “We had originally planned on bringing her back in March, but the extra time off did her a world of good.  We went right to the end of last year with her with a lot of traveling, and the transition to age two to age three is a real jump.”

Ramon Dominguez will ride Laragh, who faces five rivals in the Comely.  That group includes Florida Oaks (GIII) winner Don’t Forget Gil; Dream Play, the beaten favorite in the Cicada (GIII); and Busher runner-up Subprime.

KENTUCKY/RACHEL ALEXANDRA BACK HOME – L & M Stable’s Rachel Alexandra, a dominant winner of the Fantasy (GI) at Oaklawn and the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) in her last two races, arrived back home at Churchill Downs early Thursday following an overnight van ride from Oaklawn Park.

Trainer Hal Wiggins’ daughter of Medaglia d’Oro looms as the likely favorite for the Kentucky Oaks as she brings a four-race winning streak and six victories in nine career races into her scheduled start in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 1.  Rachel Alexandra notched the first win of that streak in a romp in the Golden Rod (GII) in November at Churchill Downs.

War Kill ($35.40) upsets Evita Argentina in Keeneland’s Beaumont – Longshot War Kill ($35.40), making her stakes debut for trainer Ken McPeek, survived a stretch-long duel with winner Selva to win Wednesday’s $150,000 Beaumont Stakes (GII at Keeneland.

Julien Leparoux rode the winner, who covered the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs, 184 feet over the Polytrack surface in 1:25.97.  Consequence was third and favored Evita Argentina, settled for fourth in the field of six fillies.

Evita Argentina might have earned a Kentucky Oaks start with a big effort.  McPeek was not looking in that direction with War Kill, though he was unsure of her next start.

“She’s not a big package but she’s got a huge heart,” McPeek said.  “We’ll let the dust settle and figure it out.  She’s obviously got a lot of talent.”