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Trainer Joe Sharp Clinches Two of the Three Turf Stakes Runs on the Maxxam
Gold Cup Racing Festival
Tonight’s Maxxam Racing Festival featured four stakes highlighted by the running of the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup. A field of 11 was assembled for the mile and one-eighth main track event and the winner was Tigertail Ranch’s Mobile Bay.
This was the second stakes appearance here this meet as the 4-year-old ran on the turf in the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Turf Cup last month. Tonight he returned to his preferred main track surface and distance and topped a very contentious field. Trained by Victor Arceneaux, the Louisiana-bred won the Zia Park Derby and closed for second in the Louisiana Classic at Fair Grounds.
Jockey Francisco Torres guided the dark bay colt, sitting off the early pace set by Coup De Grace. He began to close at the top of the stretch, crossing the wire in 1:50.35, winning by a neck over Jessica’s Star.
“When you get these quality horses running for this money, you know they are going to show up,” said Torres. “They set some fast fractions, but that set up well for us. He carried me all the way around and had plenty left. I had total confidence in him.”
“Cisco gave him a great ride,” said Arceneaux. “Whenever he started picking them up on the backside, I thought we would be in contention. He likes the mile and one-eighth distance and we are very excited!”
Mark Breen’s graded stakes winner Jessica’s Star, made a very good comeback off a seven-month layoff for trainerMichael Stidham. The 5-year-old son of Magna Graduate was scratched out of last Saturday’s Grade III $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap, and stayed close to the early pace under rider Mitchell Murrill. He was still prominent down the lane and held second.
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Tonight, another rising star Two Step Time showed he was a 3-year-old with a bright future. Trainer Mike Makershipped the son of Two Step Salsa from Florida in pursuit of his third lifetime win. Owned by Get Away Farm, the dark bay colt just missed in the $100,000 OBS Championship on January 26. With a well–timed ride from Robby Albarado, Two Step Time ($7.80) closed for the win, covering the mile and one-sixteenth feature in 1.43.90.
