It came to the final race on the last day, but Laurel ParkSummer Meetup ended suspensely on August 21 with a new name and a few familiar names at the top of the charts.
Rudy Sanchez-Salomon overcame Claudio Gonzalez by one win, 19-18, to claim his first career coaching title. The two entered the weekend ending in a tie but inconclusive on Friday and Saturday before Sanchez-Salomon, 50, scored the opening goal on Sunday with 6-5 favorites Please Marry Me (4, $60), who he also owns is the JR Sanchez Racing Stable.
Sanchez-Salomon had two other starts on Sunday, finishing second with Icy Reply in Race 2 and Saturday with Heartburn in the eighth finale. He won at least one draw as Gonzalez’s Eye’n a Deal was a late scratch in Race 5 after the coach failed to win the starters in Races 2 and 3 and won title outright as Gonzalez finished third with 5-2 Tilted Tiara favorites in Race 8.
“I don’t know exactly how I feel right now, but I’m very happy,” Sanchez-Salomon said. “It was a wonderful meeting. Everything was great for us. We were very lucky. I thank God and thank you for my help and thank you everyone. I really do. I don’t have words to express how I feel. I appreciate everything.”
Sanchez-Salomon was introduced to horses that grew up on the family farm in his native Mexico. After arriving in the United States, he first visited the track at the old Garden State Park in New Jersey, which closed in 2001. Working for coaches Scott Lake and Dane Kobiskie, he ended up at Monmouth Park before landing in Maryland.
According to Equibase statistics, Sanchez-Salomon is seventh with his first career starter, Legend Keeper, April 15, 2017 in Laurel. His first winner came on May 28, 2017 with a 36-1 long shot Nairet, a 4-year-old he claimed from her previous start for $5,000, in Racecourse Pimlico.
Sanchez-Salomon registered three days of multiple wins in the summer meeting, including a career peak day on June 24 and three on July 23. He has 153 wins and over 4, $4 million in lifetime earnings and third in Maryland this year with 42 wins, second only to Gonzalez (55) – the state’s top coach since 2017 and meeting champion face 19 times – and Jamie Ness (45).
So far, Sanchez-Salomon has trained 11 six-figure earners, including multiple stake winners. Club people , Shake You Loosely and Queen can . It was Shake Em Loose that brought the trainer into the spotlight earlier this year, after the horse he asked for for $16,000 last fall won the Heft and Private Terms, on Monday. three in Federico Tesio and was briefly considered for the 147th Preakness Stock (G1) after the trainer – who also owns the horse – made him a late nominee for the Triple Crown.
Jevian Toledo and Horacio Karamanos finished to claim the top equestrian title with 31 wins each. They also share Laurel’s summer meetup title in 2020.
Toledo took a 30-28 lead last weekend when Karamanos cut the deficit in half with a winner on Saturday. Karamanos won in a row Sunday with Ness-Trained Romantic Comedy ($14.40) in Race 3 and Millean ($6.80) in Race 4 to go one ahead, but Toledo was counterattack in Race 5 with Night Boss ($6.20).
No rider could win with their last two rides on Sunday. Karamanos finished third in the Israeli Army in Race 6 and Tauber in Race 7, while Toledo finished second in Race 7 on Balistico and sixth on Cumulonimbus in the Race 8 finale.
“We won a double today, so it was a good day. It was great to win the title,” said Karamanos. “It was a difficult meeting for everyone, especially for Jevian and me.”
Karamanos currently owns or shares seven titles in Maryland, four in Laurel and three in Pimlico. The Argentinian-born player has also won many trophies meeting at Colony Downs in neighboring Virginia, where he was the track’s all-time top racer.
A winner of more than 1,500 races in her hometown before coming to the US in 2000, Karamanos landed full-time in Maryland in 2002 and took the Laurel record with seven winners on just one card in October. those 10 years. Represented by agent Kevin Witte, he earned his 2,000th career win on Father’s Day, June 17, 2017, in Laurel.
Karamanos registered eight days of multiple summer meeting wins including a hat trick on June 24 and July 16. He also won two races on June 19 capped at $75,000. la Search on the train Nick Papagiorgio .
“I’m very happy. I’m happy to win in Maryland. I always say Maryland is my home. This is where I’ve lived for 20 years,” Karamanos said. “Winning makes me very happy. Every win is important and winning the title is even better. There are good riders in Maryland, so it’s very difficult. It’s a good competition, so I’m very excited. happy to win races and titles.”
Toledo, a native of Puerto Rico, who turned 28 on Saturday, now has 10 equestrian titles in Maryland and has finished first in three of four encounters this year. He also won Laurel’s winter stand and Preakness Encounter at Pimlico, and his second win over apprentice Jeiron Barbosa at Laurel’s spring stand.
Represented by agent Marty Leonard, Toledo was Maryland’s overall top driver for 2015, 2017 and 2021. He is again this year’s first with 101 wins, with Jean Alvelo (69) in second. second and Karamanos (60) in third.
Toledo had six days of multiple wins in the meeting, the July 30 three-day registration includes Alottahope The 15-year win at the Star de Naskra was worth $75,000. He also won $100,000 Caesar’s Wish on July 2 with Eclipse combined .
“It feels great. I’m very happy to be here. This is my hope and I am pleased with all the opportunities I have received from all the coaches and owners. I have to feel grateful. Thanks to them and all the staff at Toledo, “I think every horse I ride is special, even the ones I don’t win.”
Racing diverts to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium starting August 26 and running through Labor Day, September 5 before the Maryland Cycling Club holds its fall meet in Pimlico from September 9. until September 25.
This press release has been edited for content and style by the BloodHorse Staff.
