Maryland
Jaxon Traveler Goes Distance in the Maryland Sprint
Captures 6-Furlong Sprint to Open Preakness Day Stakes Program
BALTIMORE, Md. – West Level Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner’s Jaxon Traveler, second to his stablemate over the identical course final 12 months, turned away all comers Saturday to register his first graded-stakes victory within the $150,000 Maryland Dash (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course.
The 35th working of the six-furlong Dash for 3-year-olds and up, led off a blockbuster 14-race program that includes 10 stakes, six graded, value $2.75 million in purses, headlined by the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1), Center Jewel of the Triple Crown.
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau, Jaxon Traveler ($4.40) ran second to Mighty Mischief within the Chick Lang (G3) on Pimlico’s most important observe and third within the Fast Name (G3) over the Saratoga turf in 2021. Two of his earlier three stakes wins additionally got here in his residence state – the 2020 Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel Park and 2021 Star de Naskra at Pimlico.
Jaxon Traveler broke sharply from the skin submit below Joel Rosario and rapidly established command, pressed to his inside by 17-1 lengthy shot and Feb. 19 Normal George (G3) runner-up Conflict Tocsin. Conflict Tocsin started to drop again after they went a quarter-mile in 22.95 seconds, when a number of stakes winner Threes Over Deuces picked up the chase.
The half went in 45.55 as Threes Over Deuces ranged up on Jaxon Traveler’s exterior for the run down the stretch, however Jaxon Traveler discovered one other gear below jockey Joel Rosario and crossed the wire 1 ¾ lengths in entrance. The successful time was 1:09.70 over a quick most important observe.
It was three lengths again to Conflict Tocsin in third, adopted by Sir Alfred James, Full Authority and April 16 Frank Y. Whiteley winner Disco Pharoah.
Rosario beforehand received the Maryland Dash with Sandbar in 2015. It was the third Maryland Dash win in 4 years for Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen, following Switzerland in 2018 and New York Central in 2019. The race was not run in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
$150,000 Maryland Dash (G3) Quotes
Successful coach Steve Asmussen, Jaxon Traveler: “I believe Jaxon Traveler has run extraordinarily effectively right here at Pimlico. That’s his third stakes win right here [in Maryland]. So, we’ve been trying ahead to this race for fairly a while. When he breaks effectively, he runs effectively. He hit the bottom working and proved greatest. That’s who he’s at all times been. This was a significant goal for him, an excellent victory for him, his first graded-stakes win, so we’ll sit down and talk about it with West Level to see the place we’ll run him subsequent.”
Successful jockey Joel Rosario, Jaxon Traveler: “He was going alongside fairly simple, and I used to be simply going alongside for the experience. He confirmed pace from the beginning, so I let him go. He broke good, so I put him on the lead. I used to be in entrance off the within on the flip. When he got here to me off the flip, my horse actually responded. He did nice at this time.”
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Picture by Maryland Jockey Membership