BALTIMORE, 05-23-09---The six-week Pimlico Race Course spring meeting ended today with Jeremy Rose, Scott Lake and Robert Cole winning individual titles. The 20-day spring stand began at the historic home of the Preakness Stakes on April 18. The trio also took the Laurel Park winter titles earlier this year at Pimlico’s sister track.
Despite riding at Old Hilltop only 13 of the 20 days, Rose captured his first riding title at Pimlico by winning 18 races, four more than Julian Pimentel. Rose, who has three Laurel Park winter riding titles on his resume (2002, 2007 and 2009), had a pair of three-win days in April.
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Jeremy Rose
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
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“We didn’t expect this,” Rose said. “Kid (agent John “Kid” Breeden) did a great job getting me on live runners. This will certainly help us later in the year when we return to Maryland in the fall.”
The 30-year-old, who won the 2005 Preakness aboard Afleet Alex, rode Terrain in this year’s middle jewel, finishing seventh, eight lengths behind Rachel Alexandra. It was the first off the board finish in the Preakness for Rose who finished third aboard both Hemingway’s Key (2006) and Icabad Crane (2008).
“I love the horse”, added Rose. “With a better trip we would have been first or second. I think we could have even beaten the filly. If you look at Mike Smith (aboard runner-up Mine That Bird), he was riding just to get to my horse. I had more horse than he did in my opinion and we would have had a legitimate shot to win but I just couldn’t get him the trip he needed.”
Lake topped the trainer standings at Pimlico for the fourth consecutive year, winning 18 races, nine more than Mike Trombetta. Since 2006, the Lake barn has captured 11 of the 14 meets conducted at the major Maryland tracks. Overall, the 43-year-old conditioner has 17 training titles at Pimlico and Laurel Park this decade.
Cole was the leader in the owner standings, finishing first seven times, one more than PTK LLC.
Handle figures for the meet will be announced next week.
-MJC-