Chickieness is Best in $100,000 Lassie

BALTIMORE – Charles J. ‘Chip’ Reed’s homebred Johnyz From Albany, the son of a two-time Maryland Million winner, lived up to the family tradition by jumping out to an early lead and never looking back in rolling to a front-running five-length triumph in Saturday’s $100,000 Nursery at Laurel Park.

The Nursery for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, were among eight stakes and four starter stakes that comprised the 37th Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program, ‘Maryland’s Day at the Races’ celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Johnyz From Albany ($10.20) is by Blofeld out of the Oratory mare Monster Sleeping, winner of the 2013 and 2015 Maryland Million Lassie going long on the grass. Similarly owned by Reed and trained by Dale Capuano, Monster Sleeping also won the 2015 Jameela sprinting six furlongs on the turf.

“Hopefully he’s like his mother. She won at [six furlongs] on the turf and a mile and an eighth twice. So, maybe he can do the same,” Capuano said after extending his Maryland Million record to 15 career wins. “I told Chip all along I think he’s going to be a better 3-year-old, so we’re excited about him.”

Ridden by Jorge Ruiz, who won the 2020 Nursery with Capuano-trained Kenny Had a Notion, Johnyz From Albany exited sharply from Post 7 in a field of 11 and quickly established command through a quarter-mile in 22.75 seconds. His stablemate, Luis Ulman and Neil Glasser’s Lost Weekend, found early trouble after breaking inwardly and bumping Tiz No Clown to his outside.

Johnyz From Albany was two lengths clear as the field raced down the backstretch and maintained his advantage into the turn when Heldish and Wildhunch, an Oct. 13 maiden special weight winner at Delaware Park that went off as the 2-1 favorite, launched their bids. Ruiz had plenty left after a half in 46.37 seconds, opening up on his rivals once straightened for home and cruising to the line in 1:11.35 over a fast main track.

Heldish finished second, 1 ½ lengths head of Wildhunch, who edged Bestsugardaddyever by a neck for third. Lost Weekend, Tiz No Clown, Pride of Payton, Paymengold, Indybound, Bo’s Bourbon and Bandits Heart completed the order of finish. Feeling Woozy and Maryland-breds Super Acclerate and Hop and Scotch were scratched.

“The plan was to go to the front, and my horse ran very well,” Ruiz said.

Johnyz From Albany broke his maiden at first asking in a five-furlong maiden special weight Aug. 21 at Laurel. He came back to be third behind Super Chow in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Sept. 10 at historic Pimlico Race Course, beaten a neck for second by Heldish, and most recently ran second to Recruiter Oct. 2 in the slop at Laurel.

“When he was two in front down the backside I was like, ‘Holy cow.’ He was doing it easy. His work for this race was the best work that he’s had, so he came into it really well. It helps when they have races. He had three races under his belt and I’m old school. I like to run ‘em,” Capuano said. “As excited as I am about this one I was that much disappointed with [Lost Weekend] because he didn’t get a chance to run his race.”

Capuano said Johnyz From Albany’s will likely remain sprinting for the time being, but he would ultimately like to try the gray or roan gelding on the turf.

“I’d really like to get him on the grass even though he went well today on the dirt and his dirt races have been good,” he said. “His grass breeding is good and he worked phenomenal on the grass. Next year I’d like to try him; how far he goes, I don’t know.”

Chickieness is Best in $100,000 Lassie

Chickieness, the 4-5 favorite, drove past Skylar’s Sister and Bosserati inside the final sixteenth to win the $100,000 Lassie, covering six furlongs in 1:12.58 under jockey Jaime Rodriguez.

A 2-year-old daughter of Blofeld trained by Jamie Ness, Chickieness won by 1 ½ lengths over Skylar’s Sister. It was three-quarters of a length back to Bosserati.

Co-owned by breeder Jagger Inc. and Morris Kernan, Chickieness has been a model of consistency. After breaking her maiden in her second career start, Chickieness finished second in the Blue Hen and Small Wonder at Delaware over the summer.

While Bosserati took the field past a :22.57 opening quarter and was challenged by Skylar’s Sister past a :46.29 half, Rodriguez raced Chickieness in third before driving by both inside the final sixteenth to run the fillies record to two wins and three seconds in five lifetime starts.