Virginia-bred horses that competed in the 2015 Yearling Futurity will share a bonus pool of $5,000 based on career earnings they accumulated through their recently completed three-year-old racing campaigns. The top earners in order were Speed Gracer ($3,000), Limehouse Louie ($1,000), Scarlett’s Ransom ($700) and Fly E Dubai ($300).
Speed Gracer wins a maiden special weight race at Laurel in October, 2016. Photo by Jim McCue.
Speed Gracer, bred and owned by Quest Realty, bankrolled $76,933 through December 31st last year. The now 4 year old Lemon Drop Kid gelding has a pair of wins, one second and two third place finishes from a dozen starts. The Susan Cooney trainee began his career with a sixth in the 2016 Jamestown Stakes and followed that with a maiden special weight triumph. This past year, Speed Gracer took third in both the Edward Evans and Hansel Stakes, and second in the Bert Allen Stakes. His other win was an allowance score at Laurel September 9th. Of his twelve starts, ten have been at Laurel while the other pair have been allowance races at Churchill and Keeneland. Speed Gracer is out of the Mr. Greeley mare, Sister Graceful, and is ridden regularly by J.D. Acosta.
Limehouse Louie wins the 2016 Jamestown Stakes. Photo by Jim McCue.
Limehouse Louie has bankrolled $72,904 from 11 starts including a pair of “in the money” finishes in Virginia-bred stakes. Bred by Carlos S.E. Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore, the Limehouse gelding kicked off his career by capturing a maiden special weight race at Charles Town in July, 2016. He followed with a victory in that year’s Jamestown Stakes, then took third in 2017’s White Oak Farm and Meadow Stable Stakes. He also finished fifth in the Punch Line Stakes this past fall. Seven of his lifetime outs have been in stakes company. Owned by the Wildcard Stable and trained by Flint Stites, Limehouse Louie is out of Mystic Bay by Housebuster.
Scarlett’s Ransom has captured her 4th race of 2017 November 19th at Laurel. Photo courtesy of Jim McCue.
Scarlett’s Ransom is the third highest money earner and top winning horse from that 2015 class. The Denis of Cork filly has bankrolled $62,619 and has reached the winner’s circle five times in 16 starts. She was bred by Nancy Rizer and Eric Rizer and is owned by the latter. She won her first race in December, 2016 in a maiden claimer at Laurel and her wins since have all been in claiming company. The John Robb trainee is out of the Grand Slam mare, Moosette.
Fly E Dubai earned a win in his first lifetime start in November, 2016 at Laurel. Photo by Jim McCue.
Fly E Dubai, fourth in earnings with $51,532, is another bred by Carlos and Gillian Moore. The E Dubai gelding has only one win, but has the most top three finishes out of these five bonus earners. Owner/trainer Jerry Thurston’s charge captured her lifetime bow at Laurel and has since split time there, at Presque Isle and Parx. Fly E Dubai has been consistent in Virginia-bred stakes with a fourth in the White Oak Farm, a fifth in the Meadow Stable and third in the Punch Line Stakes. He is out of Senate Caucus by Siphon.