Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
By Sarah Mace
After being let go at odds of 10-1, Newman Racing’s Absatootly (Mineshaft) posted the first open stakes victory of her career Saturday in Laurel Park’s $75,000, six-furlong Primonetta for fillies and mares three and up, which was run over a sloppy (sealed) track.
An admirably consistent runner for trainer Charlie Baker, 4-year-old Absatootly came into the Primonetta having finished off-the-board only twice in eleven prior starts.
The filly had already shown an affinity for Laurel, shipping in to win open allowance contests in March 2016 and February 2017. Off-going was also in her wheelhouse. While facing winners for the first time in her third career start, she won the East View for New York-bred juvenile fillies by a nose on a “good” Aqueduct inner track; her February victory at Laurel was also over a “good” track. Jockey Kevin Gomez, aboard for that win, had the return call.
Breaking alertly from post eight (of nine), Absatootly tracked early pacesetter and favorite Appealing Maggie in fourth in the four path, but worked her way up into third by the approach to the far turn. When she emerged at the top of the stretch as a clear second to new leader Loveable Lady, the affair turned into a two-horse race.
Absatootly gained the lead midstretch, and, despite drifting out late toward the center of the track, had enough forward momentum to secure a 1 1/2-length victory over Lovable Lady. Next Best Thing circled the field from last to get third. After opening splits of 22.92 and 46.65, Absatootly stopped the timer at 1:11 flat.
“I thought someone was going to catch up with me,” Gomez said. “I just tried to keep her straight and hoped no one could catch me and she got it done.” The win was the first stakes score for the 22-year-old Guatamala native.
Absatootly’s second stakes victory improves her record to five wins, three seconds and two thirds from twelve starts and increases her earnings to $249,107.
Bred by the late Donald Newman and foaled at Fawn Ridge Farm in East Nassau, Absatootly is campaigned by Newman’s son Richard. She is the second foal and second winner out of New York-bred So N So (Freud), who took the Lucy Scribner Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in 2009. The mare’s first foal So Let It Be So (Sky Mesa) is multiple winner.
So N So has a three-year-old colt by City Zip named Quest for Fire who has not started and a juvenile colt by Desert Party named Whendowerunpappy. Not bred in 2016, the mare went to Munnings last year.
