Laurel, MD (SportsNetwork.com) – Post positions were redrawn for the
$100,000 Frank Whitely Jr. Stakes for Thursday after Saturday racing at Laurel
Park was canceled due to poor track conditions.
Most of the original nine 3-year-olds have been re-entered for the seven-
furlong stakes with trainer Chad Brown taking advantage of the postponement
to enter his stakes winning gelding Majestic Affair.
Majestic Affair, owned by James Covello, Thomas Coleman and Doheny Racing
Stable, will break from the far outside post with Kendrick Carmouche keeping
his spot in the saddle.
The chestnut 3-year-old won the Frank Capossela Stakes on Jan. 2 at Aqueduct
by 5 3/4 lengths. He was second on Nov. 15 in Laurel Park’s James F. Lewis
Stakes.
Majestic Affair won his career debut last July at Canterbury Park, but five
weeks later was eighth at 5-1 in the Saratoga Special. He came back in October
with an allowance victory at Parx Racing. The gray gelding has earned
$124,000.
Golden Years, the original 9-5 program favorite, has drawn post 6 with Victor
Carrasco again riding. The colt is trained by Rodney Jenkins for Hillwood
Stable.
The 3-year-old has made all prior starts at Laurel winning three of four,
including the Maryland Million Nursery on Oct. 18 and Marylander Stakes on
Dec. 6. He was fourth in the Lewis Stakes.
“He is doing fine. I gave him two or three weeks off after his last start
doing nothing but walking and jogging to try to freshen him up. I went a
little strong with him at the end of the year,” Jenkins said. “He might be a
hair short for this one but he’ll try real hard. The last work (Jan. 17), we
galloped him out 7/8th’s and he got a little tired but I think it helped him.
The horse is very intelligent and he picks up on things real quick. If you
look into his eyes he is a very, very intelligent and he is one of the best
moving horses I have ever had.”
Golden Years has banked $146,760 as he begins his 2015 season.
Here is the field for the Frank Whitely from the rail out: Governmentshutdown,
Julian Pimentel; One More Time, Erik Ramirez; Sizzling Quatorze, Angel Serpa;
Notional Debt, Sheldon Russell; Bodhisattva, Victor Santiago; Golden Years,
Victor Carrasco; Measured, Horacio Karamanos; Mini Cosmo, Frankie Pennington
and Majestic Affair, Kendrick Carmouche.
Post time will be approximately 4:27 p.m. ET.
