Onepointhreekarats made her stakes debut successfully for trainer Graham Motion when she drew off mid-stretch to win the $104,250 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes (VIDEO) Dec. 22 comfortably at Laurel Park.
Bold Affair, the 2-5 favorite in the field of eight fillies and mares, tired in the stretch while attempting to win her third consecutive stakes at Laurel. She finished third.
Jeremy Rose guided Onepointhreekarats to victory for his third victory on the card. Onepointhreekarats, a 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro out of the Unreal Zeal mare Beaties for Real, was bred in Florida by Gilbert G. Campbell and is owned by Live Oak Plantation.
Onepointhreekarats, sent off as the 7-2 second choice, defeated Withgreatpleasure by 3 1/2 lengths and completed the one-turn mile test in 1:38.42 on a fast main track. The dark bay or brown filly, based at the nearby Fair Hill Training Center for Motion, posted her third consecutive triumph.
Leaving from the far outside post, Onepointhreekarats was forwardly placed as Whatabootie took the early lead over Access to Charlie and Bold Affair, who broke a step slowly for jockey Abel Castellano Jr. and settled in behind the leaders. Onepointhreekarats racing in hand while three-wide, advanced into second on the outside to challenge Whatabootie, who carved opening fractions of :24.19 and :47.79, after a half mile.
Onepointhreekarats, after six furlongs in 1:13.00, edged clear of Withgreatpleasure coming into the stretch and opened up by three lengths after being roused by Rose. She was ridden out to the wire as Withgreatpleasure and Travis Dunkelberger held second by two lengths over Bold Affair.
The favorite gave chase in the stretch after angling off the inside but failed to respond to urging late.
"She's getting special right now," said Rose, who is now 3-for-3 aboard Onepointhreekarats. "Graham and everybody have done a great job, and I had a lot of confidence going into the race. Today was her day and she showed it.
"I liked to see Bold Affair take back because I had her in my sights. My filly was comfortable the whole way, where I thought I had horse to finish, and if Bold Affair had enough horse we would have a race of it."
Improving her career earnings to $169,989 on a lifetime mark to 4-3-1 in 10 starts, Onepointhreekarats carried 118 pounds to victory and paid $9.60, $6, and $2.40. Withgreatpleasure, who shared the high weight assignment of 124 pounds with the favorite, returned $7.60 and $2.40 while completing a $57.80 exacta. Bold Affair paid $2.10 to show.
Onepointhreekarats, coming off a 4 1/4-length victory at Laurel over an allowance optional claiming field at one mile Nov. 3, is now 2-for-2 at the track.
Access to Charlie, Ms. Tiptaptoe, Plum, All About Hope, and Whatabootie completed the order. Narita scratched.
