(reprinted from the Maryland Jockey Club, go to www.marylandracing.com for more)
Red's Round Table Slams The Field In The Marshua Stakes
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LAUREL, MD. 02-05-11---Arnold Heft’s Red’s Round Table shook off all comers and sped away to win today’s feature at Laurel Park, the $75,000 Marshua Stakes for three-year-old fillies. Sent to post as the 6-5 favorite, the daughter of Cuvee dueled for the lead before drawing away to a commanding victory. The Tim Keefe trainee completed the six furlong distance over the sloppy going in 1:13.40 and won by 4-3/4 lengths. Heather rallied from last to take second and Sweet Susan finished third. Laurel’s leading rider Sheldon Russell was aboard the winner. She paid $4.40. “This filly has just gotten better and better with every run,” said Russell. “Having the outside post was an advantage. She doesn’t have to be in front but naturally she is always going to sit close because she has early speed. She did everything right today. When I asked her she switched to her right lead and really did sprint away from them.”
This was Red’s Round Table’s third straight stakes victory following tallies in the White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware and the Only Queens at Aqueduct to end her juvenile campaign. She is now five-of-six lifetime and has replaced the recently retired Celtic Innis ($648,638 in earnings) as the barn star. “She had some big shoes to fill,” said Keefe. “We were looking for this kind of horse. She stepped up and she keeps running race after race after race. She is small and unassuming. There’s not a whole lot to her except her heart. She wants to win.” For 13 years Heft, a former co-owner of the Baltimore Bullets and NBA referee, met with Boston Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach and eight others friends, including Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, award winning journalist John Feinstein and former Washington Post sports editor George Solomon, for Tuesday lunches in Washington D.C. “We continued to meet after Red passed away (Oct. 2006) and convinced Arnie to name the horse Red’s Round Table,” Solomon said. “We all feel we are part of the ownership group but Arnie said we could only be a part of it if we helped pay to feed the horse.” Morning line favorite Full Moon Blues scratched. -MJC-
