John Jones extends winning streak to three at Laurel

Matthew Schera’s John Jones led every step of the way in extending his win streak to three races with a three-length triumph in Saturday’s featured ninth race at Laurel Park.

Rained off the Kelso Turf Course to a good main track and scratched down to a field of three, John Jones ($3) ran one mile in 1:37.42 as a 1-2 betting favorite in the $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

A gelded 4-year-old son of Smarty Jones out of the Polish Numbers mare Chrusciki, John Jones is now undefeated in three starts since being claimed July 17 for $25,000 by trainer Lacey Gaudet, including a 43-1 upset of Ben’s Cat in the Mister Diz Stakes on grass Aug. 20.

“I was more nervous for him to run today than I was the last two races. Three-horse fields are very tough. It’s where you [can] get yourself beat,” Gaudet said. “[Furyofthenorsemen] breathed down his neck the whole way around there. Luckily everybody rode their race. I was a little afraid of them gunning them out there to try and kill that speed and then [Savvy Street] made a run around the turn. He was making up that ground, but this horse he just loves competition and dug right on in.”

Jockey Luis Garcia, aboard for all three wins, got John Jones out cleanly and settled along the rail on the lead through a quarter-mile in 25.09 seconds, a half in 48.64 and six furlongs in 1:12.89, with Furyofthenorsemen at his right flank while Savvy Street was unhurried several lengths back.

Savvy Street, the 2015 Miracle Wood Stakes winner, began to get rolling as the field rounded the far turn while Furyofthenorseman ranged up to challenge John Jones on the lead once they straightened for home. Garcia coaxed another gear from John Jones past the eighth pole to pull away.

“Being on the turf, it was going to be our first test with him going two turns, plus on a soft turf course. The last time he ran a mile and a sixteenth on the turf course, he did stop because of the speed. I don’t think it held that day,” Gaudet said. “So, this was ideally what we wanted; to come off, a one-turn mile back on the dirt, and a short field.”

Gaudet said John Jones would likely be pointed to Laurel’s Claiming Crown Preview Day Nov. 6, which offers automatic berths to all nine races in the 17th Claiming Crown Dec. 3 at Gulfstream Park.

Notes: For the third time in five live racing days, trainer Mary Eppler saddled a pair of winners with Convoyarie ($29.60) in the second race and Oak Bluffs ($3.60) in the sixth. Jockeys Jevian Toledo and Victor Carrasco each posted a riding double. Toledo won with Sola Fide ($5.60) in the first and Moon Virginia ($8) in the seventh, and Carrasco was first with Oak Bluffs ($3.60) in the sixth and Include Gold ($4.80) in the 10th.

Source: Maryland Jockey Club