Search Party finds a way to score in Martha Washington
Search Party navigated traffic in the stretch and edged long shot Newtown Pike by a neck Friday in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn, capping a three-win day for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres guided the victory in the 1 1/16-mile race for eight 3-year-old fillies, which awarded 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers. The Martha Washington, Oaklawn's first of three Oaks qualifiers, had been delayed six days because of a winter storm that also shut down training for nine days from Jan. 24 through Feb. 1.
Knickleandime (19-1), with Rafael Bejarano aboard, broke sharply and led the field through a modest half-mile in 47.83 seconds after a first quarter in 23.10. Maximum Offer (19-1), ridden by Emmanuel Esquivel for trainer Kenny McPeek, stalked from second. Search Party (4-1) settled into third along the rail, and 3-5 favorite Counting Stars – a multiple Oaklawn stakes winner also trained by Casse – tracked in fourth.
The race changed shape around the far turn. Knickleandime maintained the lead through three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.31, but Counting Stars began retreating and eventually finished last of eight. Newtown Pike (28-1), under Abel Cedillo, advanced from seventh into contention with a sweeping move through the bend.
Maximum Offer poked her head in front entering the stretch through a mile in 1:39.10, with Knickleandime battling on her inside. Search Party found herself behind a wall of horses turning for home, but Torres shifted her to the outside and found running room in the upper stretch. Newtown Pike shadowed her from the outside.
Search Party finally collared Knickleandime and Maximum Offer in the final 50 yards and held off the persistent Newtown Pike to stop the clock in 1:45.56 on the fast main track. The top four finishers were separated by a length, with Knickleandime a half-length behind Newtown Pike in third and Maximum Offer another neck back in fourth.
Hit Parade (4-1), trained by Brad Cox with Luis Saez up, never mounted a serious rally and finished fifth. Spitfire, Grace Is Free and Counting Stars completed the order of finish.
Search Party paid $10.20, $5.80 and $4.40. Newtown Pike returned $17.60 and $10.00 to place. Knickleandime paid $8.20 to show. The $1 exacta returned $95.40, and the 50-cent trifecta paid $361.65.
A daughter of 2017 horse of the year Gun Runner, Search Party collected 20 Oaks qualifying points in her stakes debut. She races for breeder and owner Tracy Farmer and improved her record to 6: 2-1-2 with earnings of $276,211. Search Party broke her maiden by six lengths going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn on Dec. 27 in her previous start.
The victory pushed Casse's meet record to 14 for 27. The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame member also sent out Counting Stars, but the multiple local stakes winner never factored after dropping to the back of the field on the far turn.