LAUREL, MD – Runnymede Racing’s Always Mining continued his recent string of dominating performances on Saturday after he cruised home strongly to win the $100,000 Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park.
Breaking sharply from post 2 under Daniel Centeno as the heavy 3/5 favorite, Always Mining shot right to the lead and held command by a little over 1 length while posting opening fractions of :24.23, :47.51, and 1:11.29. Still in hand as he straightened for home, Always Mining responded alertly when asked and drew off in the stretch impressively. The Kelly Rubley trainee, outweighing his five opponents by 4 pounds, crossed with a 4 1/4-length advantage in a final time of 1:35.27 for the mile-long event over the fast main track.
“I thought it was brilliant,” Rubley said. “We got to go :24 for the first quarter, which was ideal. I thought we’d get some pressure today, so that was perfect. They let him get away with it and Danny felt he had a lot of horse at the end.”
While the rest of the field never posed much of a threat to the winner, there was a tight battle for second. California invader Gray Magician held off a late charge from Tybalt to take second by a nose, with Wendell Fong just a 1/2-length behind them along the rail in fourth. Mount Travers and Trainfourtwentyone were strung out farther back and completed the order of finish.
Always Mining’s win was his third straight stakes score and his fourth straight overall to improve his career record to 10-5-0-1. The 3-year-old gelded son of Stay Thirsty has now earned $251,192 and will likely stay at home for his next start, possibly the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes on March 16.
Always Mining returned $3.40 to win, $2.40 to place, and $2.10 to show. Gray Magician brought back $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show, while Tybalt paid $3.80 to show.
