Beth’s Dream Becomes Stakes Winner in $100,000 Heavenly Cause

BALTIMORE – Mopo Racing’s Alwaysinahurry drove past Hello Hot Rod down the stretch Saturday to give trainer Phillip Capuano his first stakes victory in the $100,000 Frank Whiteley at Laurel Park.

A 5-year-old son of Great Notion, Alwaysinahurry won the Concern Stakes in 2021 and Howard and Sondra Bender Stakes in November when trained by Dale Capuano, Phillip’s retired uncle. Coming into the Whiteley, Alwaysinahurry had troubled trips in his three prior starts. But Saturday he had no problems driving outside Hello Hot Rod down the stretch under jockey Jorge Ruiz while covering seven furlongs in 1:24.05.

“He’s definitely had a couple lack-luster trips,” Capuano said. “The last start, on the inside, checked, swung six wide, came running at the end. But he always trains good and right there knocking on the door and today he burst through.”

On his first stakes victory, Capuano said, ““It’s nice. I have so many people rooting for me. I wish I had the time to thank everybody. It feels good knowing that people want to see me succeed and do well. It’s a humbling feeling, very humbling, and I’m very grateful for everything.”

“It’s been such a blessing to have this opportunity for the owners Mopo to bestow this horse and everyone else upon me,” he continued. “I can’t thank them enough. This horse has been training so good. It’s just very humbling to have this opportunity and to win my first stakes.”

Off at 9-1, Alwaysinahurry was rated fifth early by jockey Jorge Ruiz past a :23.27 opening quarter behind the pacesetter Kenny Had a Notion. Hello Hot Rod took the lead entering the stretch from Kenny Had a Notion but Alwaysinahurry moved four wide entering the stretch and took a clear lead inside the final sixteenth, returning $19.20. Hello Hot Rod held second while Yodel E.A. Who was third and Bankit fourth. Witty was a late scratch.

The 11th running of the seven-furlong Whiteley for 3-year-olds and up and 21st renewal of the $100,000 Heavenly Cause for fillies and mares 3 and older going one mile served as supporting stakes on an 11-race program headlined by the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds and $125,000 Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies.

It was the first of consecutive Spring Stakes Spectacular Saturdays at Laurel, to be followed April 22 with a program serving up five $100,000 stakes including the first three of the season scheduled for its world-class turf course.

The Whiteley honors the Centreville, Md. native best known as of the trainer of Ruffian, ranked among the greatest fillies of all time, as well as fellow superstars Damascus and Forego and 1965 Preakness winner Tom Rolfe. Whiteley joined Ruffian and Damascus in racing’s Hall of Fame in 1978 and was followed by Forego in 1979. He retired in 1984 after a career spanning six decades and died in Camden, S.C. in 2008 at age 93.

Beth’s Dream Becomes Stakes Winner in $100,000 Heavenly Cause

Virginia and James Gamble’s Beth’s Dream, a South Florida shipper racing at a new track but going her favorite distance, became a stakes winner for the first time in Saturday’s $100,000 Heavenly Cause.

Ridden by Jaime Rodriguez for Gulfstream Park-based trainer Victor Barboza Jr., Beth’s Dream ($4.80) was sent off as the 7-5 favorite by the betting public and hit the wire comfortably in front by two lengths in 1:38.32 over a fast main track, improving her to 4-0 lifetime at one mile.

A 50-1 long shot, Hashtag Lucky was intent on the lead from the gate and went the first-quarter mile in 24.63 seconds with Rodriguez keeping Beth’s Dream in the clear three wide and Award Wanted in third between horses. Award Wanted moved up to take the lead after a half in 49.17 with Rodriguez content to sit chilly in third before giving Beth’s Dream her cue mid-way around the far turn.

“[Barboza] called me and told me, ‘If you can break, see how the race plays out. If you see [horses] going to the lead and killing each other, just sit off a little bit from them. But if you see nobody wants to go and you can go to the lead, go from there,’” Rodriguez said. “I said, ‘OK that’s fine.’ I was so comfortable on the backside and she had her ears [pricked] and everything. I was loaded.”

Beth’s Dream straightened for home in front and remained in command through the stretch despite not changing leads, drawing away to her fifth win from 10 starts and first in a stakes after placing twice, both going 1 1/16 miles including the Wayward Lass Jan. 14 at Tampa Bay Downs in her season debut off six months away. In her prior start, Beth’s Dream romped to an eight-length optional claiming victory March 17 at Gulfstream.

“[Barboza] told me, ‘That’s her. Don’t worry about her. She’s never going to change leads. If she changes, great, but if not don’t force her. Just let her be,’” Rodriguez said. “Every time I kind of asked her a little bit she gave me more and I said, ‘Not yet, not yet.’ Once we turned for home I hit her once and she just took off.

“I’m very happy for the mare,” Barboza said from his South Florida base. “The mare is a very nice mare. I’m very happy. The owner will be breeding the mare. I don’t know the plan right now but probably going to run at Monmouth. Her only bad race was at Monmouth [in the Molly Pitcher], she had a problem in the race.”

Grade 1-placed Pass the Champagne, fourth in Laurel’s Barbara Fritchie (G3) Feb. 18 in her prior start, made a late run to be second, 4 ¼ lengths ahead of Award Wanted. Moma Tiger, Mavilus, Deco Strong, multiple stakes winner Hybrid Eclipse and Hashtag Lucky completed the order of finish.

Named for the Maryland-bred mare trained by Hall of Famer Woody Stephens whose eight career stakes wins included the 1981 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1) and 1980 Frizette (G1) and Selima (G1), the latter at Laurel, the Heavenly Cause returned to the stakes calendar last year for the first time since 2003.

Named for the Maryland-bred mare trained by Hall of Famer Woody Stephens whose eight career stakes wins included the 1981 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Acorn (G1) and 1980 Frizette (G1) and Selima (G1), the latter at Laurel, the Heavenly Cause returned to the stakes calendar last year for the first time since 2003.