Kaylasaurus Earns Second Stakes Win in $100,000 Primonetta

BALTIMORE – Proud Stable, Inc.’s Rough Sea, making his 30th career start and first in a stakes, powered through the stretch on the far outside and pulled clear to spring a 40-1 upset in Saturday’s $100,000 Native Dancer at Laurel Park.

The 54th running of the 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer for 3-year-olds and up and 34th edition of the six-furlong Primonetta for fillies and mares 3 and older were among five $100,000 stakes on the second of consecutive Spring Stakes Spectacular Saturdays.

Trained by Bruno Tessore and ridden by Denis Araujo for his second winner of the day, Rough Sea ($83) completed the distance in 1:51.76 over a fast main track. Bird King edged Plot the Dots by a neck for second, with Workin On a Dream fourth.

“He really sit really well today. He was five, sixth lengths off the leader, but he was [going] really nice,” Araujo said. “When we got to the corner, the leaders started to settle down and we got in a little tight spot there. I still waited and waited and when we turned for home and I asked him, he went for it and [he] made [me] the winner.”

Rough Sea’s Bruno Tessore-trained stablemate Big Venezuela was eager for the lead from the gate and set a pace of 23.32 seconds for a quarter-mile and 46.90 for the half, tracked on his outside by Ain’t Da Beer Cold, with Rough Sea saving ground in fifth along the rail. Araujo tipped outside midway around the far turn and found clear sailing for Rough Sea, who trailed three horses straightening for home.

Set down for a drive, Rough Sea came with a steady run to register his fifth career win. Tessore claimed the 9-year-old Include gelding for $12,500 out of a runner-up finish as the favorite in a one-mile off-the-turf claimer last fall at Laurel.

“I really like this horse going long. Actually, the longer the better, and I took a shot. I put the other horse just to go to the lead and make the pace a little bit faster, and it worked out perfect,” Tessore said. “Denis gave him a great ride. He’s a great rider coming off the pace, so everything worked out good for the horse today.

“They were going fast; 23, 46. That was pretty fast,” he added. “I was very impressed the horse was coming. Rough Sea was pretty close, six-seven lengths for them going that fast. But he closed and he did good. Again, the longer the better but I wasn’t expecting he was this good to win a stake.”

Kaylasaurus Earns Second Stakes Win in $100,000 Primonetta

Bush Racing Stable, Liberty House Racing, BlackRidge Stables and George Saufley’s Kaylasaurus came flying down the center of the track to pass fellow stakes winners Street Lute, Princess Kokachin and Prodigy Doll for a three-quarter-length triumph in Saturday’s $100,000 Primonetta.

Kaylasaurus ($5.20), under jockey Horacio Karamanos, earned her second stakes victory following a $25,000 claim by trainer Tim Kreiser last fall, winning for the first time since the Dec. 26 Willa On the Move at Laurel.

“She’s always been a pretty nice horse,” winning trainer Tim Kreiser said. “She’s definitely filled out, and I think she’s a lot stronger right now.”

Princess Kokachin, who beat Kaylasaurus by less than a length in a 5 ½-furlong allowance March 13 at Laurel, the last start for both horses, was quick from the gate and took the field through a quarter-mile in 23.37 seconds and a half in 46.49. Paisley Singing, sent off at 50-1, pressed from the inside while Prodigy Doll raced in the clear three wide in third with Street Lute another path out.

Karamanos gave Kaylasaurus clear run from the far outside post and followed Street Lute when the eight-time stakes winner making her first start since November ranged up on the leaders midway around the turn. Kaylasaurus was set down for the drive and was not affected when Street Lute drifted out slightly in mid-stretch, powering past the leaders and turning back Prodigy Doll late to win in 1:10.74 over a fast main track.

“Actually I was worried at the three-eighths pole that we were too close,” Kreiser said. “I guess Horacio knows her better than I do. He did what he wanted to do and it worked out.”

Prodigy Doll was second 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Street Lute, with Princess Kokachin another three-quarters of a length back in third. Princess Kokachin, Hope Has a Name and Paisley Singing completed the order of finish. Cinnabunny was scratched.

“She got a good break today,” Karamanos said. “The speed was going a little bit, not too far, but my filly was really comfortable. Usually she takes a little time to pick it up, but today she was right behind the first group. I just waited for the right moment and swung outside. Turning for home I let her run and she gave me a beautiful kick.”

Kaylasaurus, a 6-year-old daughter of Munnings, had been winless in three previous starts this year with a second in the Jan. 29 What a Summer and a fourth in the Feb. 19 Barbara Fritchie (G3), the latter beaten less than two lengths.

“Anyone who’s been in this sport, it takes a village just to get a horse to a stakes race let alone win it,” co-owner Dave Bushey said. “This is really special.”

Live racing returns to Laurel Park with an eight-race program Sunday starting at 12:40 p.m. The feature comes in Race 7, an entry-level allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up that drew an overflow field of 15 for one mile on the Dahlia turf course. Peter E. Blum’s homebred Get Serious, a last-out maiden winner March 12 at Tampa Bay Downs, is the 3-1 program favorite.