another big day at parx north

By Dick Jerardi

If this keeps up, they are going to put up barriers around New York City to keep those invaders from Parx out of Aqueduct, aka Parx North.

Trainer Butch Reid, of course, is the chief culprit, having regularly won Aqueduct stakes in recent years. He was at it again Saturday, but, before Reid could win another stakes, trainer Lou Linder was winning his first New York stakes. Not only did he win the $125,000 Ruthless, he ran 1-2.

Volleyballprincess did not just win the 7-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies; she crushed it, winning by 10 lengths at 10-1. Her stablemate Ourdaydreaminggirl came on to be second. Jockey Eliseo Ruiz, who finished a strong second in the 2024 Parx standings, rode the winner who got a career best 77 Beyer figure.

“That was helluva day for everybody, things you dream of right,” Linder said.

Linder had the two longest shots in the five-horse field, but knew what he had.

“We’ve always been high on Volleyballprincess,” Linder said. “She just missed a lot of training and the mud didn’t help her in” (the Future Stars Fillies on Dec. 30 at Parx when she was a well beaten third to Hollywood Beauty who was 5-2 in the Ruthless for trainer Marya Montoya and checked in third, making it a Parx 1-2-3).

“She works so hard when she works, we backed off on her,” Linder said. “We made her work a little bit slower just to have something in the tank. Ruiz worked her in her last work and said she won’t get beat. He was right.”

Asked if he was as confident as his jockey and bet on his filly, Linder said: “Yes, I made a few bucks.” In fact, he had the 3-2 Linder-Linder exacta.

They bought the filly for $17,000 at the Ocala Sale last April. Linder remembered walking by her as they were showing her to somebody else and said: “well, she’s stocky, I think she’ll make a nice sprinter around Parx. When I went to look at her, I saw she bucked both shins in her breeze and that dropped her price considerably. That’s why we got her for 17.”

He said he knew he would have to turn her out after the sale because of the shins, but he liked her enough they took a shot and it has really paid off. The filly is a rarity in that she is a North Carolina bred, but that meant nothing to Linder. He liked what he saw and acted accordingly.

Owners Bran Jam Stable (Michael Mellen) and David Clark got the 1-2 purse money. It really was quite a day. Mellen is from Connecticut, Clark from South Carolina. They became clients through Linder’s relationship with California trainer Peter Eurton. It’s been a great connection with the promise of more on the way.

Maximus Meridius was always a horse with great promise. Two years ago, Reid called him the best 2-year-old in his barn before he ever started. While the colt was always solid, running second in two Aqueduct stakes last spring, Reid always thought there was more there. So the decision was made last fall to geld him. And MM has been great ever since, running nothing but 90+ Beyers, culminating with wins at Aqueduct in the Dec. 28 Gravesend and Saturday’s $175,000 Toboggan.

“He’s never been a bad actor, but he just got to where he was waiting on horses,’’ Reid said. “He would make the lead and we just felt like there was more there that we weren’t getting out of him. It turned out to be a correct assumption and has made him a different horse.”

Last five Beyers: 93, 92, 95, 94 and Saturday a career-best 98.

And he needed a career top to hold off the rally of a very accomplished Runninsonofagun (third in the 2022 Gallant Bob at Parx and earner of more than $600,000).

Top Parx jockey Mychel Sanchez put 6-1 Maximus Meridius on the lead from the start. When the final challenge came, horse and rider were ready. Rather than give up that lead, Maximus Meridius held off the challenge and won it by a neck.

“He’s gotten much tougher,” Reid said. “He’s much more serious. He acted great in the paddock again.”

And if he keeps getting better, what is the ceiling?

Long range, perhaps the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar, Reid suggested. The trainer also thinks a one-turn mile could work. Might be something for the horse Belmont weekend at Saratoga. Whatever, there will be plenty of opportunities this spring, summer and fall.

Maximus Meridius is closing on $500,000 in career earnings for owners Reid, LC Racing (Glenn Bennett) and Cash Is King (Chuck Zacney). He has only raced 14 times and there is every reason to believe the best is yet to come.

The hopes for a perfect Parx weekend at the Big A were dashed when Global Steve did not fire in the Withers, checking in sixth. Reid, who trains the 3-year-old, for Zacney and Bennett, was not discouraged.

“He just didn’t look like he was in his element at any point to me,” Reid said.

Might have just been too much too soon (ship, two turns), Reid suggested. But the trainer still sees a bright future for Global Steve.

“He’s really bred for grass and the synthetic,” Reid said. “He’s a solid horse. He came back good. We still have high still expectations for him.”

 

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