By Dick Jerardi
Trainer Butch Reid has won Grade I races, Breeders’ Cup races, races with $1 million purses, graded stakes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Kentucky, and Ohio. But he never had a day and night like Thanksgiving Eve when he won three stakes in a day for the first time.
And a big reason he did not win four stakes is because jockey Mychel Sanchez who won the three stakes for Reid, just beat a Reid trainee in a fourth for Jamie Ness, who like Sanchez, is going to win another title at Parx in 2025. As December beckons, Sanchez, after winning six races in a day for the first time (five at Parx, including three stakes and one stake at Penn National), is just 20 shy of his stated goal of 300 winners this year.
It began when the very talented Mailata, under Sanchez, stamped himself as a 3-year-old to watch in 2026 when he took the lead at the start of the $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx and never looked anything but a winner, his stride still straight and true at the wire of what became a 3 1/2-length win that resulted in a 79 Beyer figure.
It looked very much like Reid had his second win of a five stakes Parx afternoon when the venerable Ninetyprecentmaddie opened up in the stretch of the $75,000 Turkey Trot only to be caught in the final strides by 6–5 favorite Call Me Fast (Ness and Sanchez) to fall a head short.
“We claimed him in Saratoga,” Ness said. “The horse eased across the wire (29 1/2 lengths behind), walked across the wire. So we’re like that’s got to be voided or something. Nope, we’re stuck with it. We were crying the blues. Then, here we are three months later in a stakes race, Crazy how this game works out.”
The 1-2 favorite Maximus Meridius (Reid, Sanchez) crossed the wire first by a head in the $75,000 Let’s Give Thanks Stakes at 4:25 p.m. The trainer said: “I have not yet (won three stakes in a day). I can’t say enough about the people that work for me, the whole outfit.”
After a 110-mile ride west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Reid and Sanchez made it to Penn National in time for Tough Guy Tony’s race in the $50,000 South Mountain. The 6-5 favorite came out of the gate at 7:47 p.m., stalked the pace, took over in the stretch and won by 1 length. So Reid had those three stakes wins in a day and Sanchez his six wins in a day.
Chuck Zacney’s Cash Is King LLC is partnered with Glenn Bennett’s LC Racing LLC on Mailata and Maximus Meridius. Bennett owns the other two horses outright.
Mailata is a still-developing colt with a very bright future.
“The way he ran today it’s very exciting,” Sanchez said.
It is indeed.
“The advancement is amazing,” Reid said. “Anybody who was around his first start, was loose twice, just was a wild horse, we couldn’t get him under control.”
Maitata, named after Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, was relaxed before the Nursery and brilliant during the race.
“He’s a big long striding horse and I think he’ll run as far as we need to,” Reid said.
The Jerome and the Withers at Aqueduct this winter will be races under consideration.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Bennett said. “We’re trying to get to those races and run in them competitively and hopefully get to the Big Dance (the Kentucky Derby) someday. Not going to get ahead of ourselves, but today was a nice win.”
Speed was very good at Parx Wednesday. The two other stakes, the $75,000 Cornucopia and the $100,000 Shamrock Rose, were both won gate to wire, the first by Alani, claimed for $75,000 on Dec. 18, 2024. Since then, she has raced 12 times for trainer Michael Moore with six wins, four seconds, and earnings of $325,300 Alani, sent off at 5-2 and ridden by Andy Hernandez, was in a duel until deep stretch with 9-5 favorite Mega Mil but edged away late to win by 2 lengths.
“We’ve claimed some horses for a bunch of money this year, “Moore said. ” You hope the horse turns out good, gets a little better, which she absolutely has. But I could never imagine these big races. She’s won a couple stakes now, she’s just been great.”
Like Alani, 5-1 Divine Intentions, had the 1 post and early speed in the Shamrock Rose for trainer Tyler Servis and jockey Frankie Pennington. She went right to the front and was never threatened, winning by 3 lengths.
“Today, the way the track was playing, I knew if I got the lead, she would be very tough to beat, “Pennington said. “I think she’s got a lot of potential. I think eventually she might even want to go longer.”
Longer, of course, is where the big money awaits in 2026. Bennett. Zacney and Reid are a combination that is going to get a live Derby horse eventually. Whether Mailata is the one will be determined over time. Can’t wait to find out.
