Trainer Mike Maker built on his big win May 14 with Army Wife in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) the following day when Special Reserve, a $40,000 claim earlier in the year, impressed in the $142,500 Maryland Sprint Match Series Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. The 5-year-old son of Midshipman covered the six furlongs in a zippy 1:08.91, defeating favored Strike Power by 1 3/4 lengths. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Frosted Grace in third.
Special Reserve races for Peter Proscia's Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher. It was a raucous crew in the winner's circle and the celebration was well deserved. Since the Feb. 6 claim the gelding has won two of three starts, finishing second in Keeneland's Commonwealth Stakes (G3) to the crack sprinter Flagstaff in the start prior to the Maryland Sprint.
"Dave is a little more quiet like myself but Peter is very enthusiastic and both of them love the game," said Maker.
"Peter Proscia is a Ragozin Sheets guy and the horse was in at Oaklawn. He said, 'We have to have this horse,' so we claimed him," said Maker. "He had a bit of a bleeding issue that we addressed and got taken care of, and the rest is history. The bleeding issue … that was about all we could find, but he ran without Lasix last time and ran without Lasix this time. He's a nice horse.
"We liked him because he was still eligible for the non-winner of two 'other than' (allowance level) and he was in for the claim that day. He came back and ran in the same condition."
Irad Ortiz Jr. was up in the Maryland Sprint. His instructions aboard the 7-2 shot were pretty simple.
"I just legged up Irad and said, 'Good luck,' that was about it," Maker said. "The horse has some natural speed and we knew he'd be forwardly placed."
Strike Power set the early pace of :22.94 and :45.38 prior to the winner taking over as the field came out of the turn. The five furlongs went in :56.77.
Special Reserve, out of the Hard Spun mare Love Spun, was bred in Kentucky by Russell L. Reineman Stable. Consigned by War Horse Place, he was a $60,000 purchase by Exclusive Equine Investments during the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale. He was then a $140,000 buy for Doyle Williams from Top Line Sales at the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales' March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Special Reserve had moderate success before the claim and now has a 6-1-7 mark from 19 starts and has earned $358,647.
Video: Maryland Sprint Match Series S. (G3)
Mighty Mischief Sharp in Chick Lang
Trainer Steve Asmussen's stranglehold on Pimlico's Chick Lang Stakes (G3) continued Saturday when William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's homebred Mighty Mischief won the $200,000, six-furlong race in 1:09.74 in his stakes debut. The Asmussen-trained Jaxon Traveler was 1 1/4 lengths back in second.
Asmussen has won the Chick Lang five times, and three of the last four with 3-year-olds for the Heiligbrodts. Eventual sprint male champion Mitole won the event in 2018 and last year Yaupon was the victor.
Mighty Mischief is a Kentucky-bred son of leading sire Into Mischief and is the first foal out of the Heiligbrodt's Wealth Creation (Super Saver). Wealth Creation is out of the Heiligbrodt's stakes-winning Lunargal, a half sister to graded stakes winners Lunarpal and Astrology.
Mighty Mischief and the Maryland-bred Jaxon Traveler were the heavy hitters in the Chick Lang: Jaxon Traveler, winner of the April 24 Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park, was the even-money favorite while Mighty Mischief was the 9-5 second choice, having previously won two of three starts. Jaxon Traveler was 2 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Hemp.
Jaxon Traveler, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, broke first, but Mighty Mischief and Ricardo Santana Jr. quickly took the early advantage in the six-horse cast. Mighty Mischief cruised along, tracked by Willy Boi, in splits of :23.16 and :45.97 over a fast track. As Jaxon Traveler advanced, Mighty Mischief shot clear and had a two-length advantage at the eighth pole after five furlongs in :57.62.
Santana scored his third victory in the Chick Lang, all coming on Asmussen trainees.
"They're both quality horses," Asmussen said of his two starters on Saturday. "The race might have been a little quick back for Jaxon Traveler. He didn't have as much speed as he normally does and the race might have gotten away from him from the half-mile pole to the three-eighths.
"They are similar in size and look," the Hall of Famer said. "When they were walking over, they were just a little bit different colored."
Mighty Mischief ran second in his bow Feb. 7 at Oaklawn Park, then was an impressive wire-to-wire 3 1/4-length maiden winner March 19 in Arkansas going six furlongs. He returned at Oaklawn April 10 with a 4 1/2-length score at six panels against allowance optional claiming company.
Saturday's victory was worth $120,000, lifting his career earnings to $255,200.
