Salzman barn has clean sweep of Laurel juvenile races
Frank Vespe
May 7, 2023
Trainer John Salzman, Jr. has made a habit over the years of having horses ready for the first two-year-old races in Maryland. It’s a sound strategy; the population of juveniles ready to run in April and May is small, those ready to run and possessed of any talent smaller still.
As strategies go, this one can’t work any better than it has so far this year.
On Sunday – with owner, and wife, Marla Salzman decked out in a Rolling Stones concert t-shirt – Salzman sent out Jumpingjaggerlfash to a 2 ½-length victory in a 4 ½-furlong contest that was Laurel’s second two-year-old race of the year. Two days earlier, the trainer had won the first with Low Mileage.
“It makes it fun,” Salzman joked. “We just got to go back now and restock. We’re out of stock now.”
Actually, he admitted, he expects to have two more, “a boy and a girl,” ready for the Pimlico meet that begins Thursday and runs through June 4. In the meantime, though, these two winners will pay a few bills.
“I’m happy they both ran good,” the trainer said. “I liked both of these horses. I’ll probably run them back June 11 – they’ve got two stakes at Belmont [the Astoria for filles and the Tremont].”
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On Friday, Low Mileage, a Virginia-bred filly by Mineshaft with Jevian Toledo in the irons, was away a touch slowly, stalked the pace, and angled out in the stretch to run past 2-1 favorite Buckin’ Great and win by 1 ¼ lengths in 53.46 seconds for 4 ½ furlongs.
“It was really exciting, especially when she didn’t break good,” said Bird Mobberley, who, with Grady Griffin, owns Low Mileage. “Coming out of the one-hole, if you don’t break good, you’re kind of behind the eight ball, and she went on and prevailed.”
First-timers are often reluctant to pass other horses, but Low MIleage did it like a pro. She was five lengths back and in fourth after the opening quarter-mile and still two back of Buckin’ Great with a furlong to go.
Speaking of pros, Jumpingjaggerflash looked good himself. As Tocayo bid for the lead, Jumpingjaggerflash, a Maryland-bred son of Street Magician, ran straight as a string through the lane. His rival, meanwhile, wandered about greenly as his rider tried to keep him from lugging in.
With Jaime Rodriguez up, Jumpingjaggerflash completed the course in 53.29.
For the Salzman barn, it was a good way to end a productive Laurel sojourn. He’s won with six of 23 starters at Laurel so far this year and grabbed a stakes win with Coffeewithchris in the Miracle Wood – all sandwiching multiple racing days lost to track issues during the meet.
“I’m glad we got to run it at Laurel,” Salzman said. “If this didn’t go today, then we have to go to Pimlico, then you’ve got to ship them, and it’s all different to them. So I’m just glad we got you done here.”
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william m lindes
09th May 2023I knew Jumpingjaggerflash was going to win Sundays 3rd race. Identical works to Low Mileage, good win early breeding, and the competing connections pretty weak. So I had $80 pick 3 ready to go that would have returned close to a $1000. Last min, canceled ticket, and put pick 5 ticket in instead. We all know how this story ends….. Took longshot off ticket in 2nd and so it goes…. The classic, “why did you do that move” we all do as horseplayers. Nice job Mr.Salzman.