Two Maryland-breds, Takethemoneyhoney and Quint's Brew, were the stars of a multi-stakes card at Laurel Park Jan. 17.
Takethemoneyhoney delivered as the 1-10 favorite in the Geisha Stakes, a restricted stakes race for fillies and mares bred or sired in either Maryland or Virginia. Confidently handled by jockey Eliseo Ruiz, the 5-year-old daughter of Golden Lad shed early pace pressure on the turn of the one-turn mile event before drawing off to score by 6 1/4 lengths over Navani and Late Nite Call. The victory was her third at the stakes level and improved her record to 6-2-0 in eight starts for trainer Michael Moore and owner/breeders Kasey K Racing Stable, Michael Day, and Final Turn Racing Stable. She raced a mile on a fast track in 1:38.81, paying $2.20 to win.
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Later, Quint's Brew ($3) needed the length of the stretch to score a second consecutive Jennings Stakes victory in the race for older horses bred or sired in Maryland or Virginia.
In contrast to his win last year in the mile race, when he romped by 6 lengths, he was hard pressed to prevail, rallying to score by a nose by catching stretch leaders Blue Kingdom and Maclean's Rook. Ed Allard trains the homebred 5-year-old Mosler gelding for owners Paul Berube, Karen Linnell, and Heather Hunter. He ran faster than Takethemoneyhoney, timed in 1:37.37 under Yedsit Hazlewood.
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Point Dume's Win Sparks Emotions
The Saturday program also included two non-black-type overnight handicaps worth $100,000: The Fire Plug Overnight Handicap, won by Point Dume, and What a Summer Overnight Handicap, won by Passage East.
Point Dume—just like co-owner Bryan Bushey—simply refuses to quit. The 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding bravely turned back a bid from Chipotle to take the Fire Plug by a half-length.
"He puts everything forth. I mean, he doesn't give up. That's one thing that's important with this horse, and that's like me, I'm not giving up either," said an emotional Bushey, who has battled stage 4 pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed in the spring of 2024.
Front-running Point Dume's grittiness was on display. He appeared in danger of being caught by a surging Chipotle in midstretch, but he found more in reserve to turn him aside. The winner, who returned $8.60 to win in a competitive field, raced 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.09 after setting fractions of :22.39 and :45.47 under jockey Angel Cruz.
Chipotle finished a clear second with Petingas Twin grabbing third.
Tim Kreiser trains the gelding for Bush Racing Stable, headed by Bryan Bushey and his son, Dave. Point Dume was claimed by Kreiser and Bush Racing Stable for $40,000 in early July at Penn National Race Course. He is 3-for-7 since and 9-for-29 overall.
A race before Point Dume's victory, Passage East ($7.20), a 4-year-old daughter of Audible, rallied from fourth under Sheldon Russell to triumph by three-quarters of a length in the What a Summer. Dwelling Legacy was second, and Bolt Enoree third. A $30,000 claim in December 2024, Passage East went 6-3-1 in 10 starts last year for trainer Hugh McMahon and owner Larry Rabold before kicking off her 4-year-old campaign in the What a Summer.
