Page McKenney, now 7, had not been postward since finishing second in the $1.25 million Charles Town Classic last April. He was going to be favored in the $300,000 Pimlico Special in May, but trainer Mary Eppler scratched him the morning of the race due to swelling in a tendon.
The injury wasn’t serious, but Eppler didn’t want to take any chances with her stable star and gave him plenty of time to recuperate. She handwalked him at her Pimlico barn for three months and then sent him to Nor Mar Farm in northern Maryland to regain his stamina on the facility’s AquaTred. Eppler worked Page McKenney nine times in preparation for his comeback.
The Native Dancer was the 16th victory since Eppler and owner Adam Staple claimed him for $16,000 out of a sixth-place finish in a nonwinners-of-two at Penn National in July 2013. He now has earnings of $1.45 million.
Horacio Karamanos gave Page McKenney a smooth ride in the Native Dancer. He settled him off the early pace of Warrioroftheroses and Red Dragon Tattoo, took the lead outside Warrioroftheroses entering the stretch, drew clear, and then held the advantage.
The Native Dancer was the 14th straight time Karamanos has ridden Page McKenney, whose honesty has made him one of the most popular horses in the Mid-Atlantic region. The win was the third on the Saturday card for Karamanos.
Bodhisattva finished strongly in a belated bid to be second, a nose ahead of Cosmic Destiny in third.
Source: Jim Dunleavy, DRF