From Laurel Park Publicity
LAUREL, Md. (Nov. 26, 2021) – Eric Rizer’s homebred Princess Kokachin, taking a four-race win streak into her stakes debut, outran multiple stakes-winning favorite Hello Beautiful for the early lead and never stopped, then waited out a short inquiry to pull the upset in Friday’s $75,000 Politely at Laurel Park.
Princess Kokachin, a Maryland-bred daughter of California stallion Graydar, was ridden by Xavier Perez for trainer John ‘Jerry’ Robb, who also teamed up to win the last edition of the Politely in 2019 with Anna’s Bandit. Princess Kokachin ($14.40) completed the distance in 1:11.22 over a fast main track. It was 5 ½ lengths back to Never Enough Time in second, and another 1 ¼ lengths to 53-1 longshot Paisley Singing in third.
The 39th running of the six-furlong Politely for fillies and mares 3 and up was the first of two stakes restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses on the post-Thanksgiving Day program, followed by the fifth renewal of the $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for 4-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs.
Hello Beautiful, who entered the race having won three consecutive stakes to bring her career total to eight, was edged at the wire by Brittany Russell-trained stablemate Miss Chesapeake and wound up last of five, producing show payoffs of $21.20, $15.60 and $55.80.
“I just told Xavier to ride her the same way he always does. Don’t worry about who’s in the race, just ride your race, and it worked out good,” Robb said. “[Hello Beautiful] couldn’t keep up with us, and the one post is not good if you can’t keep up. It worked out perfect.”
She broke alertly from Post 2 while 4-year-old Hello Beautiful and jockey Jevian Toledo, sent off at 1-5, gave chase from their rail spot. Once Princess Kokachin established command on the backstretch, Toledo took up slightly and Hello Beautiful dropped back to fourth as the leader set fractions of 21.98 and 45.12 seconds.
Toledo set Princess Kokachin down for the drive once straightened for home and she opened up through the lane to improve to 7-for-11 lifetime. Toledo lodged an objection against Perez for interference, which was quickly dismissed.
“I asked Xavier and he said he was clear, so I was good after that,” Robb said. The trainer scratched stablemate Street Lute from the Politely in favor of Saturday’s $100,000 Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies.
“I thought we would outrun [Hello Beautiful] and I thought the one-hole would hurt her, and it worked out the way we thought it would,” Robb said. “I just wanted to separate my two fillies, and hopefully I can win tomorrow, too.”
The Politely honors Maryland’s Horse of the Year in 1967 and 1968, bred and raced by Mrs. Richard du Pont. Politely won 13 stakes and placed in eight others from age 2 to 5, setting an Atlantic City track record in the 1967 Matchmaker and matching it the following year. Retired following the 1968 season, she won 21 of 49 career starts and was a member of the inaugural Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Class of 2013.