Action Andy edges Il Villano in De Francis Memorial Dash

The Laurel fall meet has proven to be a big one for Robert Gerczak's Action

Andy. Three weeks after taking the Maryland Million Sprint by 2 3/4 lengths, the

five-year-old gelding delivered a thrilling photo-finish score in Saturday's

$350,000

Frank

J. De Francis Memorial Dash, the centerpiece of Laurel's six-stakes Fall

Festival of Racing.

Under Horacio Karamanos, Action Andy endured a wide stalking trip in fifth

down the backside as Bet the Power and Alsvid traded leads through splits of :22

and :45 2/5. Alsvid put that rival entering the stretch, but came under

immediate pressure from the likes of three-year-old Il Villano and Action Andy,

who could not be separated in their duel through the final sixteenth and just

barely at the wire. When the photo was developed, it showed that Action Andy got

his nostril on the line first in a time of 1:10 3/5 for six furlongs on the fast

main track.

"I was a little worried at the sixteenth pole, but I know when he kicks he

keeps coming," winning trainer Carlos Garcia said. "He trained better than he

ever has coming into this race and Horacio rode him to perfection. That was an

extremely nice horse he beat today. They both wanted to win; you could see that.

But I guess he wanted it more."

Regional grass sprinting powerhouse Ben's Cat let down his guard in his title

defense of the $148,000

Laurel

Dash over six furlongs. Opening up a two-length lead in the stretch while

under minimal encouragement, the millionaire saw his undefeated Laurel turf

record snapped at five wins when the three-year-old filly Jazzy Idea closed with

a rush through the long stretch to take the firm-turf heat by three-quarters of

a length while besting her own course record in a time of 1:07 1/5. The 2-1

second choice under Elvis Trujillo, Jazzy Idea paid $6.80, $3.60 and $2.80.

"I'm speechless," owner-trainer Ed Merryman said. "Maybe I should have run

her next week (in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint). Her style of just sitting off

the pace suited this race perfect today. I left it up to Elvis to go whenever he

wanted. She's three-for-three on Laurel turf now and before today Ben's Cat was

five-for-five. She is far and above the best horse I have ever had my hands on."

This was the fifth stakes win of the season for Jazzy Idea, whose prior black

type triumphs included the overnight Thirty Flags at Belmont and Crank It Up at

Monmouth Park, as well as the Jameela and Maryland Million Oaks at the present

Laurel stand. Jazzy Idea had previously set the six-furlong course standard with

her three-length win in the Jameela in a time of 1:07 2/5.

Silver Screamer posted her second six-figure stakes win of the season in the

$100,500

Lady Baltimore over 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The gray four-year-old enjoyed

a close-up stalking trip in third to the stretch when she overtook long-time

leader Laughing. Opening up a half-length on that rival a furlong out, the 4-1

third choice was under pressure late to hold off that one's re-rally by a neck

with second choice Federation another neck behind in third.

Under Jose Espinoza, Silver Screamer paid $10.40, $6 and $4 after completing

the distance in 1:40 3/5.

"She is very professional and very relaxed," Espinoza said. "She broke well

and she just relaxed into stride. I didn't have any trouble at all during the

race and at the end of the race she could tell they were coming and she kicked

in when I asked her to."

Prince Farm's Dannhauser parlayed a ground-saving ride by Sheldon Russell

into a 22-1 upset score in the $103,000

Laurel

Turf Cup over 1 1/2 miles. Tracking much closer to the pace than he had all

season, Dannhauser settled in behind the leaders for more than 10 furlongs,

found a seam along the inside to surge up in the stretch and held on by a neck

in a four-way photo that included Sea Tobe, 97-1 outsider Manchurian High, and

Slip and Drive.

Dannhauser returned $46.20, $18.40 and $13.20 after completing the three-turn

heat in 2:27.

"He's a wonderful horse, just marvelous to train," winning trainer Kathleen

O'Connell said. "We were hoping that Sheldon could get him settled in behind

early and he rode him just perfect. This horse really can't go much shorter than

1 1/8 miles and they just don't write many races for horses that want to run

longer. But for now, he's a long-distance specialist."

Taken back off the pace for the first time in his four-race career, Copper

Penny Stables' Tate's Landing enjoyed a perfect outside stalking trip in the

$115,000

Laurel Futurity. Gradually making headway approaching the stretch, the 23-1

longshot seized control approaching the eighth pole and drew off to win the 5

1/2-furlong grass test by 3 1/4 lengths over Star Maneuver. Tate's Landing paid

$48.60, $21.40 and $13.20 after completing the course in 1:02.

"It was a very good trip," winning jockey Alex Cintron said. "There was a lot

of speed in the race and we let them go early and got to the outside and tried

something different. We waited to make a move and he ran real well. It was my

first time aboard him but he broke well and raced well."

Favored in all three previous starts, Tate's Landing opened his account with

a 5 1/2-length debut score at Delaware Park on August 16 going 5 1/2 furlongs on

the main track. However, the Orientate colt retreated to second after setting

the pace against allowance company at Parx in his next start, and to fifth after

showing the same kind of speed in a Delaware allowance last time.

John Davison's Mystic Love ran her turf course record to two-for-two with an

off-the-pace victory in the $130,000

Selima

for juvenile fillies. Nearly 13 lengths down after a quarter-mile, the daughter

of Not for Love weaved her way through the inside of the field around the turn,

swung wide in the stretch and mowed down the leaders to take 5 1/2-furlong dash

by three parts of a length over Jewel of a Cat in a time of 1:02 1/5.

The 9-2 fourth choice in a field of 12, Mystic Love returned $11.20, 5.20 and

$4.20.

A course-and-distance debut winner by four lengths on September 14, Mystic

Love failed to handle the dirt as the favorite in the October 6 Maryland Million

Lassie, where she raced evenly throughout in a fifth-place effort.