ERIE, Pa.--Caravel,, bred, owned and trained bybElizabeth M. (Liz) Merryman and ridden by Pablo Morales, won the $80,000, 6 1/2 furlong Malvern Rose Stakes for 3-year-old Pa-bred fillies at Presque Isle on Oct. 22.

Caravel winning the Malvern Rose Stakes (Photo by Coady Photography)This was her second Stakes win, both at Presque Isle and both under Morales, and her fourth win from five starts, running her earnings to $140,872 and contributing to Morales' Leading Jockey title at Presque Isle.

Caravel sprinted to the lead from the start, setting fractions of 23.28, 45.85, 1:09.15 and drew off to win by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:15.40..

"She shot out of the gate at the start when she broke, so it was clear we'd take the  lead," said Morales. "I was nursing her all the way, and I had a ton of horse left in the tank when I hit the stretch, and when I asked her she just took off."

"I love this horse," said Morales. "She's so fast but does it so easily. The quarter in .23 wasn't fast for her, she did it last time in .21."

 

"THIS FILLY is such a treat," said Merryman, who shipped Caravel up to Presque Isle the day before the race, a seven hour trip from Fair Hill, Md., where Merryman trains..

Liz Merryman and Caravel Coady"She cut her head in the trailer when she got to Presque Isle," said Merryman. "She wheeled around in the box stall and hit her head on the bars in the window."

"I was obviously very shaken and worried about her," said Merryman. "I had the state vet look at her. He came back the next morning, and it looked better, it wasn't swollen. He said she was fine to run."

"I put her through my daughter Liza Hendrik's online auction company, Wanamaker.com's sale Oct. 8, and she didn't meet her reserve of $350,000." said Merryman. "I was okay with selling her because I have her dam Zeezee Zoomzoom."

The only race that Caravel has lost was the 1 1/16 mile Hilltop Stakes on the turf, but Merryman said that the turf came up very soft, and she thought that was what had gotten her beaten. She finished third.

"I wouldn't be opposed to running her long on the turf again," said Merryman, adding that she was bred to run long. "Or I might give her the winter off."

All the races Caravel has won were between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 lengths.

 

WENDY HENDRIK'S Nevisian Spirit, trained by her son Ricky, also won at Presque Isle on Oct. 22, scoring in a 18,000, 1 mile and 70 yards Claiming race, and Merryman had a van full of winners on the trip home, as she also shipped her former mother-in-law's Nevisian Spirit.

Nevisian Spirit runs in the name of Debra Kachel, but is actually owned by Kachel and Wendy and Ricky Hendriks.

The 5-year-old mare, also ridden by Morales, saved ground through the turn and edged up late to win by a neck.

WAIT FOR IT, a Pa-bred owned by Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC, won the $80.000, 1 mile and 70 yards Hard Spun Stakes at Presque Isle on Oct. 21.

Never far back, Wait for It swung three wide in the turn and drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

The 5-year-old gelding now has 10 firsts, five seconds and three thirds from 25 starts and $483l428 in earnings.

BERNIE HOUGHTON saddled HnR Nothaft Horse Racing LLC's Prodigy Doll to win a $43,260, 6 furlong Allowance Optional Claiming race at Laurel Park on Oct. 22.

Prodigy Doll set the pace and drew off to win by 9 lengths.

Houghton's own Octoraro Orphie won an $18,000, 6 furlong Claiming race at Penn National on Oct. 21, starting slowly and reaching the front inside the final sixteenth and holding on to win by 1/2 length.