Joe Seeks Return to Winning Form in Stakes-Level Turf Feature
At 10h44, on June 17, 2023 • By LAUREL PARK
The Elkstone Group’s Joe, a Maryland-bred champion at both 2 and 3 that ran a troubled fifth in his 4-year-old debut last month, seeks to resume his winning form in a deep, stakes-level feature that highlights Saturday’s 10-race program at Laurel Park.
The homebred son of Declaration of War trained by Michael Trombetta drew Post 5 of nine in Race 8, a third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Bowl Game turf course.
Joe, named for U.S. President Joe Biden, stumbled soon after the start and trailed throughout a one-mile optional claiming allowance May 6 at Laurel. It was the first time facing older horses for Joe in his first start in nearly a year since winning the James W. Murphy on the undercard of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1).
The one-mile Murphy was Joe’s third career stakes win and first on the grass, following victories in the 2021 Maryland Juvenile and 2022 Federico Tesio, a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the Preakness. Not among Triple Crown nominees, Joe was briefly under consideration for the Preakness before the connections opted for the Murphy, also against 3-year-olds.
Victor Carrasco has been aboard for all eight starts, five of them wins, and gets the return call on Joe, voted Maryland’s champion 2-year-old male of 2021 and champion 3-year-old male in 2022. His competition Saturday includes five other stakes winners, including three in graded or group company.
