Nikodemski scores first win

Posted 225 days

Nikodemski scores first career pari-mutuel win and Braden wins five

                Twenty-one year old Jonathan Nikodemski trains Blue Time Frosty for owner Kathleen Layton of Greensboro, Maryland and after a couple of starts over the Ft. Washington oval decided to put himself in the bike for the seventh race on Tuesday night. Blue Time Frosty had faced the gate over one hundred -fifty times and won nineteen times but hadn’t won in a couple of years and was dismissed at forty-three to one as Badlands Lad went to the gate as a one to nine choice.

                Nikodemski fired Blue Time ‘ out of the gate quickly and grabbed the lead with Badlands Lad a threatening presence in the two hole. After a 27.1 quarter, Nikodemski stole a 30.2 second quarter and the field headed down the backside. Out popped Badlands Lad and charged up to slug it out first over and was shaken off as a Blue Time ‘ and Nikodemski tossed out a 28.2 third quarter. Badlands Lad ducked back in to braven up around the final turn but as they turned for home Nikodemski put Blue Time to a drive and never had an anxious moment in route to a 1:56.1 lifetime mark. Badlands Lad held the place for driver Justin Vincent.

                While Nikodemski celebrated his first win a pair of Rosecroft veterans showed they must be respected with Corey Braden winning five races and leading driver Frank Milby recording a double.

                Not to be overlooked by everyone Tyler Davis, the twenty year old grandson of Eddie Davis, had two career driving wins heading into the card and in the third he reined Quiken My Pulse, a horse that only had hit the ticket once in twenty-seven starts to a perfect two hole trip and pounced on odds on favorite Like A Rocket in the final sixteenth and broke his maiden. This well-meant winner paid $15.60 as the second choice. Taking full advantage of having two drives on the card and feeling confident, he fired Bad Break out of the gate like a runner opening up a quick five lengths and extended the margin to seven at the half. Down the backside Davis and Bad Break roared staying seven lengths on top.  David The Great got around a troubled Dawn’s Delight and was under a withering drive and had cut the lead to only five lengths as the leader hit the final turn. Davis put Bad Break to a drive as she began to tire but had enough left to hold on and pay $25.20 for the win and doubled his career victory total.

                Racing returns to the Raceway by the Beltway on Saturday evening at 7:25 and the box for that card will open at noon on Wednesday, while closing at three.