With the newly re-established US Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships – the MATC Series, is in its final events it’s Sycamore Racing V’s 5yo mare Jessica Krupnick who has already the won the 3YO & Up Fillies and Mares Sprint Dirt title.
She has also taken the overall MATCH Series lead, ahead of Laki, the Polynesian Stakes Dirt-Sprint winner on 23 points , with the Mid-Atlantic Championship concluding at Laurel Park, Maryland on Saturday 22 September.
Jessica Krupnick has amassed 34 points, having collected 7 points for running second in the $100,000 Roamin Rachel Stakes 6f, at Parx Racing, Pennsylvania, and receiving another 5 points in this being her fourth race start in her division.
After sharing the lead with the eventual winner Liz’s Cable Girl at the start of the Roamin Rachel, she finished four lengths in-arear of the New Jersey bred 4yo filly, who ran 1m-11.73sec for the 6 furlongs on a fast dirt track
Jessica Krupnick went into Roamin Rachael Stakes having won the Dashing Beauty Stakes 6f at Delaware Park at her previous start, and was again ridden by Andrew Wolfsont and returned a healthy $27.80 winners pay-out.
Jessica Krupnick’s MATCH campaign began on 17 June in finishing second in the Regret Stakes 6f at Monmouth Park, and receiving 7 competition points. She then ran third in the Satin and Lace Stakes at Presque Isle Downs again at 6 furlongs.
Earlier this year in her early 5yo season Jessica Kruptnick won allowance races at both Laurel Park and Parx Racing, before finishing fourth in the Gr3 Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine.
Kept to breezing as a 2yo due to niggling shin injuries Jessica Krupnick won two races as a 3yo in Florida. Unable to race in her early 4yo season due to injury she won twice in the Fall, having returned to racing in October.
Trainer Francis ‘Tres’ Abbott III decided to give Jessica Krupnick time to grow up. Deciding to employ the ‘improve with age’ policy that he experienced with Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who was known for having horses improve as they get older.
Training at Maryland’s Fair Hill Training Centre, Tres Abbott is close to training the winners of $3 million in prize money, having won his first race with his first runner Pink Palace at Laurel Park in 2010 for Brushwood Stables. Tres also spent time with Todd Pletcher and Aidan O’Brien in Ireland.
Bred in Kentucky and sired by Uncle Mo, the Champion US Sire and Coolmore Australian shuttle sire, Jessica Krupnick was a $45,000 graduate of the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, purchased by Abbott Bloodstock, headed by Franny Abbott.
She is from the winning Henny Hughes mare Wear Red, who is half-sister to the Grade 1 winning sires Eskendereya, the Wood Memorial winner, and the Middle Park Stakes winner Belmont. Henny Hughes also sired the Breeders’ Cup heroine Beholder, having also stood at Rangeview Stud, Western Australia before re-locating to Japan.
The MATCH Series debuted in 1997 and ran for five years, with the 2018 series renewal being contested in five divisions for 3YO & Up Long Dirt, 3YO & Up Sprint Dirt, 3YO & Up Fillies and Mares Sprint Dirt, 3YO & Up Sprint Turf and 3YO & Up Fillies and Mares Sprint Turf. Each division has five races from mid- May through mid-September.
The Series commenced with the Preakness weekend at Pimlico Racecourse, and continued at Delaware Park, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, Parx Racing, Penn National and Presque Isle. The Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships will conclude on Saturday 22 September at Laurel Park.
Total prize money is $2.9 million, with $450,000 in bonus prize money. The first, second and third placed points earning owners in each division receiving $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000, with the top three trainers earning $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000.
The overall Series top owner will win $50,000, and the top trainer $25,000. The breeder of the top points earning colt-gelding and filly-mare from each division receiving $5,000.
By Bernard Kenny