Coffeewithchris picked up his second stakes win in his last three starts and avenged his last-out defeat with a one and a quarter-length win in the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park on Feb. 18.

The son of Ride on Curlin earned his first stakes victory on Dec. 30, when he won the Heft Stakes in a 16-1 upset over odds-on Prince of Jericho. That rival turned the tables next out in the Spectacular Bid Stakes on Jan. 21. While Coffeewithchris was the slight 9-5 favorite that day, Prince of Jericho drew off and beat him by four lengths, with Coffeewithchris no better than second. Bettors expected a similar outcome in the one-mile Miracle Wood, with Prince of Jericho the 1-2 favorite in the seven-horse field. Coffeewithchris went off as the 7-2 second choice.

Breaking from post position five, Coffeewithchris began well and settled off early leader Feeling Woozy, who went unpressured on the lead through an opening quarter of 23.79 and a first half of 46.79. As they rounded the turn, Coffeewithchris took aim on Feeling Woozy, and wore his way past that rival as they raced down the stretch. Prince of Jericho, meanwhile, rated further off the pace and moved after the leaders towards the center of the track in the stretch. Once Coffeewithchris dispatched of Feeling Woozy, he was forced to deal with Prince of Jericho’s challenge, but fended that rival off and held sway late. The final time for a mile was 1:37.54.

Coffeewithchris improved his record to 3-2-2 from 10 starts, with earnings of $201,850. He’s trained by John Salzman Jr, who co-owns him with Fred Wasserloos and Anthony Geruso. Salzman purchased him for $2,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale.

Coffeewithchris was bred by Tom Rooney at his family’s Shamrock Farm, and is out of Andiemac, a fifth-generation homebred mare for the Rooneys. The family traces back to Christopher R., the Shamrock-bred Maryland-bred Horse of the Year of 1975. Coffeewithchris is the lone winner to date from two starters for Andiemac. She has an unnamed yearling colt by Paynter and was bred to Galawi (Ire) for 2023.