LAUREL, MD. 12-13-08---Sovereign Stable and Gatsas Thoroughbreds’ Broadway Producer was just too much horse for his Maryland-bred rivals as he powered to victory in today’s feature at Laurel Park, the $50,000 Jennings Handicap.

Dale Beckner rode the five-year-old for Belmont Park-based trainer John Terranova. This was Beckner’s first time aboard the son of Not For Love, who tracked P V Lightening and Poppy’s Punkin to the head of the stretch before charging by and drawing off to win by three lengths in 1:43.73 over the fast main track.

P V Lightening, who broke sluggishly and rushed through traffic around the first turn to take the lead, held on to finish second. Easy Red rallied to be third, seven lengths behind the runner-up. There were four scratches, including three-year-old filly Sweet Goodbye, who as expected will run against the girls in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct Sunday.

The winner paid $5.20 as second choice in the wagering. Broadway Producer ventured to Maryland in October to win the Maryland Million Turf, a race in which he had finished third the previous year. Terranova was in Los Angeles to saddle Laragh in the Grade I Hollywood Starlet later this afternoon.

“John told me he had the horse ready and put him where you want,” Beckner said. “He was confident so I rode him with confidence. I just chirped in his ear and he went by the front runner. He is a nice horse. When they are good like that it is easy to ride.”

“The plan was not to go to the lead but he got bumped and he ran off a little bit,” said Travis Dunkelberger, who was aboard the runner-up. “He can be hard to settle but he ran well all things considered.”

PV Lightening’s trainer Gary Capuano has won 11 of 17 races with 16 in the money finishes at Laurel since Capuano turned 45 on November 14. During the stretch the barn has earned nearly $200,000.