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Always Sunshine wins off the layoff on Jan. 24, 2021
It was only about an hour before sunset when the sunshine blazed forth on a late winter afternoon at Laurel Park.
Always Sunshine, a Florida homebred of Gil Campbell s Stonehedge LLC trained by Pimlico Race Course-based septuagenarian Edward T. Ned Allard, made his triumphant 9-year-old debut Jan. 24 off a 541-day gap between races.
Guided by jockey Carol Cedeno, his regular rider since the spring of 2019, Always Sunshine recovered from a slight outward bobble at the start of the 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up to press Stroll Smokin into the stretch. It wasn t until midway through the lane when the West Acre gelding out of the Awesome Again mare Sunny Again was able to clear the favored pacesetter and edge away to a 1 ¼-length victory.