Race 1:
Clm $12.5k F&M 6F
1st: #7 Very Charming, 3 decent efforts since adding blinkers at this level including her two best Beyers in last two both of which came locally. Last out lost to Madame Tiger who came back to win.
2nd: #4 Malabar, close readers of the pages know I am a big fan of this one but I suspect she is slightly overmatched at this level. Claudio Gonzalez dropped her into the $5k level where she was best but she’s no longer with him, have to wonder why he didn’t try a higher level and allowed her to get claimed at the lowest level.
3rd: #1A Marie From Parie, consistently has the best Beyers in the field although they’re nothing to write home about. 0 for 10 locally an indictment of this spot for her.
Race 2: Clm $25k Fillies 3 Year Olds 6F
1st: #5 Hail the Queen, 2 for 4 locally with a second place finish. Last out win was a big strange got an extremely low Beyer but a win is a win. Two back was excellent in the OC$25k level earning field-best 63 Beyer. If track is biased toward speed she is a must play on top and probably 3-5.
2nd: #9 No Stone Unturned, can’t ever ignore Claudio here and this one is coming off a decent quality try at the $12.5k level locally. Will be tough.
3rd: #1 Starting Tour, fresh off maiden breaking performance for Gary Capuano, has talent earning a 48 in her debut, first attempt against winners is a big step up. One to keep your eye on.
Race 3: Clm $5k 1M
1st: #3 Street Review, not much in this field, this one has a number of decent quality efforts and Beyers since the Maiden win back in October. Totalitario ran them off their feet in last try winning by over 5 lengths, gets some distance relief here and only one turn.
2nd: #9 Disco Express, this one has run with a number of quality claimers at this level despite rarely winning. 3 back finished ahead of Runabout who came back to win 2 in a row.
3rd: #1 French’s Quest, last race was even if nothing else at the OC$25k level despite getting beat by 12 lengths. Previous attempts at $5k level not pretty.
Race 4: MdnClm $10k 5 & ½F
1st: #1 Jackgreerstubhutch, was a victim of a lightning speed bias in his last out, a more even track should allow him to rate and contend better here. Second off the layoff will be much improved.
2nd: #10 Seventyseven Force, a second and a third place finish locally in three tries. Some effective Beyers including two back a 52 narrow miss.
3rd: #8 Linda’s Nekia, avert your eyes from the last, does have some decent Beyers last summer.
Race 5: The Miracle Wood Stakes $100k 3 Year Olds 1M
1st: #2 Alwaysmining, can’t help but notice that this one’s been nominated to the Triple Crown. 3 straight wins locally and 4 in 5 tries including field-best 89 Beyer in last out Heft Stakes beating Win Win Win who came back to win a Stakes event at Tampa Bay. The local DRF Speed Ratings are big and you have to think Kelly Rubley has bigger plans for this one this spring.
2nd: #3 Wendell Fong, second time out for Jeremiah Englehart he must think very highly of this colt. Debut was a nose win earning a 71 Beyer and the works are really strong. Also Triple Crown nominated. Englehart 8 for 17 here in the early going of the meet.
3rd: #4 Mount Travers, if the surface is wet, which it might be, this one is your play. Clearly love love loves the wet track. Linda Rice does very well shipping down to Laurel.
Race 6: The Wide Country Stakes $100k Fillies 3 Year Olds 7F
1st: #3 Our Super Freak, has a win locally at the OC$50k level earning a 69 Beyer last fall. Ness has given her a freshening and she’s been working really well, love the 7F dril last time. In her last race she was a length behind Ujjayi who came back to win the Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct.
2nd: #7 Two Dozen Roses, love finding a way to bet Todd Pletcher at Laurel, if you had this one last time you got 3-1 on a Pletcher horse. The Beyer improvement hasn’t really come but I expect improvement in her second start at age 3 now. Gets Jorge Vargas.
3rd: #1 Paynterbynumbers, have to wonder why George Weaver has this maiden entered in a stakes race but trainers usually don’t ship a horse out of state just to get them a race. She made up 5 lengths in the stretch in her last race on a speed-favoring surface.
Race 7: The John B. Campbell Stakes $100k 1 & 1/8thM
1st: #3 Unbridled Juan, two recent wins over the surface in open stakes company followed up by a strange trip over a sloppy Gulfstream strip on the Pegasus undercard in his return from a brief freshening. He was shuffled behind a lot of horses that day and still managed to make up 3 lengths at the one turn mile distance. Added distance should help him here.
2nd: #11 General Downs, one of my absolute favorite local horses from the Rubley barn, the General finally got his stakes victory last out in the Native Dancer going two turns here in an excellent stretch drive. He loves the surface and has the late race kick to do well at this distance.
3rd: #6 Discrete Lover, one of the biggest names on the card, the winner of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup in the two back which got him the entrance into the Breeders Cup Classic where he performed admirably finishing just 7 lengths behind Accelerate. Notice the pattern at this time last year, Uriah St. Lewis brought him down to Laurel for a stakes try after a short time off and he wasn’t quite ready to fire. Think he’ll need a race here to get going again. If given a really fast pace however, don’t count him out.
Race 8: Grade III General George Stakes $250k 7F
1st: #2 Home Run Maker, have to love everything about the direction this lad is going. In first start of his 4 year old season he jumped from 82 to 96 Beyer. Has increased his figure every time out since his Maiden win including 3 for 4 locally. There’s nothing more to say about this colt, he can run with the lead and he can rate. Should get a fantastic price.
2nd: #3 Uncontested, what else is there to say that wasn’t said in the first off the freshening? 100 Beyer at the OC$50k level a 103 DRF Speed Rating and he should improve. Definitely the pick on top if the track is biased toward speed. The problem is there is a lot of speed in this field. If everything goes according to plan he should Beyer 110.
3rd: #13 Something Awesome, big time lover of this strip, didn’t get the trip he wanted in the Pegasus but was just a few lengths behind at the 3/4s pole. 4 for 6 locally. If there wasn’t such an outstanding field he would get the nod but think he has to be more forwardly place in this field of runners. Must use in all exactas.
Race 9: Grade III Barbara Fritchie Stakes $250k 7F
1st: #2 Late Night Pow Wow, what more can be said about the Charles Town Queen? She ventured outside of West Virginia and has done nothing but improve her resume in two wins locally in open stakes company. She’s fast, but she can also rate. Breaking from the inside she’ll get the position she wants and I don’t think anyone can beat her here. The local works simply have been dynamite. The Breeders Cup F&M Sprint must be the ultimate goal for the barn.
2nd: #1 Spiced Perfection, not often a Grade I winner comes to Laurel and is the second choice, but that LaBrea triumph wasn’t an other-worldly effort. She got the pace and trip she needed and got the job done and I expect her to challenge Late Night PW here but to be a clear second best.
3rd: #8 Timeless Curls, another local favorite for me, all she does is win over this strip including 4 in a row. The Beyers aren’t terrific but don’t let that stop you from getting her in your exotics. Two back she beat Isotope who came back to win in stakes company. She will be there in the end. Eclipse winner Weston Hamilton is aboard.
Race 10: Alw $42k F&M 7F
1st: #4 Velocita Brillante, Claudio Gonzalez trainee winner of two in a row at the OC$25k and the restricted allowance level should be right up her wheelhouse. Not a whole lot else in the field. Last out 72 Beyer was the field’s best.
2nd: #6 Mary’s Jewel, fresh off the maiden-breaking win will be a step up in class but the Beyer improvement from 48 to 68 was impressive. Expect further improvement.
3rd: #1 Rumor Ridge, frequently involved in the results but rarely gets her nose in front (last win was February).