Race 1: MdSpWt $40k 2 Year Olds
1st: #3 Lebda, his debut came back strong racing against much tougher competition up in New York and earning a huge 82 Beyer just narrowly missing by a length. A duplicate effort would likely clear this field easily.
2nd: #6 Quad Eights, definitely give strong advantage to any horse with racing experience, this one just narrowly missed at this level two weeks back locally and earned a solid 59 Beyer. The winner Rookie Salsa came back to win.
3rd: #2 Cold Sweat, again, advantageous to be out for a second time. Respectable effort finishing 4 lengths behind Quad Eights in that debut effort. Should improve.
Race 2: Clm$8k 7F
1st: #1 Rouxhere, last out effort showed clear improvement as he dropped to the lowest level of his career and won by 6 lengths earning a 62 Beyer. Third place finisher Wilko’s Goldeneye, the 4 horse in this one, came back to win at the $5k level earning a 61 Beyer.
2nd: #5 Iwishiwaspecial, first time back to the track in 2019 was a winning effort going shorter than today’s effort earning 56 Beyer. Should improve from there and showed he could win going 7F last year also.
3rd: #6 Sidewalk Prophet, has some of the highest Beyers from a couple months ago. Recently the form has tailed off. Gets class drop today.
Race 3: StrAlw $5k 5 & ½F
1st: #3 Whateveryouwant, how often do you see a 2-5 ML in a $5k StrAlw? Not too frequently, but how often do you see a horse with a triple digit Beyer and multiple in the 90s running at this level? Also not frequently. Three wins in a row, huge figures, has won at Pen, Parx, and here at Laurel. Will be massive upset if he loses.
2nd: #1 Union Blues, 20-1ML but has 5 wins locally and just last fall he was earning mid 70s Beyers and they tried open stakes company at GP. Will improve second time back in 2019 and back in Jennifer Shannon’s care.
3rd: #4 Helloitsme, has finished behind Correjon a couple times recently but the last out effort was really nice finishing 5 lengths behind Whateveryouwant and earning a 74 Beyer.
Race 4: OC$25k F&M 6F Turf
1st: #1 You Made It, first time turf last out saw a significant improvement in speed earning a 56 Beyer and she just narrowly lost by a single length. Expect more improvement for one of the hottest barns in Maryland Kieron Magee.
2nd: #7 Freedom Bella, lightly raced three year old would like her a lot more if she was 4 but she’s shown solid improvement and definitely liked her first try against winners last time out after breaking her maiden at the $25k level. More improvement could steal this one.
3rd: #6 Weekend Flyer, another one getting turf for the second time, have to question the step up in class a bit, not in for a tag but did perform admirably last out finishing just a length behind You Made It.
Race 5: MdClm $25k 7F
1st: #2 Bourbon Streak, two solid efforts at age 4 now going 1 mile. Gets distance relief and has proven he can run on the front end tires. Today is the day.
2nd: #7 Reno Grande, second time out for Damon Dilodovico. Was forwardly placed in the debut at the $40k level earning a 43 Beyer. Gets class relief here and will go further.
3rd: #5 Pep Talking, not sure I understand the 5-2ML. Beyers are poor and declining and they just dumped him in for a $16k tag after tries in MdSpWt and he finished second of five but lost by 10 lengths.
Race 6: Clm $16k F&M 5 & 1/2F Turf
1st: #2 Paz the Wine, showed significant improvement last time out being her first start on the lawn since last fall. Rallying strongly in that one from 14 lengths back to the wire when she was just 2 lengths back.
2nd: #3 L.A. House, close second in the most recent attempt up at Pen. Best Beyers of his career came on the turf last summer up at Woodbine.
3rd: #1 Unique Humor, consistently forwardly placed, stamina is a concern.
Race 7: Clm $16k F&M 1 & 1/16thM Turf
1st: #8 Pugilist, previously trained by Brad Cox down south, this one earned high 60s Beyers two times in a row in last two narrowly missing by just a length and change each time. In the last the winner came back to win. Has the advantage of racing consistently recently.
2nd: #2 Jersey’s Kittens, best Beyers came on turf last summer and did get a race under her belt at Pen two weeks back which she should be better because of it.
3rd: #3 Dancingwithpaynter, showed quality summer when breaking her maiden in MdSpWt company going two turns locally. Form has deteriorated since, goes back to preferred surface.
Race 8: Clm $5k 5 & 1/2F
1st: #1 Ice Docket, earned a best last-out Beyer in the field a 57 when he set the pace and just got passed at the wire going longer than today. Will appreciate the slight distance relief.
2nd: #3 Higher Purpose, toss the last effort on turf, returns to the sight of his maiden score and drops to lowest level of his career.
3rd: #6 Quickhatch, really steady last couple of efforts earning a 55 Beyer in the last two, will be competitive.
Race 9: [R]Alw $35k Md-Breds 1M Turf
1st: #5 Daddy’s Cozy, definitely like that Matz has gotten this one a race under his belt in 2019 down at GP in open allowance company. This is a considerable step down in class from that effort where he sat mid-pack and never really made up lengths, looking like a horse’s first effort off the bench but did earn an 81 Beyer. That same effort might win this race, but I expect improvement as well.
2nd: #9 Nakamura, maybe the classiest horse in the field, a son of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom also trained by Graham Motion, he earned multiple mid-80s Beyers at three. First time to the track in 2019 I expect he needs a race but should be a really nice horse to watch in 2019.
3rd: #1 Beltway Bob, despite the revolting name, steady Eddy here at the Laurel Park turf, probably not fast enough or classy enough to win this, should compete.
Race 10: Alw $42k 5 & 1/2 F Turf
1st: #2 Tempt Me Twice, like the first time out effort just last week where he looked every bit the horse that needed distance relief after grabbing the lead but relinquishing it in the stretch. Turn back will be the key.
2nd: #1 Dirtyfoot, consistent performer on dirt, turf record is slim and not great. Coming off a win where he earned a 76 Beyer, will try turf again for first time since 2017.
3rd: #8 Royal Crusader, another one on the second time out angle, this one’s turf record is solid with 2 seconds and 3 thirds in 5 total tries. Should improve.
Dirt: 3-1-5
Race 11: Clm $16k F&M 5 & 1/2F Turf
1st: #1 Squibnocket, really don’t understand the 7-5 ML on this one, her turf tries have been mediocre or worse, although they have been some of the best Beyer figs in the field. Still will go with her here, her last try (first locally) looked every bit like a horse that needs distance relief and she’ll get it here. Banking on those turf races at FG being much higher quality than this one.
2nd: #4 Happy Lantern, returns to the scene of her maiden-breaking victory on the lawn at the end of last year. The King tried her on dirt for her first time out this year and she should be better for it today.
3rd: #8 Roman Holiday, similar angle here, another one returning to the scene of her maiden score after a couple dirt attempts to stretch out her legs.
Dirt: 1-5-8
Race 12: MdClm $40k F&M 1M
1st: #4 Height of Thestorm, two even efforts going shorter than today’s mile, the last of which was in MdSpWt company and this miss finished 5th by 5 lengths. Showed solid improvement from her debut to that effort, expect more improvement.
2nd: #5 Our Star, another one with a solid race under her belt, her’s came at this level where she ran an even 4th and earned a 42 Beyer.
3rd: #6 Zonda, debuter and gets one of the top local pilots Vargas. A couple solid bullet drills up at Fair Hill, could run well if she’s ready.