Race 1: OC$25k 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #3 Xmasinthecity, top local connections R Larry Johnson/Mike Trombetta/Trevor McCarthy team up with this ex-allowance horse as they put him up for sale for the first time for $25k to be eligible for this race. Wasn’t exactly competitive in either allowance try this year but one of them was taken off the turf and the second one was clear improvement in terms of the Beyer. Am encouraged that McCarthy stays aboard and perhaps this is just the correct level. Trombetta has discussed previously that third time off the bench are when his horses are definitely ready to fire their best. Probably a good claiming opportunity.
2nd: #10 Tauber, has hit the board in all five of his tries at this condition but hasn’t been on the lawn since the three back in which he set the pace going two turns but couldn’t hang on at the wire. Returns to the distance of his maiden breaking score but probably won’t be on the lead against this group of sprinters. Clearly his best work comes on the turf, Beyers not exactly headed in the right direction at the moment.
3rd: #7 Hypnotist, trainer/owner that I’m not familiar with but he took his horse down to Colonial and broke his maiden for $10k. Big step up in quality to try $30 N2L at Belmont last out and he went off at 30-1 but finished a very close fourth after making the lead in the stretch. This is an appropriate level based on that effort but I don’t see his speed carrying over to sprinting, should be in a two turn race down here.
Race 2: MdClm $16k 1 & 1/16thM
1st: #5 Pardon the Pun, not sure what happened here, horse broke his maiden for $14k in the slop three back and has since raced twice against winners in OC$25k company, must’ve been retroactively disqualified from the win and is now eligible for maidens again. Caveat is that his lone win came on a sloppy track, but even so his two back effort setting an honest pace against much tougher competition before tiring and ultimately finishing 6 lengths behind is a good enough race to win this one.
2nd: #4 Feature Act, second 4 starts in a row now but the Beyer came back his best yet in the last when he was gaining ground late going a mile to narrowly miss. Steps up a bit in class but I like him around two turns today.
3rd: #1 Ghost On a Mission, 8-5ML favorite fresh off a 69 Beyer against Md25s locally. Was only going a mile that day and made up absolute zero ground late. Nice breeding.
Race 3: Clm $16k F&M 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #7 Gloriously, really tough to choose amongst these contenders, just think this one has a bit of a class advantage. Bred by Adena Springs, daughter of Mucho Macho Man and owned by Stronach Stable, she was with Jimmy Jerkens in NY and broke her maiden for $50. Threw a couple solid Beyer figs on the turf before transferring to Capuano Barn. Chiefly the case for her rests in the three back race at Bel: a 4th place effort against much stiffer competition in which the winner, second place finisher and fifth place finisher all came back to win immediately, two in StrAlw company and one in open allowance company at Saratoga. That’s just such a different quality horse than Laurel claimers and she ran right with them.
2nd: #10 Midship Lady, has been facing tougher in open allowance company and throwing up bigger Beyers than the others in here but her two most recent performances really stink! She just seems like the type that doesn’t have much a passing gear but can run with other horses and therefore gets decent figs. Did break her maiden locally at this distance.
3rd: #4 Pins and Needles, may be worth a win bet as I’m assuming her odds will be 20+ to 1. Has some back class on the turf late last year broke her maiden in state-bred Md$40s at Aqueduct.
Race 4: Clm $25k 2 Year Olds 6F
1st: #5 Nobody Knew, owned and trained by Jeremiah ODwyer, he started this one in MdSpWt company and he fared well enough earning a 3rd in his debut. Last out broke his maiden when in for the $25k tag and he just ran them off their feet just a week ago. Not sure why Jeremiah is bringing him back again for a claiming tag again off such a good performance but 6 day turnaround a good sign.
2nd: #6 Twitty City, Pecoraro does so well with horses in their second start and no surprise here this one won when dropped in for a tag. He then tried a stakes event at Monmouth and it didn’t go well. Back to softer company today.
3rd: #4 Passage of Lines, high quality looking debut rating behind the leader and passed in the stretch earning a 53 Beyer.
Race 5: [R] Alw $35k 1 & 1/16thM Turf
1st: #6 Daddy’s Cozy, has by far the best Beyer figs in the field including 4 in the 80s, although they were in 2018 and 2019. Was off for over a year but made his comeback at PID over the Tapeta and acquitted himself decently enough narrowly missing and earning a 61 Beyer. Should improve today, will it be enough? He has some speed but he can also rate off the pace and pass horses if he wants. It’s the versatility and the back class which moves the needle for me. Not enough amongst the others to make a better case.
2nd: #4 Can He Shine, Kieron Magee always reliable and this one has so much speed. Has never actually won at Laurel and never won going this distance but has been keeping good company.
3rd: #12 Rising Perry, shout out to Jess Perry! This one just won at the SOC$25k condition going a mile in the two back. Likely mid pack/late run contender.
Race 6: MdClm $40k 2 Year Old Fillies 5 & ½F
1st: #3 No Down Days, this daughter of Blame was purchased for $60k and looks like a runner. She was second by a length in her debut attending brisk fractions going 6F. It’s so far proven to be a strong race as two of the fillies this one finished ahead of have already come back to graduate—one at Pim and one at Del just yesterday at 8-1 and 7-2 respectively.
2nd: #8 Mischief’s Model—if you’ve never read the story of the owner Joey Platts, it’s worth a read. Small time owner from Wyoming who claimed a horse at Hollywood Park that eventually made the Kentucky Derby back in 2002. Anyone his business must have really taken off, he paid $200k for this daughter of Into Mischief who is a half to a bunch of nice winners. Her debut was nearly successful, a second place finish also going 6F. Obviously will have the Claudio Gonzalez premium built in as well.
3rd: #1 Speed Lane, Kelly Rubley debuter who’s displayed two very nice drills over at Fair Hill including most recent 48 and 2 breezing. A nice work over the Fair Hill Tapeta surface. Daughter of Union Rags by big time breeder Robert S. Evans, breeder of Tonalist.
Race 7: OC$35k F&M 5 & ½F Turf
1st: #10 Shippy, just can’t get past the quality of this one who nearly just wired the field in the Coronation Cup up at Saratoga last month. Very highly thought of early, Doug O’Neil tried the Schuylerville and the Spinaway on the dirt before George Weaver found out her true calling is the turf. She did wire the field in an off the turf even at Monmouth before the Coronation Cup third. Notably she finished ahead of Artie’s Princess, who’s next start out was a win in a Woodbine stake earning a 90 Beyer and just behind Miss J McKay who’s next start was a second place in a $400k stakes event at Kentucky Downs where she earned a 92 Beyer. Class on grass. Gets Trevor McCarthy and has the speed to wire this field to get to the first turn in front.
2nd: #2 Hollywood Hoopla, lightly raced 3 year old who just 4 days ago run in the Hilltop at Pimlico on Preakness day and set the early fractions before fading. She has a lot of quality and has already graduated from the first level allowance condition after her second start, which occurred locally.
3rd: #5 Hip Hop, just a dead-red closing type who every so often will get the conditions needed to steal a purse. Needs a very hot pace to make up ground.
Race 8: MdClm $10k F&M 6F
1st: #7 Esther’s Fortune, could be a big day for O’Dwyer who moves this horse back to her original surface and drops her in for lowest level tag of her career. Daughter of Super Saver, she once debuted at Saratoga behind future stakes winners British Idiom and Miss Marissa. Best figure in the field is her 60 on the turf in the three back, drops distance and back to dirt, enough to like.
2nd: #2 Belly Flop, horse was gaining like mad in the stretch of her debut just about at this level over at Del. The figure just came back too light to justify a win bet, has some closing ability though probably.
3rd: #6 Bourbon Style, another one going back to dirt after a bunch of unsuccessful turf tries and dropping in distance. Got better figures on the turf, maybe she has improved from last year on dirt.