Louis J. Ulman and H. Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion, a juvenile stakes winner on both turf and dirt, dueled from start to finish with a stubborn Maythehorsebwithu before prevailing by a neck in Saturday's $100,000 Spectacular Bid at Laurel Park in Maryland.
The inaugural seven-furlong Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and return of the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs were among six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on a Winter Carnival program that launched Maryland's 2021 stakes calendar.
Ridden by Jorge Ruiz for trainer Dale Capuano, Kenny Had a Notion ($8) led all the way to snap a two-race losing streak with his third career stakes win. The winning time was 1:23.98 over a fast main track.
“He's been showing a lot more speed the last few races. I think a lot has to do with him maturing and getting himself together,” Capuano said. “We're very pleased with him.”
Kenny Had a Notion was pressed by Maythehorsebwithu from the outset, the two running in tandem through a quarter-mile in 23.14 seconds and a half in 46.47, briefly joined in the chase by Shackqueenking, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Howard County Dec. 26 at Laurel. The top pair began to edge away once straightened for home and set the stage for a battle through the lane with Kenny Had a Notion, racing along the rail, refusing to budge under relentless pressure.
Maythehorsebwithu, who beat Kenny Had a Notion when second in the First State Dash over a sloppy track last fall, finished two lengths ahead of Shackqueenking. Tiz Mandate was another length back in fourth, trailed by Erawan, Nobody Knew, Scotch Rock's and Wicked Prankster.
“He's just gotten better,” Capuano said. “His first race when he won at Delaware, he ran a decent race but not that fast. Then the next time was on an off track and he didn't run well. Then he won on the turf and in the Maryland Million. The turf race seemed to turn him around.”
Kenny Had a Notion won the 5 ½-furlong Jamestown Stakes on Laurel's world-class turf course in October and now has also won at six and seven furlongs on the main track. He ran sixth after displacing his palate in the James F. Lewis III Dec. 13, had a procedure to correct the problem and came back two weeks later to be second by a neck in the Heft Dec. 26.
“He's run well at six and seven [furlongs], so I think we'll stretch him out at some point,” Capuano said. “He's game. He seems to carry his speed at seven, so it's exciting. We'll see how far he takes us.”
Spectacular Bid was named champion colt at 2 and 3 and champion older horse and Horse of the Year at 4 for the late Maryland-based Hall of Fame trainer Grover 'Bud' Delp, who called him “the greatest horse ever to look through a bridle.” 'The Bid' won the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and won each of his last 10 races, retiring with 26 wins and nearly $2.8 million in purse earnings from 30 starts. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.
Street Lute Makes It Four Straight Victories in $100,000 Xtra Heat
Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, cutting back to six furlongs for the first time in two months, ran her win streak to four races, all in stakes, with a dominant five-length triumph in the $100,000 Xtra Heat.
A neck shy of being undefeated in seven career starts, Street Lute ($2.80) ran six furlongs in 1:10.31 over a fast main track under regular rider Xavier Perez in her 3-year-old season opener.
“The horses, they all improve after they win and she's done nothing but win, so she expects to win,” winning trainer John 'Jerry' Robb said. “I think that helps.”
Perez and Street Lute were outrun for the early lead by Trip to Freedom, the Maryland Million Lassie show finisher who went the first quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds. Street Lute, racing in the clear two wide, eased up to take over the top spot following a half in 45.64 and kept rolling, opening up by five lengths heading for home.
“It's easy to say now, but I kept looking for the fractions to make sure [Perez] was going easy and apparently he was,” Robb said. “I was confident coming into today but after watching the races today and all the closers were winning every race, I was a little nervous from that.”
Miss Leslie, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Ann Arundel County in her previous start, ran second to snap her three-race win streak. It was 3 ¾ lengths back to 30-1 long shot Breeze Off the Bay, who edged Whiskey and Rye by a neck for third. It Can, Plane Drunk, Trip to Freedom and Incomparable completed the order of finish.
Street Lute overcame an eye injury and subsequent surgery to win her debut, delayed to September at Delaware Park. The Street Magician filly won the Small Wonder in her second start and got caught at the wire in the Maryland Million Lassie before reeling off consecutive wins in the Smart Halo, Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Gin Talking, the latter Dec. 26.
Robb tied Mike Trombetta for second overall among all trainers with 43 wins in Maryland last year. It was Trombetta's Miss Nondescript that edged Street Lute in the Lassie.
“The whole barn's been doing good, not just her,” Robb said. “We've been having a great meet, thanks to everyone.”
Last run at Pimlico in 2007, the Xtra Heat honors the Maryland-based Hall of Fame mare and champion 3-year-old filly of 2001 that won 26 of 35 career starts, captured 25 stakes including the Prioress (G1), and was second against the boys in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), both during her championship season.
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