Walmac Farm, Gainesway Stable and Haras d'Etreham's Speirling Beag, a Group 3 winner in her native Ireland, will make her second North American start looking for her first victory in Sunday's $100,000 Searching at Laurel Park.
The13th running of the 1 1/16-mile Searching for 3-year-old fillies is the first of two stakes scheduled for the grass on a nine-race program followed, by the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 3/16 miles.
First race post time is 12:25 p.m.
A chestnut daughter of Mastercraftsman, a multiple Group 1-winning millionaire in Europe, Speirling Beag won the 1 1/8-mile Eyrefield (G3) at Leopardstown in her sixth and final start of 2022. She finished sixth in the 1 5/16-mile Prix Penelope (G3) April 1 at St. Cloud in France before joining trainer Graham Motion in the U.S.
Motion, who won the 2021 Searching with Grade 3 winner Blame Debbie and a division of the race in 2000 with Confessional, gave Speirling Beag her first domestic start in the 1 ¼-mile Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) July 8 at Belmont Park. She broke slowly and wound up sixth, beaten less than three lengths, at odds of 24-1.
Rather than run Speirling Beag back in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational Aug. 5, the connections opted to wait for the Searching, extended after being contested at a mile in 2022. The race returned to the stakes schedule at 1 ½ miles in 2019.
“We got her in the spring and the idea was to run her in the Belmont Oaks. Actually, she probably didn't run a bad race. She was only beaten [2 ¾] lengths for it all,” Motion said. “I didn't want to go back to the next race at Saratoga, so this was the logical option. Hopefully she'll find it a little softer spot.”
Speirling Beag was beaten 2 ½ lengths when third in the Staffordstown Stud (G3) at The Curragh just two weeks before becoming a group-stakes winner. She is based with Motion's string at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.
“She came to us with a good foundation. She's been very straightforward since we've had her. She had a good work over the weekend, and I don't think her last race was that bad. It was the first time I had run her but I'm not sure she needs to go that [far],” Motion said. “Going a shorter distance, I'm sure she's going to come from off the pace. She's a nice filly and we're excited about her.”
Motion also entered No Show Sammy Jo and Stellar Lady, the latter for main track only. Amy Moore purchased Stellar Lady for $280,000 at Fasig-Tipton's July horses of racing age sale after the Shackleford filly finished third in the Iowa Oaks (G3).
“She came out of the sale,” Motion said. “I've only had her for probably a month, but it seems like a good option for her if it came off the grass.”
Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables' No Show Sammy Jo, bred in England, is cross-entered in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance Thursday at Saratoga. She has raced just twice and exits a popular 2 ¼-length maiden special weight score going a mile on the turf June 24 at Belmont Park.
“She's in in New York but I'm worried the race might come off the grass,” Motion said. “I think she's a nice filly. We've just been a little unlucky getting her in these races. The last time I entered her, it came off the grass. I think she's stakes-caliber. I normally wouldn't necessarily throw her in a stake so early, but if that's what the best option is I think she's up to it.”
Apple Picker, bred and owned by Michael Dubb, will be making her third start this year and second straight on the turf for Maryland's leading trainer Brittany Russell, who got the daughter of Connect in early 2023 after she won one of four starts for previous trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
In her first start for Russell, Apple Picker coasted by 6 ¾ lengths in front-running optional claiming allowance score May 25 at Delaware Park sprinting six furlongs. Looking for a spot to bring her back, the connections opted for the 5 ½-furlong Stormy Blues June 18 on the Laurel turf where she closed to be fourth under Laurel's leading jockey, Jaime Rodriguez, 1 ½ lengths behind stablemate Bosserati.
“We got her at the beginning of the year. We kind of just took our time getting her ready, although she did kind of get herself ready pretty quick,” Russell said. “We got the win with her on the dirt down at Delaware and then we were just kind of struggling about what to do with her and where to run her. We kind of took a swing in the Stormy Blues. When she ran there it was sort of like she was dying to run and there was nothing for her, let's give her a shot on the grass. I thought she ran quite well. It was sort of what I told Jaime to do, just sit and make a run and see if she enjoys it.”
Jevian Toledo will be aboard from Post 4 in a field of 11 for the Searching, which will be Apple Picker's first time going two turns. Her previous longest race was the seven-furlong Spinaway (G1) last summer at Saratoga, when she finished seventh.
“It's a mile and a sixteenth this time around but I think she'll handle it. She's trained well and she ran well on the turf last time. It's a tough spot, though,” Russell said. “You go five and a half to a mile and a sixteenth, but I think she's the kind of filly that can be tactical going long and hopefully she's finishing up like she did last time.”
Jerry Caroom and Jeffrey Lambert's Girl Named Charlie is winless in three starts since taking the one-mile Alan Black Cat LaCombe Memorial March 11 on the Fair Grounds turf. Most recently, the Maclean's Music filly was in the July 1 Tepin, also going one mile, at Ellis Park for trainer Tom Amoss.
Magdalena Racing and Afred Riccio's Beautifulnavigator was second by a head to Girl Named Charlie in the LaCombe and is entered to make her first start since finishing ninth in the one-mile Appalachian (G2) April 8 over a Keeneland turf course rated good. She has been working toward her comeback with trainer Ken McPeek at Saratoga.
Completing the field are Bolivie, an Irish-bred making her third North American start for trainer Brendan Walsh; Mike Trombetta-trained stablemates Livelovenlaughter and Naval Empire; and Monmouth Park-based Cecilia. Yesternight is entered for main track only.
Searching, a 1978 Hall of Fame inductee, was a bay daughter of 1937 Triple Crown champion War Admiral bred by Odgen Phipps that won the Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico in 1955 and 1957 for trainer Hirsch Jacobs, retiring with a record of 25-14-16 with $327,381 in purse earnings from 89 starts. As a broodmare, Searching also enjoyed great success with offspring such as Affectionately, an 18-time stakes winner and dam of 1970 Preakness winner Personality, and Admiring, the grand-dam of 1993 Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero.
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