Luna Belle, the newly crowned champion Maryland-bred juvenile filly of 2021, breezed Friday morning at Laurel Park ahead of a planned start in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire March 19.
In the second move since extending her win streak to three races in Laurel's Feb. 19 Wide Country, Luna Belle worked five furlongs in 1:01.23 over a fast main track, ranking ninth of 23 horses. Luna Belle went four furlongs in an easy 49 seconds March 5.
“She didn't work quite as good as I wanted her to, but I worked her real early and I probably should have waited until after the break,” trainer Hamilton Smith said. “But, she did it OK. My exercise rider worked her and was happy with her. We'll see how she comes out of it and go from there.”
The one-mile Beyond the Wire is the next progression for 3-year-old fillies on the stakes calendar, following the seven-furlong Wide Country and six-furlong Xtra Heat Jan. 29, which began Luna Belle's win streak.
“The plan is to go ahead and run her there,” Smith said. “Then we'll look around and see what to do after that.”
Smith co-owns Luna Belle with Deborah Greene, and they also bred the horse with Greene's late father, Fred Greene, Jr. Luna Belle earned her championship after posting two wins, one second and two thirds from seven starts capped by a victory in the Maryland Juvenile Fillies.
“It's really special. It's one that we bred and raised together to be a champion,” Smith said. “We're very proud of the fact that we did that.”
Smith won with his only two starters Friday, I'm Gittin There ($11.40), a 3-year-old filly he bred and owns, in Race 6 and gelding Low Country Dude ($44), bred and owned by Smith's older brother, Goree, in Race 7, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds.
Friday's fastest five-furlong work of 59.40 seconds was posted by John Salzman Jr.-trained stablemates Local Motive and Buff My Boots. Winner of the 2021 Maryland Million Lassie, Buff My Boots is also nominated to the Beyond the Wire while Local Motive is a three-time stakes winner including the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 19.
Local Motive is nominated to the $100,000 Private Terms March 19. The 1 1/16-mile Private Terms is the next step in Maryland's series of stakes races for 3-year-olds, preceded by the Spectacular Bid and Miracle Wood and followed by the $125,000 Federico Tesio April 16. The 1 1/8-mile Tesio is a “Win and In” qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course.
Other Private Terms nominees working Friday at Laurel were Majestic Frontier and Heffner, respectively second and third in the Miracle Wood. Majestic Frontier went five furlongs in 1:01.60 while Heffner was timed in 49 seconds for four furlongs.
Also prominent among Laurel's Friday workers were multiple stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo (four furlongs, 50.60), nominated to the $75,000 Not For Love for Maryland-bred/sired 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs March 19; Fille d'Esprit (five furlongs, 1:00), third in the Feb. 19 Barbara Fritchie (G3) and nominated to the $75,000 Conniver for older Maryland-bred/sired females; and Mama G's Wish (five furlongs, 1:00.20), nominated to the Beyond the Wire off four straight wins.
Notes: Five-pound apprentice Jean Alvelo posted a riding triple Friday aboard Imagine the Mojo ($7) in Race 2, Just Pick One ($11.80) in Race 4 and Low Country Dude ($44) in Race 7. Denis Araujo doubled with Victory Given ($21) in Race 3 and I'm Gittin There ($11.40) in Race 6 … There will be carryovers of $5,066.74 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 2) and $5,003.85 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 (Races 5-9) for Saturday's nine-race program that begins at 12:25 p.m. Tickets with four of five winners in Friday's Late Pick 5 were worth $20.55 … Post time moves to 12:40 p.m. starting Sunday.
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