Following a similar path as his undefeated stablemate, Post Time, Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey's Prince Jericho will make the step up to stakes company for the first time off two straight impressive victories in the $100,000 Heft Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.
The 21st running of the Heft for 2-year-olds and 14th renewal of the Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, are among six $100,000 stakes on the 11-race Christmastide Day program Monday, Dec. 26.
Prince of Jericho, by multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Munnings, ran third behind Post Time in debut, beaten 2 ½ lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight originally scheduled for the turf Oct. 7 at Laurel. Stretched out to six furlongs in his return 21 days later, Prince of Jericho responded with a popular 11 ¾-length triumph in 1:11.77.
“I've always liked this horse, but he's never been super flashy in the morning. He seems like a different beast in the afternoon,” fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell said following his graduation. “If that's him, that's great. What we saw [that day], that was a lot of fun to see.”
Sheldon Russell, aboard for each of his first two starts, gets the return call on Prince of Jericho from Post 7 in a field of eight.
Jay Em Ess Stable's Full Moon Madness is entered to race for the first time outside of New York for trainer Michelle Nevin. The Into Mischief colt has never been worse than third, breaking his maiden third time out by 5 ¾ lengths and exiting a runner-up finish by less than a length in the one-mile Nashua (G3) Nov. 6, both at Aqueduct.
Also coming out of New York is Midnight Trouble, purchased privately by Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher and trainer Peter Walder after running third in the First State Dash and second in the Rocky Run two weeks apart this fall at Delaware Park. He worked twice at Belmont Park for his new connections before running in the 1 1/8-mile Nashua (G3) Dec. 3 at Aqueduct.
“He came out of the race good, this race showed up and we decided to take a look,” Walder said. “After this, he's going to get a break and go down to Florida. He's run a lot of races for a baby.”
Midnight Trouble has been worse than third just once in seven starts, with two wins. He wound up fifth in the Nashua after being jostled at the start and racing wide on both turns in his first race away from Delaware.
“Not too many 2-year-olds want to go a mile and an eighth at this time of year. It's not easy to do,” Walder said. “I like the cutback to seven-eighths. I would imagine with seven races, he would have an advantage there.
“We figured we'd put him in here and try to get him back on track as far as getting his form back in order,” he added. “The Remsen was a pretty salty race, but it was what was there so we took a shot.”
Sheffield Stable's Riccio, based at Laurel with trainer Richard Sillaman, finished sixth behind undefeated Recruiter in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Nov. 12 at Laurel in his most recent start. His three prior starts came at Delaware, running second in the Sept. 1 Dover, fourth in the First State Dash and third in the Rocky Run.
Alottacents, a neck maiden special weight winner Dec. 10 at Laurel; Coffeewithchris, another seven-time starter that ran third behind Post Time in the Dec. 3 Maryland Juvenile; two-time winner We Don't Need Roads and maiden Home School are also entered.
Having debuted as the Marylander in 1975, the Heft was renamed in 2016 to honor Maryland native and longtime horse owner Arnold Heft who campaigned such horses as millionaire Eighttofasttocatch, a three-time Maryland Million Classic winner, and fellow multiple stakes winners Red's Round Table, Pulverizing and Baldski's Choice. He passed away in 2014 at age 94.
Happy Face Racing Stable's Malibu Moonshine, unbeaten in two starts, looks to keep her perfect record intact with a second straight stakes win in the $100,000 Gin Talking Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.
Based in New York with trainer Charlton Baker, Malibu Moonshine has raced exclusively in Maryland. The Bourbon Courage filly rallied to romp by six lengths over a sloppy track in a six-furlong maiden special weight Sept. 11 at historic Pimlico Race Course.
A fever kept the Malibu Moonshine out of the Maryland Million, but she came from off the pace again to capture the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Fillies Dec. 3 at Laurel, contested over a muddy track.
“She came out of the race good,” Baker said. “I like her chances here. It's a little tougher competition, but I think she's a little tougher coming out of that last race and she should move forward from that.”
For the second straight race, Malibu Moonshine will break from the rail in the Gin Talking, this time under Dylan Davis, who was aboard in debut. Baker feels the post should suit her late-running style.
“I thought she put herself a little closer [last time], but it seems like she breaks and kind of tries to get herself together and then she makes her run, and that's OK/ She's been successful doing that and I don't mind. The seven-eighths is a good distance for her,” Baker said. “She's a very good shipper Nothing really bothers her. She's like an old pro when it comes to everything.”
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out Repole Stable's Give Me Kisses. The bay daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense fetched $400,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March at Gulfstream Park and debuted with a three-quarter-length triumph Nov. 20 at Aqueduct in her lone start.
“She broke her maiden first time out at Aqueduct and ran pretty well. We were looking for a spot to stretch her out a little bit, and this looked like a good opportunity. She'd trained professionally leading up to it and I thought it was a good effort,' Pletcher said. “We bought her at the sale and she had breezed well. She trained like she was capable of winning her debut, and she ran accordingly.”
Laurel-based Gormley's Gabriela and Tappin Josie will lean on experience in the Gin Talking, each having had six prior starts. JoAnn Smith's Gormley's Gabriela will be making her third consecutive stakes start after running third in the six-furlong Smart Halo Nov. 12 and Maryland Juvenile Fillies.
S B Stables and GenStar Thoroughbreds' Tappin Jose was claimed by fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell for $62,500 out of a 2 ½-length victory Nov. 14 at Laurel. She finished first, ahead of both Gormley's Gabriela and Miss Georgie, in her prior start at Laurel but was disqualified to third for interference.
Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver and Kenneth Fishbein's Miss Georgie has been first or second in all three of her starts at Laurel, finishing last of 10 when ambitiously placed in the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga. She was placed second in the Sept. 30 race against Tappin Josie, and last out edged Gormley's Gabriela by a neck as runner-up in the Smart Halo.
Rounding out the field are Stonewall Star, four-length winner of the six-furlong Key Cents Nov. 20 at Aqueduct; She's So Speightsy, exiting a 3 ¼-length allowance triumph Nov. 27 at Mountaineer; and Ojitos Bellos, racing first off a maiden claiming win Dec. 10 at Laurel going six furlongs.
Gin Talking was named Maryland's 2-year-old filly champion in 1999 after a perfect 4-0 season that included three stakes wins. She won three more stakes in 2000 including the Anne Arundel (G3) to earn both champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year honors. She was retired after two starts in 2001 to become a broodmare; her first foal, Dixie Talking, won the 2005 Cicada (G3) and was the dam of 2013 Illinois Derby (G3) winner Done Talking.
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