Stakes winners Buff Hello, Cynergy's Star, Local Motive, and filly Buff My Boots are among 45 2-year-olds nominated to a pair of juvenile stakes Saturday, Dec. 4 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.
The $100,000 Maryland Juvenile and $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies, both for Maryland-bred/sired horses sprinting seven furlongs, kick off the stakes action in the final month of the calendar year that wraps up with the Dec. 26 Christmastide program of six stakes worth $600,000 in purses.
Joseph Besecker's Buff Hello was a front-running two-length winner of the Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 23 in his fifth career start. He is one of 10 Juvenile nominees to have run in the six-furlong sprint including Local Motive, who finished third but returned with a determined head victory in the James F. Lewis III Nov. 13, also at Laurel.
Others coming out of the Nursery include runner-up Coastal Mission, a full brother to retired multiple stakes winner Lewisfield; Cynergy's Star, winless since taking the Timonium Juvenile Aug. 29; respective fourth and fifth-place finishers Shady Munni and Mr. Mox; and Under the Radar, third in the Aug. 26 Dover at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.
Bird Mobberley's Buff My Boots captured the Maryland Million Lassie by a half-length in gate-to-wire fashion, then came back and tired to fifth following a speed duel with Sparkle Sprinkle in the Nov. 13 Smart Halo, also six furlongs at Laurel. Sparkle Sprinkle and Lassie runner-up My Thoughts are also among the Juvenile Fillies nominees.
Also prominent among Juvenile Fillies nominees are Luna Belle, fourth by a length in the Lassie and most recently second in the Smart Halo; Smart Halo show finisher Click to Confirm; Dazzy, a dazzling 12-length debut winner Oct. 29 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.; Jester Calls Nojoy, winless in two stakes attempts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher following a 10-length maiden triumph at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; and Small Wonder runner-up Whiteknuckleflyer.
James McIngvale's Runup, three-length winner of the Sorority Sept. 6 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., that finished off the board in the Grade 1 Alcibiades last time out, was nominated and being pointed to a start but will miss the race with a bruised foot, trainer Laura Wohlers said Sunday.
West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner's Jaxon Traveler won last year's Juvenile before going on to capture the Bachelor at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and Star de Naskra at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., this year, while also running second in Pimlico's G3 Chick Lang and Saratoga's G3 Quick Call.
After winning the Juvenile Fillies, Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute ended 2020 with a victory in the Laurel's Gin Talking and has four wins and three thirds, all in stakes, from 10 starts this year.
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