Claudio Gonzalez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Harpers First Ride, Whereshetoldmetogo, Air Token Take Laurel Fall Festival Of Racing Stakes

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, Maryland-bred winner of the historic Pimlico Special (G3) last month, swept past his rivals on the far outside around the turn and powered through the stretch to a three-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Richard W. Small at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 25th running of the Small at about 1 1/16 miles and $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley at six furlongs, both for 3-year-olds and up, were among six stakes worth $600,000 in purses on the Fall Festival of Racing program that included the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs.

Favored at even money in a field of 10 featuring fellow graded-stakes winners Name Changer and Monongahela, multiple graded-stakes placed Cordmaker and Bal Harbour and Mexican Triple Crown winner Kukulkan, Harpers First Ride ($4) completed the distance in 1:41.92 over a fast main track.

It was the second career Small victory for trainer Claudio Gonzalez following Afleet Willy in 2017 and first for Angel Cruz, also aboard for wins in the Pimlico Special and Primonetta that preceded a last out second to Monday Morning Qb in the Maryland Million Classic.

“He's a special horse,” Cruz said. “He gave me my biggest win of the year and he just gave me another one. Those horses are special. They mean a lot, and when you get on them, it means more.”

Bal Harbour, dropping out of graded-stakes company for the first time in 12 races dating back to December 2018, and multiple Pennsylvania-bred stakes winner Wait for It battled through a quarter-mile in 23.14 seconds and a half in 46.24 with Cordmaker – third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special – and 2019 Iowa Derby winner side-by-side tracking in behind.

Having settled by himself in fifth, Harpers First Ride got his cue rounding the far turn responded by coasting to the lead on the extreme outside. Set down by Cruz at the top of the stretch, the 4-year-old gelding sprinted clear as Cordmaker took second and Name Changer edged Top Line Growth by a length for fourth.

Forewarned, Midnight Act, Monongahela, Bal Harbour, Wait for It and Kukulkan completed the order of finish.

“We knew there a couple horses that had a lot of speed and my horse is just a game horse and he's even, he doesn't have that much speed. But he broke good and I sent him and he sat behind the pace. He just relaxed for me and on the far turn, I had a lot of horse,” Cruz said. “When I tapped him he responded to me. I had tons of horse. He ran his heart out today.”

Whereshetoldmetogo Edges Laki in $100,000 Frank Whiteley
Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and Black Cloud Racing Stable's Whereshetoldmetogo, disqualified from a stakes win in his previous start, outran favored Laki down the stretch and survived a double claim of foul to capture the eighth running of the $100,000 Frank Whiteley.

Laki broke sharply from his outside post but ceded the early lead to longshots Arthur's Hope and Zenden, in front after a sharp opening quarter-mile in 21.59 seconds. Day the Music Died, who broke a step slow, rushed up the rail to be third with Laki settled in fourth.

Whereshetoldmetogo ($9.80), racing in mid-pack early on, began gaining ground quickly along the inside around the turn as the half went in 44.42 seconds and Laki was steered to the far outside. Whereshetoldmetogo and jockey Sheldon Russell split Day the Music Died and Zenden approaching the stretch and took over the lead as Laki swept in to challenge on the outside. The two battled through the lane with Whereshetoldmetogo holding off Frank J. De Francis Dash (G3) winner Laki by a nose.

Both jockey Horacio Karamanos and trainer Damon Dilodovico lodged a claim of foul against Whereshetoldmetogo while fourth-place finisher Charge to Victory claimed against Laki, both incidents coming outside the quarter pole. Both were disallowed.

“We had a good trip. He came up the inside,” winning trainer Brittany Russell said. “I know we had a little issue there and I was hoping we didn't get DQ'd but it looked like it wasn't as big of a thing as maybe we originally thought. I felt like our horse was full of run and he's tough and he's game and he kept his head down, so I was confident.”

It was the second stakes win of the day for husband and wife, who teamed up with Hello Beautiful in the $100,000 Safely Kept. Whereshetoldmetogo was racing third time for Russell, having run fourth in the Sept. 5 Primonetta at Laurel and disqualified to second for lugging in mid-stretch of the Sept. 26 New Castle after hitting the wire 1 ½ lengths in front.

Air Token Flies Past Favored Francatelli to Win $100,000 Concern
Air Token, owned and trained by Jose Corrales, wore down favored stakes winner Francatelli through the stretch and edged clear to a 16-1 upset in the fourth running of the $100,000 Concern.

It was the first stakes win in his 12^th career start for Air Token ($35.60), who completed seven furlongs in 1:22.29 under jockey Horacio Karamanos for this second straight victory. Horse and rider teamed up to win an off-the-turf allowance Nov. 7 at Laurel.

“I think this horse can go longer but Mr. Corrales made the decision to run seven-eighths. We expected him to run good because the horse is really improving a lot,” Karamanos said. “I know him. I rode him one race before, one mile, and he won in good time. I thought he was going to give me a nice kick. Sometimes he flattens out but today he didn't and he won nice.”

Francatelli, a turf stakes winner in September bet down to 1-2 off a third-level optional claiming allowance last out Oct. 30 at Laurel, set fractions of 22.73 and 45.28 seconds for a half-mile under moderate pressure from Carey Times and stakes-placed Johnny Ritt. Karamanos settled Air Token in mid-pack along the rail until tipping out around the turn, setting their sights on the leader and steadily gained ground to win by a neck.

“We just sat behind the speed. Mr. Corrales told me to not rush him,” Karamanos said. “He broke out of the gate really nice. I saw [Francatelli] was the favorite. At the top of the stretch he was moving outside clear and nicely. He gave me a really nice kick and fought to the wire. He ran big today. I was confident all the way around.”

Golden Candy ran third, two lengths behind Francatelli, with 40-1 long shot Informative another 3 ¼ lengths back in fourth. Multiple stakes winner Lebda was scratched.

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Laurel Fall Festival Of Racing: Recently Gelded Lebda Tops Concern Stakes

In an effort to rediscover his multiple stakes-winning form, Euro Stable's Lebda will race over his home track for the first time in more than eight months and the first as a gelding in Saturday's $100,000 Concern at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong Concern is one of six stakes worth $600,000 in purses on the nine-race Fall Festival of Racing program that includes the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley at six furlongs and $100,000 Richard W. Small going about 1 1/16 miles, both for 3-year-olds and up.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Lebda won the one-mile Miracle Wood and 1 1/16-mile Private Terms over the winter at Laurel to kick off his 3-year-old season, the latter coming one day before live racing was paused in Maryland for 2 ½ months amid the coronavirus pandemic. The son of Raison d'Etat has yet to find the same kind of success since returning in late June, hitting the board once in four starts when he was third in the Robert Hilton Memorial Aug. 28 at Charles Town.

“Maybe he likes the winter, the cold weather. That would be OK for me,” trainer Claudio Gonzalez said. “He loves Laurel. He trains here every day; it's home for him.”

Lebda owns three wins and a third from four starts at Laurel, the last coming in the March 14 Private Terms. He ran sixth in the Ohio Derby (G3) and Haskell (G1) over the summer before being cut back to sprinting in the seven-furlong Hilton. Last out, he ran up against then-undefeated Yaupon in the six-furlong Chick Lang (G3) Oct. 1 at Pimlico Race Course.

“That was a really tough race. The winner was very impressive,” Gonzalez said. “[Jockey] Alex [Cintron] said he was going along and then at the three-eighths, half-mile pole he did something funny and then he stopped. He didn't want to run. That's when we decided to geld him.”

Third in the 2019 Iroquois (G3) in Kentucky, Lebda has worked four times this month, most recently going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds Nov. 22. Gonzalez – in line to lead all Maryland trainers in wins for a fourth straight year – has been pleased with his progress.

“He's come back like he was before. He breezes in the morning and he's doing really good,” he said. “He breezes in company in the morning and it's like he's galloping next to the other horse. We talked about it and decided we wanted to run here and take a chance.”

Regular rider Cintron will climb back aboard from Post 6 in a field of 10 at co-topweight of 124 pounds.

While Monday Morning Qb, impressive winner of the seven-furlong Heft last December at Laurel and most recently the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Classic Oct. 24, was nominated but will be sitting this race out, Cash is King and LC Racing and trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr. will still be represented by gelding Johnny Ritt.

Johnny Ritt has placed twice in stakes this year, including a runner-up finish in the six-furlong Jersey Shore Oct. 14 at Monmouth Park. After three straight stakes tries he dropped back into allowance company last out Nov. 3 at Parx, led through a half-mile before dropping back to be third, then came on again and got up to be a clear second at the Concern distance.

“He's a very honest horse. He'll give you his best effort every time. He's been stakes-placed several times and is just a real hard-tryer, a real tough guy. We like him a lot,” Reid said. “The races keep coming up for him so we keep going, and he seems to be getting better with every start. He's learning from the experience and he's going into it very well. He's not scared. He had a beautiful breeze here the other day in 47 and change so we're really happy with how we're coming into this.”

Sheldon Russell, who rode Monday Morning Qb in the Classic, has the assignment from Post 8.

Stablemates Bright Dawn, a West Virginia-bred stakes winner, and Carey Times were entered for trainer Ferris Allen III. Burning Daylight Farms Inc.'s Bright Dawn captured the 4 ½-furlong Coin Collector May 23 at Charles Town and has been winless going up against his elders in four of five subsequent races. He has run well in his only two starts at Laurel – losing a six-furlong maiden special weight by a neck Jan. 25 before coming back to win by the same margin under similar conditions Feb. 16.

“He looked a lot sharper earlier in the year and he's developed a couple of quirks in his running style over his last three or four races. He's kind of wanted to suck himself back the first sixteenth of a mile in races, which is really weird because he showed lots of speed the first three or four races of his career,” Allen said. “If you look at his last race at Parx, even though he finished fifth it was a really good race. He was not beaten very far and he was right in behind the pace. And of course he's been facing older horses when he's run in allowance company. If you look a little closer at his form, his last race particularly is a lot better than it looks on paper.”

Hickory Ridge Farm's Carey Times has yet to face stakes company but has raced exclusively at Laurel through 14 starts, with three wins, four seconds and a third. He won back-to-back allowances at Laurel in the fall, the first against fellow Maryland-breds, then rallied to be second in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance sprinting 5 ½ furlongs Oct. 31.

“He's run three bang-up races back to back and is a very fast horse. He's run in [1:09] and change. We think he'll get the seven-eighths, particularly since he's matured a little bit,” Allen said. “He had the Maryland-bred protection for the one win, but that's not really much protection these days. There's a lot of good Maryland-breds around. His last several races have been impressive. He had some trouble in his last race when he was second. I don't know that he was necessarily best in that race, but he didn't get a real chance to run down the winner.”

Francatelli, a stakes winner on the grass at Woodbine who was impressive in a front-running optional allowance score on the dirt last out Oct. 30 at Laurel; stablemate Pianzi, a winner of three straight this summer at Laurel; Air Token, Dreams Untold, Golden Candy and Informative are also entered.

Still Having Fun Facing Nine Stakes Winners in $100,000 Frank Whiteley
Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Terp Racing's Grade 2 winner Still Having Fun has found a tough spot to make his comeback, facing fellow graded winners Laki and Majestic Dunhill and a total of 10 stakes winners in a field of 14 for Saturday's $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley.

Trained by Laurel Park-based Tim Keefe, Still Having Fun has raced just six times the past two years following his breakout season of 2018 where he won three stakes including the Woody Stephens (G2) and purses of more than $470,000, and was third in the Malibu (G1).

The 5-year-old Old Fashioned gelding ran fifth in the Toboggan (G3) and third in the General George (G3) over the winter, returned from the pause in racing amid the coronavirus pandemic to be eighth in the Carter (G1), then went back to the sidelines. He returned to the work tab in early October and has been breezing steadily since.

“He's doing well, he's fine. We had a couple little hiccups here and there but he's back on track and training well, training super. I'll be anxious to get him back and see what he can do. I've been very pleased with him,” Keefe said. “Obviously any spot in which I put him is going to be a tough spot. He doesn't have any conditions, so any race is going to be a tough race. We just want to see if he's back to his old form.

“He's always trained very well. I'm happy with everything he's doing in the morning but until you put him the racing environment in the afternoon to see not so much what they remember but make sure his interest is still there and if he's got that competitiveness he's always had,” he added. “He shows it in the morning. I have no reason to think he won't in the afternoon. He's a little bit older, a little bit more mature, so I'm looking forward to getting him back running.”

Laki and Eastern Bay, separated by a nose while respectively running 1-2 in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course, return in the Whiteley. A stakes winner each of the last four years, 7-year-old Laki snapped a string of three straight runner-up finishes in the De Francis, which was his first career win at Pimlico. He has a record of 8-6-3 in 19 lifetime starts at Laurel.

“Just how it unfolded early, I thought things might have went a little differently. I thought we'd be a little bit closer and as it worked out we were in the exact right spot we should have been,” trainer Damon Dilodovico said. “But I did have anxieties early on because he always seems to find a little bit of trouble when he races at Pimlico. I was a little bit concerned about that but he stepped up and ran huge.

“He's doing well. I was happy that we were able to give him a little time after the Dash,” he added. “Most of his races off a layoff have been very competitive so we're looking forward to this weekend. Hopefully he gets a clean trip.”

Eastern Bay and turf stakes-winning stablemate Complete Pass were both entered by trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Robert D. Bone's Eastern Bay won the six-furlong Polynesian before his rally came up just short in the De Francis, one of three wins from five starts since being claimed.

“He didn't break sharp that day and that's why he was so far back. When you lose like that, it hurts,” Gonzalez said. “But I always say this is a classy horse. We just have to keep him happy. When he's happy he runs his best, and he's very happy right now. It's going to be tough. He's going to have to run.”

Bone also owns Completed Pass, an accomplished grass sprinter that is also coming off a tough defeat over Preakness (G1) weekend, losing by a neck in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint over a yielding course. Winner of the Laurel Dash on grass Sept. 7, he last tried the dirt when fifth in a third-level allowance July 4.

“Based on how he's training every day, we talked to the owner and decided to run because he's training really good in the morning,” Gonzalez said. “We're going to give him the winter off because there's no more grass [races]. He's doing really good, so we decided to run.”

R.A. Hill Stable's Majestic Dunhill is coming off a head victory over next-out winner Share the Ride in the seven-furlong Bold Ruler, contested Oct. 31 in the Belmont Park mud. The 5-year-old gelding has shown a fondness for Laurel by hitting the board in all four of his starts, including a runner-up finish in the General George (G3) and a third in the Polynesian in 2019. Also third in the 2017 Laurel Futurity, he won the seven-furlong City of Laurel in 2018.

Rounding out the field are 2020 Say Florida Sandy winner Arthur's Hope; Penguin Power, a multiple stakes winner with 13 wins from 17 starts; 2019 Maryland Million Sprint winner Taco Supream; 2018 Star de Naskra winner Whereshetoldmetogo; 2018 Buffalo Man winner Zenden; Arch Cat, third to Majestic Dunhill in the Bold Ruler; Bybee, Charge to Victory and Day the Music Died.

“He's been wonderful, actually. I don't think he could be doing any better at the moment, to be honest,” said Brittany Russell, trainer of Whereshetoldmetogo. “[We wanted to] stay home and run him out of his stall. He's had success at Laurel. I'm really looking forward to running him this weekend. I hope he shows up and runs as well as I think he could.”

Bal Harbour Drops into Tough Spot in $100,000 Richard Small
Red Oak Stable's Bal Harbour, having faced graded-stakes company in 11 consecutive starts over the past two years, will take a step back in an effort to move forward in Saturday's $100,000 Richard W. Small.

Bal Harbour has run third in all four of his starts since joining trainer Greg Sacco in 2020 after racing 19 times for trainer Todd Pletcher. Counting this year he has placed in nine graded-stakes including second by a half-length in the 2019 Woodward (G1), ahead of such accomplished horses as Toms d'Etat and Yoshida.

All four of Bal Harbour's races this year have come at Sacco's summer home of Monmouth Park – in the Monmouth Cup (G3), Iselin (G3), Salvator Mile (G3) and Monmouth (G3) – at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/8 miles. He beat graded winners Harpers First Ride and Monongahela – both of whom return in the Small – in the Monmouth Cup, won by subsequent Woodward winner and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) show finisher Global Campaign.

“He's run in four graded-stakes at Monmouth and showed up in every race,” Sacco said. “He's a hard-trying horse and he's trained really good since we got to Belmont from Monmouth. Going into this race he's had four really good works. Maybe the class drop from the Grade 3s to the stake will be the ticket.

“He's been keeping some really talented company,” he added. “He tries too hard not to win so we're really hoping to win. Richard Small was a Vietnam vet and a top horseman, someone I admired as a kid over the years, and running up against him was a difficult thing to do because he was an excellent horseman and a tough guy to beat. [To win] a race honoring him would mean a lot.”

Bal Harbour, whose stakes-winning dam, Casino Transaction, was trained by Sacco, has been beaten by a total of 10 lengths in his four starts this year. His last time out of graded company came when he ran third in the 2018 Queens County at Aqueduct, also the site of his last win on Nov. 23, 2018 in the Gio Ponti.

Trevor McCarthy will ride Bal Harbour from the rail in a field of 10.

“He has a little bit of a problem sometimes when you make a move,” Sacco said. “He kind of eases up a little bit. He's a little bit of a tricky horse to ride and I think that might be part of the reason why he hasn't won even though he's run hard and tries 100 percent all the time.

“It looks like a competitive race on paper, some horse that really love Laurel with maybe a horse for course angle, but we're coming in the right way,” he added. “He's had four really good works. He hasn't run a bad race for us all year; he hardly runs a bad race. Hopefully we get the right trip and Trevor times it right. We'd love to win it. We're not going in thinking it's any kind of gimmee but I think with the right trip he can get the job done.”

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride won the Oct. 1 Pimlico Special (G3) and Sept. 5 Deputed Testamony in successive starts for trainer Claudio Gonzalez, but was unable to overcome a wide trip and finished second to Monday Morning Qb in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Classic Oct. 24.

The 4-year-old Maryland-bred Paynter gelding has never been worse than third in eight career starts at Laurel, six of them wins, and is three-for-five with one second at the distance. Angel Cruz is named to ride from Post 5.

“He loves it here, he loves Laurel. It's home for him. It's his backyard. He'll go over there, walk to the paddock and run,” Gonzalez said. “I'm happy with him. The Pimlico Special was a really tough race. And the last one he had to carry 126 [pounds] and the horse that beat him had [119], but he ran big. All the time he tries. He came back good from the race. We gave him some time, a little more than a month, and he's telling us he's ready.”

Monongahela, who beat Bal Harbour in the 2019 Iselin, will be making his 34^th start, eighth at Laurel and first in three starts since joining trainer Brittany Russell. The winner of more than $529,000 in purse earnings was beaten a neck by Alwaysmining in the 1 1/16-mile John B. Campbell at Laurel to kick off his 6-year-old campaign.

Since then, Monongahela's four starts have come in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. He debuted for Russell running fourth in a one-mile optional claiming allowance then came from way back to be fifth in the one-mile, 70-yard Hard Spun for Pennsylvania-breds over Presque Isle Downs' synthetic surface. Sheldon Russell rides from Post 8.

“We've been dying to run him at home, to be honest. I just want to run him at home and see what we have. Sheldon knows him, he's been working him, so hopefully he'll step up and run well at home,” Brittany Russell said. “The first time I ran him I definitely ran him back too quick, not knowing him as well. Then we shipped him to Presque Isle for the stake and he had never run on the synthetic.

“He got away from the gate terrible that day and to be fair, he came with a run so we weren't terribly disappointed. But, at the same time you're still kind of like, 'Ok, well, now what do we do?'” she added. “It was one of those races where it was disappointing but it's not the horse's fault, either. We're just hoping for a clean smooth trip, no excuses, and hopefully he runs well.”

Also entered are multiple stakes winners Cordmaker, third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special, Forewarned and Wait for It; 2018 Mexican Triple Crown winner Kukulkan; 2018 Monmouth Cup winner Name Changer; 2019 Iowa Derby winner Top Line Growth, four-for-five lifetime at Laurel; and Midnight Act.

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Laurel Fall Festival Of Racing: Talented Field Awaits Hello Beautiful In Safely Kept

Two Grade 3 winners, a multiple graded-stakes placed filly and another who is undefeated and actually sharing the same shedrow are among the competition awaiting Hello Beautiful as she goes after her second straight stakes win and fourth overall in Saturday's $100,000 Safely Kept at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The seven-furlong Safely Kept is one of six stakes worth $600,000 in purses on the nine-race Fall Festival of Racing program that includes the $100,000 Primonetta at six furlongs and $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go going about 1 1/16 miles, both for females 3 and up.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful won back-to-back stakes, the Maryland Million Lassie and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, to cap her juvenile season and has earned all five of her career victories in eight tries over her home course for trainer Brittany Russell.

The latest win was perhaps her most impressive, rebounding from a pair of off-the-board finishes in out-of-town stakes including her graded debut to romp by 11 ¼ lengths in the Maryland Million Distaff Oct. 24. In all, her Laurel victories have come by 40 ½ combined lengths – more than eight lengths per win.

“We were just delighted with that performance, and I think the even better thing about it was how well she came out of the race,” Russell said. “She came out of the Distaff like it was nothing. She was back to the track bouncing within a couple days, so that makes us feel good moving forward into this race.”

Russell said she considered other spots for Hello Beautiful, including the Primonetta against older fillies, before settling on the Safely Kept which keeps her against fellow sophomores. Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell – aboard for all five of the filly's wins – returns to ride from Post 8 in the field of nine.

“It's not restricted, but … it's what we wanted – stay home, with Sheldon, and try and win sort of an open stake,” Russell said. “She's amazing. She really is. We want nothing more than to see her continue to stay on the upswing like we thought we would be earlier in the year. We've just had to be patient and kind of ride the wave.”

One of Hello Beautiful's rivals will come out of the same barn. Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc. and Ten Strike Racing's Lady Rocket has raced just twice but is undefeated against maiden special weight and open allowance company at Saratoga and Keeneland for trainer Brad Cox. Russell worked for the Kentucky-based Cox for four years before returning to Maryland and going out on her own.

“I told him weeks ago when he was thinking about bringing her that we would take her,” Russell said.

Project Whiskey, Fly On Angel and Reagan's Edge all bring graded-stakes credentials to the Safely Kept. Cash is King and LC Racing's Project Whiskey won the Delaware Oaks (G3) July 4 and was second in the Monmouth Oaks (G3) but has had less success in two subsequent trips to Maryland, finishing off the board in the Weber City Miss at Laurel and Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico Race Course. She will break from Post 7.

“She's drawn some pretty lousy posts so we were hoping for a little better draw, something toward the outside,” trainer Robert E. 'Butch' Reid Jr. said. “She's been stuck on the rail the last few times and hasn't gotten away from the gate real clean, so a little better break and a little better position for her helps. She's doing really well. On her day she's right there with them.”

Joseph Besecker's Fly On Angel stepped up to win the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks (G3) Aug. 28 in her first start since being claimed by Maryland's leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez. In her only start since, she got bumped at the start and dueled through sharp fractions for a half-mile before tiring to be sixth in the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) Oct. 3.

“She came back good and her last breeze here at Laurel made me happy. She did really good that day and that's why we're going to run here,” Gonzalez said. “She didn't get a clear trip last time. We're going to try here because going seven-eighths maybe she'll have more of a chance to get to the lead.”

Gonzalez also entered BB Horses' Landing Zone, riding a four-race win streak into her 19^th career start and first in a stakes. She will be cutting back to a sprint for the first time since a 5 ½-furlong starter optional victory in the Laurel slop Aug. 13 to kick off her current stretch.

“This filly has changed. She's like a different filly now. She'd doing good, and after the last race she came back happy,” he said. “She trains good every day, better and better. I think she is going to run good.”

Lael Stables' Reagan's Edge ran behind Frank's Rockette in both the 6 ½-furlong Victory Ride (G3) July 4 at Belmont Park and six-furlong Prioress (G2) Sept. 5 at Saratoga, beating Hello Beautiful in the latter. Last out, she was fourth by three-quarters of a length in the seven-furlong Raven Run (G2) Oct. 17 at Keeneland.

Completing the field are 2019 Gin Talking winner Bella Aurora, Bobby's Goldengirl and Madam Meena.

Needs Supervision Set to Return in $100,000 Primonetta
Howling Pigeon Farms, Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple stakes winner Needs Supervision, unraced since mid-March, is set to return against nine rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Primonetta.

Needs Supervision was winless in three starts over the winter before the coronavirus pandemic paused racing for 2 ½ months in Maryland, returning May 30. She will be cutting back to her shortest distance since finishing second in the six-furlong Weather Vane last September at Laurel.

Winner of Fair Grounds' one-mile, 70-yard Silverbulletday at 2 and Laurel's seven-furlong Safely Kept at 3, Needs Supervision went to the sidelines after running third in the one-mile Nellie Morse March 14. Prior to that race she finished fourth in the Barbara Fritchie (G3) and second as the favorite in her 4-year-old debut, the What A Summer, both at Laurel.

“She was running good but there was something that was stopping her from being 100 percent, so we gave her a lot of time off,” trainer Jerry O'Dwyer said. “She went up to Bruce Jackson at Fair Hill and they started her back a bit up there and we got her back when she started galloping.

“We've had her back for a while now. She's been breezing regularly there at Laurel week in and week out, so she's ready for a start,” he added. “It's been a good while now, so we're looking forward to getting her back going.”

O'Dwyer said he looked at some out-of-town options to bring Needs Supervision back, but decided to stay home where she can run over her own track and have the services of fall meet-leading rider Sheldon Russell. They will break from Post 2 in a field of 10 at co-topweight of 125 pounds.

“We like being able to run her out her own back door and see what we've got,” O'Dwyer said. “She's been doing everything right. She's a quirky little filly but very talented in the right frame of mind. I think we've got her good right now. Sheldon has been breezing her regularly and he's quite happy with her.”

Needs Supervision has responded well to the time off and, though she's typically found herself in mid-pack during her races, O'Dwyer wouldn't be surprised to see her a little closer this time around.

“She hasn't been the greatest away from the gate. She breaks OK but she's never shown a ton of gate speed. She's always been kind of a fresh, active, athletic filly. There never seems to a bottom to her,” O'Dwyer said. “You would be expecting first time off the layoff that she's going to be a little fresher. I've only breezed her once from the gate since she came back, and she breezed good.

“We'll see what way the race unfolds, what's in there, what kind of speed there is. Ideally I'd like to see her break better than she had been; maybe being fresh and having a little bit of time off will help her do that,” he added. “It was always niggly stuff. She never had anything major wrong with her. She's a happy filly. She loves to train, she loves to race. It's great to have her back in the barn.”

Five Hellions Farm's Dontletsweetfoolya takes a three-race win streak into the Primonetta for trainer Lacey Gaudet. The daughter of Stay Thirsty was also nominated to the Safely Kept against fellow 3-year-olds but her connections opted to keep her against the older horses she's been facing all year.

Dontletsweetfoolya has progressed in each start since racing resumed, capturing a six-furlong maiden special weight July 24 and an open entry-level allowance going seven furlongs Sept. 5, both in front-running fashion at Laurel. Her three wins have come by 21 ¼ combined lengths, including a three-length second-level allowance triumph Oct. 1 at Pimlico.

“These owners are just incredible to work with. We worked this filly the last time as a 2-year-old last December, and I said, 'Look, guys. We have two options. We can either turn this filly out for 90 days and not even think about her or ask about her, because she's a little bit of a [head] case, or you can just lay her in right now and lose her for [$25,000],'” Gaudet said. “The filly was fast and talented, but just didn't have her head on straight. She was just a 2-year-old

“They had all the patience in the world with this filly. They made all the right calls. They sent her down to Brian Rice and he trained her down there for a little while,” she added. “We worked together, I went down to Ocala and saw her train on the farm, and he sent her up to us. They were just like, 'Tell us when we're ready. Tell us when to be there.' They've really let us be able to do the right thing by her.”

Jevian Toledo, up for all three of her wins, rides back from Post 6.

Never Enough Time, winner of the Alma North and Skipat going six furlongs at Laurel and Pimlico, respectively, before a third in the Nov. 1 Pumpkin Pie at Aqueduct; Aliso, Ashara, Giggling, Last True Love, S W Briar Rose, Suggestive Honor and Timely Tradition are also entered.

Wicked Awesome Tests Streak in $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go
Warwick Stable's Wicked Awesome, winner of the Twixt Stakes over Labor Day weekend at Laurel Park, takes aim at extending her win streak to four races in Saturday's $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go.

A 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Again, Wicked Awesome has won five of seven starts in 2020, two of them coming before racing was paused in Maryland amid the coronavirus pandemic. She returned to run fourth in the Obeah and fifth in the Delaware Handicap (G2), finding trouble in both races.

“She's been pretty special. We identified that kind of early in the year but this pandemic has kind of made the pathways for these horses a little bit tedious,” trainer Ferris Allen III said. “When we felt like she was a stakes horse we first ran her in the Obeah at Delaware and she was in trouble of couple times. Because the Del Cap came up so light we took a chance in that and she was also in trouble in that race a couple times. Particularly the Del Cap was more ambitious that what I would have ever chosen for her under ordinary circumstances.”

The experience proved beneficial for Wicked Awesome, who came from off the pace to win the 1 1/16-mile Twixt by four lengths. In against starter company on Claiming Crown preview day Oct. 2 at Pimlico, she romped by 10 ¾ lengths in a race rained off the grass, then came back to capture an open one-mile allowance Nov. 4 at Parx.

“After she had been through those two [Delaware] races and I guess you would say [was] unsuccessful, but to our eye she was not a misfit. She ran good races with troubled trips in both races,” Allen said. “From there we put her on a little bit more reasonable path and she's really paid us back for that as you can see.

“Once again, after she won the Twixt there was nowhere to run her, so she ran in the Claiming Crown race which we got lucky because it rained off the grass,” he added. “Then we were lucky to get an allowance race to fill at Parx for her last win. When you really look at it there was really nowhere to run between running in the Twixt and this race. I think we've been real lucky to have two races to run her in.”

Allen was particularly impressed with her most recent effort because Wicked Awesome displayed the tenacity to match her talent to overcome circumstances and win by a neck as the heavy favorite.

“She was going up against a very strong track bias that day at Parx and the filly we wore down to win was on the front end,” he said. “The track was very speed-favoring. We were quite worried at the top of the lane but she dug in and got the job done.”

Horacio Karamanos, a winner three straight times on Wicked Awesome including a March 6 optional claiming allowance at Laurel, gets the assignment from Post 8 in the nine-horse field.

Multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter and Las Setas line up against Wicked Awesome looking to get back on the winning track. James C. Wolf's Artful Splatter won the Geisha in January at Laurel and the George Rosenberger Memorial Sept. 26 at Delaware, both over off tracks. She finished fifth behind runaway winner Hello Beautiful in the Maryland Million Distaff Oct. 24.

Co-owned and bred by trainer Katy Voss, Las Setas won four straight races in the winter and spring of 2019 including a sweep of Laurel's 3-year-old filly prep races – the Wide Country, Beyond the Wire and Weber City Miss – earning a spot in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), where she finished seventh. She has run just three times since and was sixth in the Distaff in just her second start of 2020.

Puerto Rican Group 2 stakes winner Lucky Stride; graded-stakes placed Eres Tu and Sweet Sami D; Awe Emma, Breviary and On the Town complete the field.

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Gonzalez Holds Strong Hand In Advance Of Oct. 24 Jim McKay Maryland Million

Claudio Gonzalez-trained stablemates Harpers First Ride, Galerio and Tap the Mark, each pre-entered for the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic Oct. 24 at Laurel Park, breezed a half-mile over its main track on a busy Saturday morning at the Laurel, Md., track.

The 1 1/8-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up is the richest of eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program. Created in 1986, “Maryland's Day at the Races” celebrates progeny of stallions standing in the state and the groundbreaking concept has spawned copycat events across North America.

Winner of back-to-back stakes including the historic Pimlico Special (G3) last out Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course, MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride was clocked in 47.80 seconds. It was the fastest move of the Classic trio and ranked seventh among 58 horses at the distance.

Harpers First Ride has won four of his last six starts for Gonzalez, Maryland's leading trainer three years running. Prior to the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, the 4-year-old gelding captured the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony at Laurel, where he has six wins from seven career tries.

Among other Maryland-breds to win the Pimlico Special are Hall of Famers Cigar (1995) and Challedon (1939-40) as well as Include (2001) and Vertex (1958).

Robert D. Bone's Galerio breezed four furlongs in 48 seconds, eighth-fastest of 58 horses, while BB Horses' Tap the Mark went the distance in 48.40, ranking 11th. Entered in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Oct. 22, Galerio also has a stellar record over Laurel's main track with five wins and five seconds from 13 starts. After going winless in eight starts with five seconds in 2019, the 4-year-old gelding has won six of 10 races this year including his most recent, a 1 1/16-mile allowance Sept. 17.

Tap the Mark, a 4-year-old son of late Maryland sire Tritap, exits an optional claiming allowance victory going 1 1/16 miles Oct. 2 at Pimlico over fellow Classic pre-entrants Toughest 'Ombre and Tattooed. He has an overall record of 7-4-3 from 21 starts with nearly $200,000 in purse earnings.

“He is pointing for the Classic,” Gonzalez said. “He breezed really good today. It all depends, if he continues like this we're going to run in the Classic.”

Gonzalez also sent out Bone's Eastern Bay for a half-mile move in 47.70 seconds, second-fastest on the morning. The 6-year-old gelding, winner of the Polynesian Stakes Sept. 5 at Laurel and second by a nose in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Oct. 3 at Pimlico, is pre-entered in the $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint for 3-year-olds and up. All three races are at six furlongs.

“All the horses that ran on the big weekend, Preakness weekend, they came back good, especially [Eastern Bay],” Gonzalez said. “We have to wait and see if we get in, but we wanted to be ready.”

Fellow Sprint pre-entrant Onmoregreattime was also on Saturday's work tab, going four furlongs in 49 seconds. Clover Hill Farm Inc. and Clover Hill Racing's 5-year-old gelding, trained by Jerry O'Dwyer, fifth in the Polynesian last out, will be making his fourth straight Million appearance. He finished third in the 2017 Nursery and respectively fourth and sixth in the 2018 and 2019 Sprint for previous trainer John Robb.

Robb has a pair of promising juveniles in Lucky 7 Stables' undefeated Street Lute and No Guts No Glory Farm's Moochie, each pre-entered in both the $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies. Both worked five furlongs Saturday at Laurel, with Moochie going in 1:02 (fifth-fastest of 16 horses) and Street Lute in 1:02.20 (ranking eighth).

Street Lute, by Street Magician, has made both her starts this year at Delaware Park, winning a five-furlong maiden special weight Sept. 7 and the 5 1/2-furlong Small Wonder Stakes Sept. 26, the latter by five lengths. Moochie was a debut winner June 29 at Delaware, then got loose and was fractious at the gate before running seventh in the Colleen, a turf sprint stakes Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park.

Another notable worker Saturday was 3-year-old filly Coconut Cake, going a half-mile in 49.20 seconds. Owned by NRS Stable, James Chambers and trainer Tim Keefe's Avalon Farm, the daughter of 2014 General George (G3) winner Bandbox has won her last three starts and was beaten a half-length when third on debut May 31, her only loss.

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