West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner's undefeated 2-year-old colt Jaxon Traveler, an eye-catching winner of his first two starts, takes the next step in his progression when he makes his stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel Park.
The Futurity shares top billing on a nine-race program with the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, both for Maryland-bred/sired horses sprinting seven furlongs. Post time is 12:25 p.m.
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau, Jaxon Traveler has dazzled in his two races to date, both in front-running fashion. He romped by 10 lengths in debut Sept. 25 at Pimlico Race Course over Lugamo, who came back to win his next two races and run third in the James F. Lewis III Stakes Nov. 14 at Laurel.
Jaxon Traveler was then pointed to the Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 24 but, not being Maryland-sired, he was excluded from the field. Instead, he ran in an entry-level optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds the day before and was never threatened in a four-length triumph under a hand ride from Johan Rosado in 1:09.34 for six furlongs.
“He's showed that he can run a little bit, and we are impressed. He acts like a nice horse,” Delfiner said. “He's just doing everything right so far, so we just have to keep our fingers crossed that everything stays in good position.”
West Point purchased Jaxon Traveler for $140,000 out of the Ocala Breeders' spring sale that was delayed from April to June amid the coronavirus pandemic, bringing Delfiner on as a partner. The dark bay or brown son of multiple graded-stakes winning sprinter Munnings originally fetched $80,000 as a yearling last fall at Keeneland.
“I liked the way he worked. I liked his conformation, I liked the way he moved at the 2-year-old sale, so I decided to invest in him. But, as you know, you never know how they're going to turn out,” Delfiner said. “He's very, very smart and he did everything right coming out of the gate training. Since he broke out of the gate in the first race, he's acted like he's an older horse. He's a smart little colt.”
Delfiner's background in racing includes being co-breeder of 2013 Skip Away (G3) winner Cigar Street and co-owner of Theregoesjojo, second in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and third in the Florida Derby (G1) in 2009, and Afleet Tizzy, a Pennsylvania-bred stakes winner of more than $376,000 in purse earnings.
“We've had some nice horses, no complaints,” Delfiner said. “He's going to take us as far as he wants to go. So far, he's done everything we've asked and we'll just go to the next step.
“I've been around long enough to know that you can't count any chickens,” he added. “He just happens to be a really, really nice horse and we're excited about him.”
Several of Jaxon Traveler's rivals bring previous stakes experience into the Futurity including shippers Singlino and Latin Spice, respectively first and third in the First State Dash Sept. 26 at Delaware Park. Owned and trained by John Worsley, Singlino has run into trouble in each of two subsequent starts including a seventh in the James Lewis, while Latin Spice was third in an open second-level allowance Nov. 23 at Mountaineer. He is trained by co-owner Jason DaCosta.
Mopo Racing's Alwaysinahurry owns two wins and a second in three starts since being gelded this fall, the only loss coming to Dale Capuano-trained stablemate Kenny Had a Notion in the Maryland Million Nursery. Alwaysinahurry returned to post a gutsy neck triumph in an entry-level optional claiming allowance Nov. 7 at Laurel at the Futurity distance.
“Since we gelded him he's run very well,” Capuano said. “The seven-eighths he won at last time shouldn't be a problem this time. [Jason Traveler] is pretty tough. We'll see what he can do.”
The Futurity will be the eighth career start for Alwaysinahurry, making him the most experienced horse in the field. He has also proven to be adaptable in his races, winning from both on and off the pace.
“However the race comes up, he can go either way. I don't think that really matters to him. He's pretty versatile, so that makes a difference,” Capuano said. “He's already run seven times, so that's quite a bit. He's a got a lot more seasoning than some of the other ones. I think the more they run the better they should get, and it looks like he's doing that. Hopefully he'll improve a little bit more.”
Ain't Da Beer Cold, Doubleoseven and maiden Hunter Joe complete the field.
Stakes winners Miss Nondescript and Street Lute, separated by a neck in their only previous meeting, will hook up again leading a field of nine in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship.
Barak Farm homebred Miss Nondescript circled the field with a four-wide move and came flying on the far outside with a steady run to catch Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute on the wire in the six-furlong Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 24 at Laurel.
It was the first start for the Mosler filly since joining trainer Mike Trombetta's Laurel string following a nose maiden special weight triumph in debut Sept. 4 at Monmouth Park, a five-furlong sprint that was originally carded for the grass.
“It was a good race for her. She'd only had one race under our belt and she was new to our barn so I didn't know a whole hell of a lot about her. We'd only had her three or four weeks. I was very happy with how she showed up and performed,” Trombetta said.
“She's trained good since. She's done well and breezed good,” he added. “We breezed her the other day before the rain so we were able to get that in and, from what I can tell, she seems like she's ready to go.”
Miss Nondescript went a half-mile in 48.80 seconds Nov. 29 at Laurel, where she has prepped both before and since the race. Trombetta also has a string of horses at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.
“She's gotten to train at Laurel; she's been there the whole time now. She's gotten a race in over the track so hopefully she's ready for this,” Trombetta said. “She does everything right, and she does everything you ask of her. This will be a little bit of a test, I'm sure, but I think it's the next step and she should ready for it.”
Street Lute's narrow Maryland Million loss is the only thing keeping her from being undefeated. The daughter of Street Magician made her first two starts at Delaware Park, graduating at first asking and then rolling to a front-running five-length triumph in the 5 ½-furlong Small Wonder Sept. 26.
Back at Laurel, where she is based with trainer Jerry Robb, Street Lute tracked pacesetter Trip to Freedom in the Lassie and forged a short lead in deep stretch before being edged late. She returned with a dominant 2 ¾-length score in the six-furlong Smart Halo Nov. 14.
“She came out of the race fine, and she's doing real good,” Robb said. “The only time she got beat she was chasing the speed and then she got caught by somebody else after she caught the speed. It happened in the last jump. I don't think she even saw the horse coming, to be honest with you. This race is a little bit farther so hopefully that'll fit her a little better. I think she wants to go a little bit farther. All along I've thought she was a distance horse, so I'll be anxious to find that out.”
The Juvenile Filly Championship is the final stakes for Maryland-bred sired fillies this year. The last stakes for 2-year-old fillies on the Maryland calendar are the $100,000 Anne Arundel County going about 1 1/16 miles and $100,000 Gin Talking sprinting seven furlongs Dec. 26.
“You've really got to hit the Maryland-bred spots. They'll be few and far between after now, so she'll get plenty of time between them,” Robb said. “You have to try to train them to make sure you make these and then sit back and not worry about the next one for a while.”
Also entered are Juror Number Four, a two-time winner who ran fourth in the Small Wonder; Liam's Missy, a 10 ½-length maiden special weight winner Oct. 31 at Belmont Park for trainer Tim Hills; Maxine's Tap Room, a Keeneland maiden special weight winner Oct. 23 in her lone start; Trip to Freedom, maiden winners Buckey's Charm and Targe and the maiden Heartful.
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