Undefeated Run To Daylight Headlines Saturday’s James F. Lewis III Stakes At Laurel

David Raim's Run to Daylight, undefeated through three starts including back-to-back stakes wins, hits the road for the first time in an attempt to keep his perfect record intact in Saturday's $100,000 James F. Lewis III at Laurel Park.

The 10th running of the Lewis for 2-year-olds and 25th renewal of the $100,00 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, join the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for females 3 and older going 1 1/16 miles on the nine-race program. First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Run to Daylight, a gelded bay son of champion sprinter Runhappy, has been favored in each of his first three races, winning by 11 ¼ combined lengths, all at trainer Jeff Runco's Charles Town base. Run to Daylight debuted August 22 and captured the Sept. 18 Henry Mercer Memorial going 4 ½ furlongs, before taking the 6 ½-furlong Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classic Oct. 9.

“So far he's done pretty good. He's a nice Runhappy colt that's won two stakes now, and he's got a little experience,” Runco said. “We stretched him out and he kind of got off a little slow in his last start, but was able to overcome that and ran very well. He kind of pulled away there at the end. He ran a nice race.”

Because of his tardy break last out, Run to Daylight showed a new dimension in the Moscarelli after a pair of front-running triumphs. All of his races have come under jockey Arnaldo Bocachica, who returns to ride from Post 2 in a field of eight. All horses carry 122 pounds.

“Whenever you have a horse that's gone to the lead twice, and won both on the lead, if they get off slow and then they show that they can come from off the pace, its shows that the horse definitely has some talent and he's versatile,” Runco said. “He doesn't have to be in front. I like seeing that; I'm sure any trainer would. He ran a real nice race off the pace last time and finished up well.”

Run to Daylight initially fetched $115,000 at Keeneland's January 2020 Horses of All Ages sale, then was purchased by Raim for $60,000 as a yearling eight months later from the Dromoland Farm consignment. Runco signed the ticket.

“We've liked him all along. I liked him when I bought him as a yearling. I've had some siblings out of same family and they've all run pretty good. He's a real nice-looking colt. Once we got him in training, he worked well,” Runco said. “I'm not sure if he'll go a route or not yet. It's still a little early, but that's a possibility. He definitely looks like six or seven [furlongs] is going to be fine for him as a 2-year-old.”

Runco also entered Coleswood Farm, Inc.'s homebred Amidships, a maiden winner second time out Sept. 18 at Charles Town who ran a decisive second to his stablemate in the Moscarelli, 10 lengths clear of third-place finisher Ryan's Sword. By Midshipman, he is also making his first start outside his native West Virginia.

“He ran a good race, and he had a little bit of a tough trip. He got off just a tick slow, not bad, but he had to chase three wide on a really hot pace. He was three wide around the turn and it just kind of got to him the last part of it.,” Runco said. “I'm not saying which one of the two is better; the other horse won the race. But when you chase three wide, that's tough on a horse that's only run two times. He's a pretty nice colt, too. If he gets a good trip I think he'll be formidable, also.”

Denis Araujo has the call on Amidships from Post 3.

Three other stakes winners are entered in the Lewis – Timonium Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star, coming off a sixth in the Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 23 at Laurel; Local Motive, winner of the Hickory Tree on the Colonial Downs turf Aug. 8 in his second start; and No Sabe Nada, who captured the Sept. 25 First State Dash at Delaware Park. No Sabe Nada was most recently third in the one-mile Rocky Run Oct. 16 at Delaware; the winner, Cooke Creek, came back to be second in the Nov. 6 Nashua (G2) at Belmont Park.

Bird Mobberley's Maryland-bred Local Motive was a debut winner July 24 going six furlongs on the main track at historic Pimlico Race Course, then cut back to five-eighths and switched to turf for the Hickory Tree, rallying by a half-length. In his most recent start, he pressed the pace set by eventual winner Buff Hello into the stretch before tiring to be third by 2 ¼ lengths, beaten a neck for second by Coastal Mission. Both horses were also nominated to the Lewis.

“He chased that horse all the way and he didn't stop. He got beat a [neck] for second but, on a normal basis, I don't think that horse beats him again,” trainer John Salzman Jr. said. “He's doing fine, he's training fine, he came out of that race and everything's good. The only reason I'd hesitate is the three weeks. That horse ran big. It's just going to be up to what the race looks like.”

Salzman is proud of how Local Motive has rebounded from a failed run in the Timonium Juvenile, where he went off as the favorite but was pulled up by jockey J.D. Acosta and vanned off following a freak incident. Acosta rides back from Post 7.

“He's a nice horse. He's done everything I've asked of him. He's won on the turf, he's won on the dirt. Timonium was just a freak thing,” Salzman said. “He got hit in the eye and it scared him more than anything. He was all over the place and he scared the rider. He did the right thing and he pulled him up. He thought something serious was wrong and, knock on wood, it wasn't. He came back and he gave me a big effort.”

Completing the field are Timonium Juvenile runner-up Slaats, a popular waiver maiden claiming winner Oct. 15 at Laurel; Beast or Famine, a winner of two straight; and Tops the Chart, who exits a Sept. 25 maiden special weight victory at Monmouth Park.

The James F. Lewis III honors the late longtime Maryland horseman and first president of Maryland Million Ltd. He bred and/or campaigned a number of prominent runners in the region, led by 1974 Test (G2) winner Maybelline, Flirtation (G3) winner Heartful and multiple stakes winner Swift Attraction. His daughter, Lisa, is a multiple graded-stakes winning trainer based in New York and Florida.

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Cooke Creek, Buff Hello Lead List of James F. Lewis III Nominees

Undefeated stakes winners Cooke Creek and Run to Daylight, and the top six finishers from the Maryland Million Nursery led by winner Buff Hello, are among 30 horses nominated to the $100,000 James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds Saturday, Nov. 13 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The Lewis and $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, are joined on the Nov. 13 program by the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles, which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Cheyenne Stables' Cooke Creek is 2-0 for Laurel-based trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer. The son of 2010 champion juvenile male Uncle Mo earned both his victories at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., including the one-mile Rocky Run Oct. 16 over Affable Monarch and No Sabe Nada, also Lewis nominees.

David Raim's Run to Daylight, by 2015 champion sprinter Runhappy, has won each of his three starts at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charlestown, W. Va., for trainer Jeff Runco, with back-to-back stakes triumphs in the 4 ½-furlong Henry Murcer Memorial Sept. 18 and 6 ½-furlong West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classic Oct. 9.

Joseph Besecker's Buff Hello, from the barn of Maryland's four-time leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, rolled to a front-running two-length score in the six-furlong Nursery Oct. 23 at Laurel, his second win from five career starts. Coastal Mission, Local Motive, Shady Munni, Mr. Mox, and Timonium Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star respectively ran second through sixth and are also nominated, though Mr. Mox is entered Nov. 4 at Laurel.

Other Lewis nominees include Oct. 11 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile winner Longshadow; Sept. 25 First State Dash winner No Sabe Nada; stakes-placed Amidships, Practical Coach, Slaats, and Wow Whata Summer; and last out winners Barber Road, Beast Or Famine, Captain Chazz, Defend, Kenner, Radical Right, Tops the Chart, Trust Daddy, and Uncle Irish.

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Bird Mobberley's Buff My Boots, half-length winner of the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 23 at Laurel, is prominent among 25 nominees to the Smart Halo. The Buffum filly owns three wins from five starts for Laurel-based trainer John Salzman Jr. Sparkle Sprinkle and Luna Belle, respectively third and fourth in the Lassie, are also nominated.

Other nominees include James McIngvale homebred Runup, a winner of two straight including the one-mile Sorority Sept. 6 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., before finishing ninth in the Oct. 8 Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.; stakes-placed Advocate Harbor, Morning Matcha, and Whiteknuckleflyer; and last out winners Beneath the Stars, Buy the Best, Click to Confirm, Disco Ebo, Intrepid Daydream, Louella Street, Preparefortakeoff, and Trade Secret.

Chilean Group 2 winner Cheetara and Grade 1-placed Off Topic are among 21 nominees to the Thirty Eight Go Go. Stud Los Leones' Cheetara won the Haras de Chile Marcel Zarour Atanacio (G2) last December and exits a Keeneland allowance victory Oct. 24. D Hatman Thoroughbreds' Off Topic was third in the Grade 2 Gazelle and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks as a 3-year-old in 2019 for previous trainer Todd Pletcher. Now with Phil Schoenthal, she made her comeback off an 11-month layoff Sept. 18 at Laurel.

Multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter, Kiss the Girl, and Mrs. Orb; and stakes winners Ask Bailey, Josie, Malibu Beauty, Miss Leslie, Trolley Ride, and Sweet Willemina, who has reeled off six straight wins since being claimed by trainer Scott Lake June 17, are also nominated.

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Jersey-Bred No Cents Invades Laurel For James F. Lewis III Win; Street Lute Takes Smart Halo

Isabelle de Tomaso and Hope Jones' homebred No Cents, making his local and stakes debut off back-to-back wins out of town, corralled favored Dalton in mid-stretch and edged past for a comfortable 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 James F. Lewis III at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The ninth running of the Lewis was the second of two six-furlong juvenile sprint stakes on the Salute to Veterans Day program, preceded by the 24th renewal of the $100,000 Smart Halo for fillies, won by Street Lute.

No Cents ($10.80) completed the distance in 1:09.16 over a fast main track to give jockey Trevor McCarthy his third straight Lewis win and fourth overall. He also finished first with eventual graded-stakes winner El Areeb in 2016, Scrap Copper in 2018 and Newstome in 2019. Winning trainer Cal Lynch also trained El Areeb.

“I definitely wanted to leave a little something in the tank and not overdo it with him. He's a 2-year-old so hopefully we'll have a bright future with him,” McCarthy said of No Cents. “Cal seems to always have these colts ready, so big credit to him. It's just a huge privilege to me. They made me look good today.”

Dalton, beaten a neck when second to subsequent Nashua (G3) winner Pickin' Time last out, showed good early foot and established the lead before Lugamo, riding a two-race win streak, worked over from his outside post to be in front after a quarter-mile in 22.05 seconds. McCarthy settled No Cents in fifth and was still looking at a wall of horses when the field rounded the far turn.

Lugamo maintained a slim margin after a half in 45.02 but was quickly overtaken by Dalton at the top of the stretch. At that point, McCarthy tipped No Cents to the middle of the track and set his sights on Dalton, steadily gaining ground before wresting the lead away inside the eighth pole.

It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Lugamo in third and another three to Texas Basin, followed by Heir Port, Kenny Had a Notion, Singlino and Fearless Fly. Kenny Had a Notion had won his two previous races, both in Laurel stakes, one each on the turf and dirt.

“We had a great trip. We had a good break and I was happy to get a good position and be able to follow [Dalton]. That was kind of my target to run with, so it was nice,” McCarthy said. “We were able to save ground and get a nice little breather and when we came past the five-sixteenths pole, I was just being patient with him. I knew I had a ton of horse underneath me and I was just kind of seeing where [Dalton] went.

“As soon as I tipped outside of him I just gave him a nice target to run at,” he added. “When I wanted him to finish up strong, he did, and when I wanted him to take a little bit of a break at the wire when I knew I kind of had it, he settled down. He's very push-button. He does everything you want him to do.”

A bay son of Goldencents out of the Petitionville mare Faker, No Cents made each of his first three starts in New Jersey, where he was bred. Second by a length in debut Aug. 29, he won a maiden special weight against state-breds Sept. 27 before a game neck open allowance triumph Oct. 21.

The $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity for state-bred/sired horses Dec. 5 and $100,000 Heft Dec. 26 are the final two stakes for 2-year-olds at Laurel in 2020.

Street Lute Delivers in $100,000 Smart Halo Victory
Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, beaten at the wire in the Maryland Million Lassie in her previous start, slipped through a seam on the inside around the turn and quickly separated from the field to rebound with a 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Smart Halo.

It was the second career Smart Halo win for trainer Jerry Robb following Lake Sebago in 2014, and first for jockey Xavier Perez. The winning time was 1:09.85.

The Lassie Oct. 24 at Laurel, where she came up a neck short of Miss Nondescript, was the first career loss for Street Lute ($5) following a pair of wins, including a front-running five-length score in the Small Wonder Stakes Sept 26 at Delaware Park.

“It's definitely a little bit of redemption. In the Maryland Million she had to chase the speed and hold off closers, and she didn't see the horse coming or I think she might have won that race,” Robb said. “She thinks she won it, so we tell her she did.”

Street Lute rated in third in the early going Saturday as 30-1 longshot Donnybrook Girl broke running and zipped the opening quarter-mile in 21.69 seconds pressed by recent maiden winner Be Sneaky. Perez stayed patient and took advantage of a narrow opening midway around the turn to establish the lead, drawing clear once straightened for home. Out of Sorts trailed the field in the early going, ranged up on the far outside and closed steadily down the center of the track for second, with Be Sneaky another length back in third.

Prodigy Doll, Swirling Dancer, Docs Seven, Donnybrook Girl and Supreme Blessing completed the order of finish.

“The instructions were to try and get a good break and see. I thought [Prodigy Doll] might go and she didn't. You definitely don't know what they're going to do so you have to leave it up to the jockeys,” Robb said. “He let [Donnybrook Girl] go and laid right off of her and somehow he got through. It worked out perfect.”

Robb said the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship for state-bred/sired fillies Dec. 5 at Laurel will be the next likely target for Street Lute.

“We'll keep her in Maryland for now,” he said. “The Juvenile will probably be next.”

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‘Kenny’ Trying Open Company In James F. Lewis III; Smart Halo Stakes Shares Top Billing At Laurel

Louis Ulman and Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion, having won back-to-back stakes on different surfaces against restricted company, gets his biggest test to date in an attempt to extend his streak to three straight in Saturday's $100,000 James F. Lewis III at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The ninth running of the Lewis for 2-year-olds co-headlines a nine-race program with the 24th renewal of the $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both stakes sprinting six furlongs. First race post time is 12:25 p.m. Eastern.

Kenny Had a Notion will be facing open company in the Lewis for the first time since his July 30 debut at Delaware Park, where he came from off the pace to get up by a head sprinting six furlongs as the favorite in a maiden special weight.

“We'll see what he's made of now. There's no restrictions on this one,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “I think he'll run his race. If he's good enough, he should be tough. We'll see.”

Kenny Had a Notion returned to Delaware to run sixth in his stakes debut in the First State Dash, contested over a sloppy track. Back at his home track of Laurel, he rolled past fellow Virginia-breds in the 5 1/2-furlong Jamestown on turf, returning three weeks later to cruise by the same five-length margin in the six-furlong Maryland Million Nursery.

Capuano-trained stablemate Alwaysinahurry, second in the Nursery and nominated to the Lewis, came back to beat winners by a neck in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Nov. 7 at Laurel.

“After the Maryland Million he's done so well, and this is the next race for him. So, we'll see how he does,” Capuano said of Kenny Had a Notion. “I was very impressed with him last time. He showed good speed, he was on the bit the entire race, and when he got through on the inside he just opened up in the stretch. Alwaysinahurry, who he beat and who I still say is a pretty nice horse as well, came back to win the allowance race on Saturday. That just flatters his performance a little bit more, I would think.

“The only time he's lost so far was that sloppy race at Delaware. He just didn't it going in that race,” he added. “He was a little bit short and it's nice to run him at Laurel because that's where he trains the whole time.”

Alex Cintron, up for his debut, gets a return call from Post 7 in the field of 10. All horses will carry 122 pounds.

Also entering the Lewis off two straight wins is Lugamo Racing Stable's eponymous Chitu colt, whose lone career loss came when second behind undefeated Jaxon Traveler in his Sept. 25 unveiling at Pimlico Race Course. Jaxon Traveler is being pointed to the Maryland Juvenile Futurity Dec. 2 at Laurel.

Lugamo romped by six lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight Oct. 16 and came back two weeks later with a 4 1/4-length optional claiming allowance triumph going one mile, both at Laurel. Angel Cruz will be back aboard for a third straight time, from Post 9.

“I wasn't going to run him but the way he's acting he's telling me he's ready to go again. My only concern is the distance,” trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon said. “That's the thing. It's cutting back but you know, he's going to run his race. He's putting himself pretty much on the lead on the time without even being asked, so I hope he can do the same thing again.

“He took the last race like a breeze. He's a happy horse. He's doing really, really good,” he added. “He came out of it than he did the race before and the first race even better. He's such an amazing horse. He's out there galloping and all he wants to do now is buck, wants to rear up, wants to play. He's very happy. He's feeling really good.”

Sanchez-Salomon said Lugamo's attitude has been the perfect complement to his talent as the colt continues to develop.

“He's a really, really smart horse. He's pretty quiet in the shedrow but when the rider gets on him and he gets out to the track, he's a different horse. He transforms himself. All he wants to do is show that he's the man,” he said. “What really amazes me is when he comes back and is done training, all he wants to do is lay down until it's time for breakfast. You can lay on his back and sleep next to him and he won't even move. That's the sign of a really nice horse, so I hope he stays like that.”

Colts Neck Stables homebred Dalton will be making his Laurel debut for trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. after alternating his first four starts between Delaware and Monmouth Park. Last out, the Kantharos chestnut stalked the pace before taking a short lead into the stretch, and wound up second by a nose to Pickin' Time in the six-furlong Smoke Glacken Oct. 24. Pickin' Time came back to win the Nashua (G3) Nov. 8 at Aqueduct.

Completing the field are First State Dash winner Singlino; No Cents, a, winner of two straight at Monmouth for Laurel-based trainer Cal Lynch; Ain't Da Beer Cold, Fearless Fly, Heir Port, Texas Basin and Xtreme Mayhem.

The James F. Lewis III is named for the late longtime horseman who served as first president of Maryland Million Ltd. and past president of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. A breeder, owner and trainer, Lewis' top horses included 1974 Test (G2) winner Maybellene, 1974 Flirtation (G3) winner Heartful and multiple stakes winner Swift Attraction. His daughter, Lisa Lewis, has been training since the early 1990s.

Out of Sorts, Prodigy Doll Seeks Stakes Success in $100,000 Smart Halo
Juvenile fillies Out of Sorts and Prodigy Doll, impressive last out winners over Laurel's main track, will square off for the first time as they make their stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 Smart Halo.

Respect the Valleys' Out of Sorts, a $1,000 yearling purchase last fall, is taking the step up to stakes company just 13 days off a 10 ¾-length maiden special weight romp Nov. 1 at Laurel. The Dramedy filly ran a half-mile in 46.73 seconds before being geared down in the stretch by jockey Sheldon Russell, completing six furlongs in 1:11.62.

“I know it's back kind of quick but I think her maiden win she did it easy enough and she's come right out of it so we'll give it a shot,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “I think she ran a pretty good number. Naturally, I wish she would have broken her maiden a few weeks earlier so we could have given her a little bit more time. She won by a lot but she did it easy. She did it within herself and she's come out of that race bouncing and doing well, so that's kind of all you can ask for when you're trying to wheel one back quick.”

Out of Sorts broke slowly and raced near the back of the field in her debut, a maiden special weight also going six furlongs Sept. 25 at Pimlico Race Course. Favored in each of her two starts, she showed some late interest to get up for fourth and reaffirmed the connections' faith in her.

“With her it's kind of been about her mind. She seemed to be fragile-minded early on and after that first run she really seemed like she grew up. She came around mentally. Not that she was ever bad or ever a problem by any means but with the 2-year-old fillies, sometimes they can have all the ability in the world but they have to have the mind to back it up,” Russell said.

“I feel like now she's had some racing and she kind of gets it, she's very, very mature in the morning. She's very businesslike,” she added. “I do know she had the ability. Now that we see her brain can handle it and she's maturing, I think that makes us feel even better about what we have.”

Sheldon Russell will ride back from Post 2 of eight. All fillies will carry 122 pounds.

HnR Nothhaft Horse Racing's Prodigy Doll enters the Smart Halo off two sharp wins, the first coming in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight over her home track of Penn National Oct. 22. Trainer Bernie Houghton shipped her to Laurel for an entry-level optional claiming allowance going six furlongs 20 days later, and she cruised by nine lengths in front-running fashion.

“She's a nice one. She certainly surprised the heck out of me the other day. I talked the owner into letting me run her,” Houghton said. “She won the first time at Penn National and did it pretty easy so you couldn't really gauge her. It's a big jump going from a maiden race at Penn National to an allowance race at Laurel. I really liked her and I thought she would run well. Did I think she would run like she did? Not exactly. That shocked me a little bit.”

Prodigy Doll, by champion juvenile Shanghai Bobby, made two starts in Kentucky in June before being sold privately and moved to Houghton, who brought filly Crabcakes to Laurel to win four stakes from 2016-18. The trainer gave her three months between races and she has responded with back-to-back wins.

“When I got her I said we've got to give her a little time off. She'd run twice already as a 2-year-old, early, and I don't like to run them that much,” Houghton said. “We gave her time off and I just freshened her up a little bit.

“She had the experience with two races under her belt, she just needed time. I think that race at Penn National was a good confidence booster for her. She just handled those horses,” he added. “The step up in class is always a concern for me but she came out of the race great, she had a nice, slow easy work the other day and she's ready. She's coming into the race perfectly.”

Lucky 7 Stables' stakes winner Street Lute suffered her first career loss when she finished second by a neck behind Miss Nondescript in the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 24. In her previous start, she won the 5 ½-furlong Small Wonder Sept. 26 at Delaware Park.

Five fillies exiting maiden victories – Be Sneaky, Supreme Blessing and Swirling Dancer at Laurel and shippers Docs Seven from Arlington Park and Donnybrook Girl from Parx – round out the field.

The Smart Halo recognizes the winner of the first Maryland Million race ever run, the 1986 Lassie, by a neck over In the Curl. A daughter of one of Maryland's top sires, Smarten, she went three-for-three as a juvenile for Canadian-based trainer Jim Day.

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