Undefeated Jaxon Traveler Headlines Maryland Juvenile Championship

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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‘He Gives It His All Every Time’: Lewisfield Making Third Consecutive Trip To Maryland Million Sprint

Making just his third start of the year and first in two months, Linda Zang's multiple stakes-winning homebred Lewisfield returns in time for his third consecutive trip to the Maryland Million in Saturday's $100,000 Sprint at Laurel Park.

The six-furlong Sprint for 3-year-olds and up is among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Carded as Race 10, the Sprint immediately precedes the featured $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up. First race post time is 11:25 a.m.

A gelded 6-year-old son of Great Notion, the Maryland Million's leading active sire with 13 career winners, Lewisfield won the Sprint in 2018 and was third last year during a campaign where he was named the champion Maryland-bred sprinter, bookending his season with stakes victories at Laurel in the Not For Love and Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.

Both stakes wins came at the Sprint's six furlongs, where Lewisfield owns a record of 7-4-5 from 19 tries. Finishing first or second Saturday would put him over $500,000 in lifetime earnings.

“He definitely likes the track and that's the distance he likes,” trainer Jeff Runco said. “We had a nice workout the other day with him and he's been training well since, so we're going to get him ready for Saturday. Hopefully, he'll do well. I think he'll be fine.”

Lewisfield is named for an Arabian breeding operation owned by Zang's late father-in-law. Her husband, James F. Lewis III, was a mainstay on the Maryland racing scene as an owner-breeder and first president of Maryland Million Ltd., and has had a stakes race for 2-year-olds run in his honor since his death in May 2012.

Like many horses, Lewisfield's 2020 season was compromised amid the coronavirus pandemic that put racing on hold across the country including Maryland and Runco's base at Charles Town. Lewisfield didn't debut until July 4 at Laurel, finishing fourth in a six-furlong optional claimer, beaten less than three lengths off a seven-month layoff.

In his most recent race, Lewisfield was in striking position for a half-mile in the seven-furlong Russell Road Aug. 28 at Charles Town before fading in the final eighth to run last of nine. He didn't return to the work tab until Oct. 1, and fired a bullet half-mile in 48 seconds Oct. 15 for the Sprint.

“He wasn't able to race. He was in training the whole time,” Runco said. “There's a lot of horses out there like this, who were ready to run but with no place to run so you train them and train them and train them. It's really not good for the horses because they need to race when they're ready to run.

“The shutdown was tough on him,” he added. “He lost a lot of time this year being in training and everything closed down. It's a shame, but it is what it is. We'll see how he does. We'll try this and I think after this I want to give him a chance on the grass, hopefully this year.”

Lewisfield has won four career stakes and placed in 10 others through 25 starts, including thirds in the 2018 and 2019 Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. Horacio Karamanos is named to ride from Post 7 for Runco, a winner of more than 4,300 career races.

“He's just been great. He's a great horse. He's been a fun horse to have,” Runco said. “We've been able to travel with him. He always tries. He's had a couple of rough trips here and there but that's how racing is. He gives it his all every time. Hopefully we'll have a good trip on Saturday and we'll see how it goes.”

Also making his third straight trip to the Sprint, but first for trainer Jerry O'Dwyer, is Clover Hill Farm and Clover Hill Racing's Onemoregreattime. Another son of Great Notion, the 5-year-old gelding finished fourth in 2018 and sixth last year for previous trainer Jerry Robb.

Onemoregreattime was beaten a head after setting the pace in a six-furlong optional claimer July 4 at Laurel, his debut for O'Dwyer and first race following the 2 ½-month coronavirus pause. He has finished off the board in three subsequent starts, most recently running fifth in the Polynesian Stakes Sept. 5.

“We're very happy with him. We think he runs best fresh, so we haven't run him for a while. We just decided to back off him and aim him for this race,” O'Dwyer said. “This is our primary goal, so that's why he hasn't run in a while. But he's a very active horse, he hasn't missed a beat in training, he breezes good every week. We just did a nice maintenance half-mile last week, he's very fit. We just wanted to keep him fresh and happy going into the race.”

In his recent races, Onemoregreattime has run up against such horses as multiple stakes winner Laki, who parlayed a runner-up effort in the Polynesian to victory in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Oct. 3, and Polynesian winner Eastern Bay, who is the first of five Maryland-bred also-eligibles in the Sprint.

“He's always knocking heads with the best of them around here, and he's always right there. He'll get his turn,” O'Dwyer said. “Hopefully this year this could be his year. We hope it can be. I'm very happy with how he is. He can't be in any better form. I think we finally figured out that he just likes to run fresh so we're going to try to keep him that way. He's run some very good numbers and he's never disgraced.”

Jevian Toledo has the call from Post 3.

Maryland's leading trainer the past three years, Claudio Gonzalez entered both Eastern Bay and Maryland-sired Baptize the Boy, a son of 2014 General George (G3) winner Bandbox that drew Post 2. Magic Stable's Baptize the Boy has been third or better in seven of nine starts this year with two wins, racing primarily at Parx.

Robert D. Bone's Eastern Bay, claimed for $35,000 in February, would need at least two scratches from the main body of the field to draw into the race. Following the Polynesian, he came up a nose short of Laki following a dramatic late run in the De Francis.

“He ran so big the last time. He didn't break that sharp and it was a little too much for him to do. If he was a little closer to the group, maybe we catch him, but that's racing,” Gonzalez said. “He likes what we do with him. He's a classy horse. He doesn't need too much. We try to keep him happy and he shows you he is in the afternoon.”

Also in the main body of the race are Whiskey and You; recent Parx allowance winner Brilliant Chase; Seany P; stakes-placed Hall Pass, fourth in last year's Sprint; Karan's Notion, For the Moment and Let's Play Nine, a winner of three of four career starts but unraced since March 13.

Grade 3-placed stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo, Abuelo Paps, defending Sprint champion Taco Supream and Girls Love Me join Eastern Bay on the also-eligible list.

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Pimlico Special Winner Harpers First Ride Among 245 Pre-Entries For Oct. 24 Maryland Million Day

Harpers First Ride, recent upset winner of the historic Pimlico Special (G3), three defending champions and a total of seven past winners are among 245 pre-entries in 12 stakes on the 35th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program Saturday, Oct. 24 at Laurel Park.

Five of the races on the Maryland Million program are scheduled to be contested over Laurel's world-class turf course, including the return of the $100,000 Turf Sprint following an eight-year absence. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Wednesday, Oct. 21.

First race post time on Maryland Million Day is 11:25 a.m.

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride sprung a front-running upset of favored Triple Crown-tested Owendale in the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course, for his second consecutive stakes win following the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony Sept. 5 at Laurel, where the 4-year-old gelding owns six wins from seven career starts for Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's leading trainer the past three years.

Harpers First Ride is among 16 pre-entries to the $150,000 Classic, the richest race on the Maryland Million program, for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. Also pre-entered are defending champion Forest Fire, trained by Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner John Servis; multiple stakes winner Cordmaker, third by two necks in the 2019 Pimlico Special; Laddie Liam, unraced since winning the 2019 Maryland Juvenile Futurity last December for trainer Hugh McMahon, eight wins shy of 1,000 for his career; 2019 Heft Stakes winner Monday Morning Qb; 2019 Classic runner-up Prendimi; and 2019 Iowa Derby winner Top Line Growth, four-for-four lifetime at Laurel.

Big Bertha Stable and Stormy Stable's Taco Supream is pre-entered to defend his title in the $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Trained by Damon Dilodovico, who upset the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) with Laki Oct. 3 at Pimlico, Taco Supream was most recently sixth in the six-furlong Polynesian Sept. 5 at Laurel to Eastern Bay, beaten a nose in the De Francis and one of four Sprint pre-entrants trained by Gonzalez.

Also prominent among 24 Sprint pre-entrants are Linda Zang's homebred Lewisfield, Maryland's champion sprinter of 2019 and winner of the 2018 Sprint for trainer Jeff Zunco; multiple stakes winner Introduced, whose four wins from seven tries at Laurel include the 2019 Miss Disco Stakes; and multiple stakes-placed Whereshetoldmetogo.

Kevin P. Morgan's Maryland homebred Mr. d'Angelo sprung a 17-1 upset in last year's $100,000 Turf for 3-year-olds and up traveling 1 1/8 miles, and tops 19 pre-entries for 2020. Second by a neck in an open one-mile allowance Sept. 17 at Laurel, the 4-year-old gelding is joined by Somekindofmagician and Pretty Good Year, respectively second and third in last year's Turf, separated by a half-length; and Nick Papagiorgio, 12-for-16 in the money at Laurel including six wins.

A total of 28 horses were pre-entered in the $100,000 Distaff for fillies and mares 3 and older sprinting seven furlongs, led by Hello Beautiful and Limited View, whose multiple stakes wins include the 2019 and 2017 Maryland Million Lassie, respectively; three-time stakes-winning 4-year-old Las Setas; Never Enough Time, winner of the Alma North at Laurel and Skipat at Pimlico in her last two starts; 2020 Delaware Oaks (G3) winner Project Whiskey; stakes winner Artful Splatter; and Coconut Cake, riding a three-race win streak; and Introduced.

The $100,000 Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles on the grass received 14 pre-entries including No Mo Lady, third in the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette (G3) last out Oct. 3 at Pimlico; Artful Splatter, upset winner over Anna's Bandit in the Geisha Stakes Jan. 20 over Laurel's main track; Shifra Magician, who has earned all seven of her career wins on the turf and was fourth, beaten a half-length, in last year's Maryland Million Turf Distaff Starter Handicap; and Something Magical, fourth in the 2019 Ladies.

Last run in 2012 and won in each of its final three years by late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben's Cat, the $100,000 Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs drew 27 pre-entries in its return, led by A Great Time, a dramatic come-from-behind winner of the five-furlong The Very One Oct. 1 at Pimlico and Mike Trombetta-trained stablemate Oldies But Goodies, winner of the 2019 Ben's Cat Stakes sprinting on grass; and So Street, Love You Much and Joseph, respectively second, third and fifth in the 5 ½-furlong Laurel Dash Sept. 7.

Most popular among horsemen was the $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies, which attracted 31 pre-entries led by Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, undefeated in two starts including the Small Wonder Stakes Sept. 26 at Delaware Park. Street Lute is also among 24 pre-entries to the $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds, along with Jamestown Stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion and First State Dash winner Singlino. Both the Lassie and Nursery are contested at six furlongs.

Back for the fourth straight year are the $50,000 Turf Starter Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, which drew 20 nominations including 2018 winner Barin, and $50,000 Turf Distaff Starter Handicap for fillies and mares 3 and older, both at 1 1/8 miles on the grass.

Rounding out the stakes action are the $40,000 Distaff Starter Handicap for fillies and mares 3 and older and the $40,000 Starter Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, both sprinting seven furlongs.

Edgar Prado leads all Maryland Million jockeys with 18 wins, one more than fellow Hall of Famer Ramon Dominguez. Dale Capuano and Hall of Famer King Leatherbury, who together have combined for more than 10,000 career victories, rank 1-2 among Maryland Million trainers with 11 and 10 wins, respectively.

Named for the late Hall of Fame and 13-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster who helped launch the groundbreaking concept in 1986, the Jim McKay Maryland Million has evolved into the second-biggest day on the state's racing calendar behind only the Preakness Stakes (G1). 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrates the stallions who stand in the state as well as a rich and diverse racing history that dates back to the founding of the Maryland Jockey Club in 1743.

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Preakness Stakes Bonus Offered To Maryland-Bred And -Sired Runners

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association will offer a series of bonuses for runners bred or sired in the state that perform well in October's Preakness Stakes, potentially totaling $500,000.

If a horse that's both Maryland-bred and -sired wins the Preakness on Oct. 3, the winner's owner and breeder will each receive a bonus of $225,000, and the owner of the winner's sire will receive $50,000.

For a Preakness winner that's Maryland-bred, but not Maryland-sired, the owner and breeder will each earn a $225,000 bonus.

A Preakness winner that's Maryland-sired, but not Maryland-bred, would earn the winning racehorse owner $225,000 and the stallion owner $50,000.

Finishing second for horses in any of the above categories would earn their connections 20 percent of the winner's bonus – $45,000 for owners and breeders, and $10,000 for stallion owners. Running third in the Preakness would earn 10 percent – $22,500 for owners and breeders, and $5,000 for stallion owners.

Past Maryland-bred Preakness winners include Deputed Testamony (1983), Kauai King (1966), and Challedon (1939). Last year's race featured the Maryland-bred multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining.

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