sheldon russell | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fair Grounds Invader Littlestitious Captures Beyond The Wire At Laurel

Joel Politi's Littlestitious came with a steady run down the center of the stretch to catch Fraudulent Charge inside the sixteenth pole and edge clear to a half-length victory in the $100,000 Beyond the Wire Saturday at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 33^rd running of the one-mile Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies was the first of five stakes worth $450,000 in purses on a nine-race program, headlined by the $100,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell for trainer Tom Amoss, Littlestitious ($10.20) completed the distance in 1:36.75 over a fast main track to earn her second career stakes victory following the My Trusty Cat Dec. 1 at Delta Downs to cap her juvenile season.

This year, the bay daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper ran fifth in the Silverbulletday Jan. 16 and fourth behind Clairiere and Travel Column – two of this year's top Kentucky Oaks (G1) prospects – in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds

“The division down in New Orleans is about as good as anywhere. If you look at the Oaks, those are the top two fillies on a lot of people's lists,” winning owner Joel Politi said. “We didn't want to beat our heads against them again, so this was a good opportunity for her to stretch her legs a little bit.”

Littlestitious broke sharply but settled in third under Russell as Street Lute and Fraudulent Charge hooked up on the lead. A winner of six career stakes including five in a row, and favored at 3-5 in her first try beyond seven furlongs, Street Lute went a quarter-mile in 24.71 seconds and a half in 47.71 with Fraudulent Charge glued to her right hip.

Fraudulent Charge, second to Street Lute in the Dec. 26 Gin Talking and Feb. 20 Wide Country in back-to-back starts, forged a short lead entering the stretch after going six furlongs in 1:11.64 while Littlestitious began to roll on the far outside. Russell set his filly down for a drive once straightened for home and kept her to task.

“She's a fighter and she's fought in all of her races. Sheldon rode her just unbelievably well and positioned her down the stretch,” Politi said. “I had a feeling in mid-stretch that she was going to get there, but she definitely had to earn that.”

Fraudulent Charge was second for the third straight race, 4 ½ lengths ahead of Street Lute in third. Journeytothemoon and Buckey's Charm completed the order of finish.

“We live in Columbus, Ohio, and we made the trip out today to be here. Winning a race here at a track I came to as a little kid is just a highlight for me,” Politi said. “Where we go from here, I have no idea yet. Tom and I will talk later, but this is great.”

Founded in 2017, Beyond the Wire is an industry-wide initiative between the Maryland Jockey Club, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland jockeys designed to facilitate safe and enriching placements for retired Maryland-based racehorses.

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Maythehorsebwithu, Street Lute Score Stakes Victories At Laurel

Maythehorsebwithu, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables LLC, led every step of the way Saturday to win the $100,000 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park in Maryland by four lengths while covering a mile in 1:37.02.

Tiz Mandate, who broke last, closed to finish second, just a half-length in front of Spectacular Bid winner Kenny Had a Notion.

The Miracle Wood was one of six stakes run on the afternoon worth $900,000 along with the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) and General George (G3).

Second last time out in the Spectacular Bid at seven furlongs after rating off Kenny Had a Notion, Maythehorsebwithu, trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by Sheldon Russell, broke sharp and on top in the five-horse field and went an opening quarter in :24.02 and a half in :47.51 while being pressed by Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Subsidize while Kenny Had a Notion raced third. Around the turn, Kenny Had a Notion moved inside Subsidize into second took aim on the leader. But Maythehorsebwithu had plenty left and drove to the finish for his first stakes victory.

“My horse broke very sharp today and he's a forward kind of horse,” Sheldon Russell said. “Last time I sort of broke on Kenny's hip. But the way my guy broke today I had no choice. I was inside Kenny. We didn't have any problems with this horse getting the distance. He trains in the morning like he'll run all day. I'm just glad we got the job done.”

A son of Bullsbay who sold for $55,000 as a yearling, Maythehorsebwithu has won three of seven starts along with three seconds.

Maythehorsebwithu winning the Miracle Wood under Sheldon Russell

“He's the kind of horse in the morning that always trains very forwardly,” Brittany Russell said. “You can't get this horse tired, and he always has big, huge gallop-outs after his breezes, so we were pretty confident that he would appreciate added distance.

“Seeing what happened in the Spectacular Bid in the stretch run, I was confident that if he got the right trip he could definitely get the mile.”

Subsidize, who shipped in from the New York stable of Chad Brown, finished fourth while Newyearsblockparty, second in the Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 16, finished fifth.

Street Lute Makes It Five in a Row in Wide Country
The wins just keep piling up for the impressive Street Lute.

Owned by Lucky 7 Stable and trained by John Robb, Street Lute won her fifth consecutive stakes races and seventh race in eight starts when she moved three-wide at the top of the stretch to win the $100,000 Wide Country by a length over Fraudulent Charge. Salt Plage checked in third.

A daughter of Street Magician ridden by Xavier Perez, Street Lute covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.59.

“From the beginning we all thought she was a very special horse and I think that Jerry's said that in every interview,” said Gina Robb, assistant, and wife of John Robb. “Now with so many stakes under her belt and her performance today, I think she's finally stamped it. Today was definitely a big day and I think it was her toughest company today.”

Breaking alertly from the gate, Perez rated Street Lute in third while Little Huntress was pressed by Whiskey and Rye through brisk fractions of 22:62 and :441.91. But around the turn, Street Lute carried Perez effortlessly to the front and drove away from the competition as Fraudulent Charge closed for the place.

“My concern when I was watching the race was, I said, 'Wow, I don't feel like he's asking her but she's not going anywhere. They must be flying.' So, when I saw the 44 [second half-mile] I said, 'Oh, thank goodness.' Then once he asked her, it was all over,” Gina Robb said. “Able to chase that pace and finish the way she did? That was pretty spectacular.”

“Seven-eighths today, in great fashion. I think it was even better than the day she won the Maryland Juvenile [Filly Championship going] seven-eighths. I think she kind of proved a point today.”

Said Perez: “She likes running after horses up front. I saw Brittany's horse go and we settled in nice. This race set up perfect for us just like Jerry said. I was so confident off the turn we were cruising to the wire.”

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Favored Bankit Takes Road Show To Laurel, Wins John B. Campbell

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's well-traveled Bankit, making his 27th career start but first in Maryland, swept to the lead on the far outside and powered through the stretch to a 1 ¾-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 John B. Campbell at Laurel Park.

The 67th running of the Campbell for 4-year-olds and up and the 38th edition of the $100,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares 4 and older, both at about 1 1/16 miles, were among six stakes worth $900,000 on a Winter Sprintfest program co-headlined by the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) and $250,000 General George (G3).

Bankit ($5.40), favored at 8-5 against seven rivals, had raced in New York, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and Kentucky for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen before arriving at Laurel, where he registered his fourth career stakes victory and second in a row. The winning time was 1:42.07 over a fast main track.

It was the second consecutive stakes win on the card for jockey Sheldon Russell, following Maythehorsebwithu in the $100,000 Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds.

Bankit was unhurried in the early going as Zabracadabra, making his stakes debut, and Deal Driven, third in the Claiming Crown Iron Horse, dueled through fractions of 24.10 and 47.48 seconds, tracked by Dixie Drawl and Galerio, beaten a neck in the Jan. 16 Jennings at Laurel in his previous start.

Russell gave Bankit his cue rounding the far turn and the Central Banker gelding responded willingly, catching up to the leaders at the top of the stretch and opening up once in the clear. Galerio ran well to hold second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of late-running multiple stakes winner Cordmaker.

It was another 1 ¼ lengths back to 18-1 long shot Deal Driven in fourth, followed by Forewarned, Dixie Drawl, Zabracadabra and Awesome D J.

“You can see on the Form he runs better with just a little bit of a stalking trip so I let him break sharp. A couple of the inside horses went, and he got into a good spot going into the first turn,” Russell said. “About the half-mile pole I felt I had a lot of horse. I opted to hang him out there five wide and he just got to running. And I knew at the top of the stretch, he pricked his ears, he's a professional horse to ride.”

Lucky Stride Proves Too Tough in $100,000 Nellie Morse
Sonata Stable's Lucky Stride (by Declaration of War) wrested the lead from 40-1 long shot and fellow multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter at the top of the stretch and went on to a popular 1 ¼-length win over a stubborn Landing Zone in the $100,000 Nellie Morse.

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of eight, Lucky Stride ($3.80) hit the wire in 1:43.38 with Julian Pimentel aboard for trainer Mike Trombetta, who also teamed up to win the 2018 Nellie Morse with In The Navy Now.

Pimentel settled Lucky Stride in third between horses as Flashndynamite, a 12-time career winner, ran the opening quarter-mile in 24.30 seconds and the half in 47.67 pressed by Artful Splatter to his outside. Artful Splatter took over the lead midway around the turn when Pimentel made his move on Lucky Stride followed on his right hip by Lucky Move.

Lucky Stride was set down for the stretch drive once straightened for home, with Landing Zone maneuvering into a challenging spot and persisting to the wire. It was three lengths back to Artful Splatter in third with Lucky Move fourth.

Daphne Moon, Flashndynamite, Wicked Awesome and Pat's No Fool completed the order of finish. Gracetown and Dreamer's Moon were scratched.

“I had a great trip,” Pimentel said. “I was able to be outside the whole time. I spoke with [Trombetta] and he didn't want me too far back but in contention. Last time at Laurel we faced a tough filly. Today we just needed to be in a good place.”

Lucky Stride won the 2019 Clasico Roberto Clemente (G3) and Clasico Dia del Veterano (G2) in Puerto Rico before joining Trombetta last summer, and has raced exclusively in stakes since. She was second to Allaire du Pont (G3) winner Eres Tu in the Thirty Eight Go Go Nov. 28 at Laurel and opened her 5-year-old season by winning the Wayward Lass Jan. 16 at Tampa Bay Downs.

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Hello Hot Rod Goes from Winner’s Circle to Fasig Sales Ring

Hello Hot Rod (Mosler), fresh off a gritty score in the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct last Sunday, will make his next appearance in the sales ring during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale. The 3-year-old (hip 672), owned by Dark Horse Racing and Brittany Russell and trained by Russell, was a late supplement to the two-day auction and will be consigned by Elite.

Russell and Dark Horse Racing's Jodi Quinn already had a favorable impression of the son of Mosler before they purchased him for $10,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October Yearling Sale. They had purchased his half-sister Hello Beautiful (Golden Lad) for $6,500 at the Midlantic December Mixed Sale the previous year.

“Hello Beautiful had just broken her maiden at the time he was being sold, but we really liked her and we knew she had some ability,” Russell said of the colt's appeal as a yearling. “He had good bone on him, he was a good-looking little horse. He had a few minor flaws that we could deal with, so it was nice we could get him bought for that price back then.”

Shortly after they purchased Hello Hot Rod, Hello Beautiful won the Maryland Million Lassie S. and the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship. She has since added wins in the 2020 Maryland Million Distaff and Safely Kept S. and opened 2021 with a win in the What a Summer S.

Despite his half-sister's accomplishments, Russell kept her initial expectations for Hello Hot Rod in check.

“I think when you buy a horse like that for that kind of money, you don't have those high expectations,” Russell said. “You just hope you are going to have a useful racehorse. It's a nice price where, if they're going to be a lower level horse, you paid just $10,000. And if they are a nice horse, it's great because you only paid $10,000.”

But Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, knew early on the colt had talent.

“My husband does all the work on my babies in the morning and he had been on him in the morning and he liked him,” Russell said. “He said, 'This is going to be a pretty decent little horse, we'll have fun with him.'”

Hello Hot Rod got his racing career off to a promising start, closing to miss by just a neck in a six-furlong waiver maiden claiming race at Laurel Oct. 30.

“You'd love to win first time, but we were kind of just trying to give him a run and he nearly got his first start won,” Russell said. “Sheldon took him back and taught him something and he came with a run and nearly won it. He probably needed that race, anyway, from a physical standpoint.”

The dark bay colt came back to win by a front-running 4 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs in similar company Nov. 13 and added a one-mile optional claimer tally Dec. 13.

“We sort of expected for him to come back and win the way he did,” Russell said of Hello Hot Rod's second start. “And I thought he would like the mile and he did everything right in that allowance race as well.”

Hello Hot Rod jumped up to the stakes ranks for his sophomore debut and went wire-to-wire in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield S., digging in gamely in the final strides to keep his nose in front on the wire (video).

“I loved him to be fair, but you don't love the one hole going seven-eighths, so that was a concern,” Russell said of expectations going into the race. “But [jockey] Trevor [McCarthy] and the horse handled it and got the job done. It's tough in the winter, these winter tracks are hard racetracks for horses to run on and he jumped out of there and he showed some speed and he kept going. He showed he's a tough racehorse and that's what you want.”

The idea of selling the colt had been percolating for some time before the final decision to enter him in the Fasig February sale.

“I had some interest [in buying him] after he broke his maiden,” Russell said. “Actually after both of his wins, we had some interest. It's kind of the goal in the game, right? To make a $10,000 horse into a more expensive horse. This is how you make money in the game, it's a tough game.”

She continued, “We own 50% of him and it was always in the back of our minds that we might try to sell him. I'd love to keep him in the barn, naturally, but I have some friends who work with Fasig and we bounced some ideas back and forth. After he won, it just seemed like maybe a smart business move.”

While the decision to sell may be a smart business move, Russell agreed it was still an emotional one.

“Oh absolutely, I love him,” she said. “He means a lot to us. We have his sister in the barn and he's our other big horse, so to see him go will be sad. But who knows, maybe we'll end up getting him back in the barn.”

Russell sees plenty of upside for potential buyers in the newly minted stakes winner.

“He's very easy to train and he's sound,” Russell said. “He's not a bleeder, so moving forward with what we are dealing with with Lasix, I think that's a huge attribute. And I think he'll go farther. He's smart, he has a good mind on him. He can go or he can sit, so as the races get longer, he has options. I think that's going to be a huge thing.”

Asked how Hello Hot Rod exited his first stakes win, Russell said, “Awesome. He's in great form.”

The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday at the company's Newtown Paddocks. Each session begins at 10 a.m.

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