Eight out-of-town stakes winners and unbeaten colt Super Love, who improved his record to 3-0 with a commanding allowance victory June 19, are among 27 3-year-olds nominated to the $100,000 Concern at Laurel Park.
The seven-furlong Concern co-headlines a Saturday, July 2, stakes program with the $100,000 Caesar's Wish for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile.
Patricia's Hope and Richard Ravin's One Timer is a three-time stakes winner, taking the Victoria over Woodbine's all-weather surface and Speakeasy on the turf at Santa Anita last year before finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2). Based in the Midwest, the Trappe Shot gelding has raced once this year, winning the Tom Ridge on the all-weather at Presque Isle Downs May 23 for trainer Larry Rivelli.
Make It Big and Witty are both multiple stakes winners. Red Oak Stable's Make It Big won the Juvenile Sprint against fellow Florida-breds last fall at Gulfstream Park and the Springboard Mile in mid-December at Remington Park before finishing 10th in the Sam F. Davis (G3) Feb. 12 at Tampa Bay Downs. He has been training with Saffie Joseph Jr.'s string at Belmont Park.
Witty, bred and owned by Elizabeth Merryman and trained by her son, McLane Hendriks, beat Pennsylvania-breds in the Pennsylvania Nursery to end his juvenile season and began 2022 with a 7 ¾-length upset of the six-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 29 at Laurel. Most recently, the Great Notion gelding was seventh in the Penn Mile (G3) on turf June 3 at Penn National.
Also prominent among nominees are 2021 Timoninum Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star; March 27 Sophomore winner King Cab, second last out in the May 28 Big Drama at Gulfstream; Nimitz Class, a winner of three straight capped by the June 3 Danzig at Penn National; 2021 First State Dash winner No Sabe Nada, third in Laurel's James F. Lewis III in mid-November; Old Homestead, winner of the April 8 Lafayette at Keeneland who lost for the first time when fifth in the Chick Lang (G3) May 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course; and Scaramouche, winner of the March 8 Rittenhouse Square at Parx.
John Davison and Eunhee Kim's Super Love has yet to try stakes company but has won each of this starts this year, all at Laurel, after going unraced at 2. He broke his maiden April 16 sprinting 5 ½ furlongs and took a six-furlong optional claiming allowance May 5, both by 1 ½ lengths, before a front-running 8 ¾-length Father's Day romp.
Wholebodemeister, winner of the one-mile Davona Dale (G2) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park, and six-time stakes winner Miss Leslie top 17 horses nominated to the Caesar's Wish. Based at Monmouth with trainer Michelle Hemingway, Wholebodemeister also ran third in the Jan. 30 Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream and most recently was last of seven in the 1 1/16-mile Lady's Secret June 11 at Monmouth.
BB Horses' Miss Leslie owns nine career wins including two in a row, the May 8 Serena's Song at Monmouth and June 8 Obeah at Delaware Park for Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's overall leading trainer since 2017. Among her stakes wins are four at Laurel – the 2021 Carousel, Thirty Eight Go Go and Weber City Miss and 2020 Anne Arundel County.
Among other nominees are Edie Meeny Miny Mo, third in the 2021 Monmouth Oaks (G3) and a last-out optional claiming allowance winner June 5 at Monmouth; stakes winners Battle Bling, Por Que No, The Grass Is Blue and The Mary Rose; and stakes-placed Click to Confirm, Flight to Shanghai, Love in the Air and Moma Tiger.
Laurel will next host a live, 10-race program Friday, June 24, starting at 12:40 p.m.
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