Laurel stakes roundup: Harpers First Ride rolls on in Native Dancer

MCA Racing Stable’s Harpers First Ride put the finishing touches on an outstanding 2020 season by dismissing a bid from fellow multiple stakes winner Cordmaker at the top of the stretch and rolling home a 3¼-length winner in Saturday’s $100,000 Native Dancer at Laurel Park.

The 53rd running of the 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer, first held at old Bowie Race Course in 1966, was among three stakes for 3-year-olds and up on the undercard of a Christmastide Day program of eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses led by the Grade 3, $150,000 Allaire du Pont.

In a pair of six-furlong springs earlier on the card, Whershetoldmetogo captured the $100,000 Dave’s Friend for males and Dontletsweetfoolya won her fifth straight race in the $100,000 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares.

Favored at 1-5 over his six rivals, Harpers First Ride ($2.40) registered his seventh win from 11 starts this year and fourth stakes win, none bigger than the historic Pimlico Special (G3) on Oct. 2 at Pimlico Race Course. The winning time was 1:48.56 over a fast main track.

Jockey Angel Cruz, riding for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, positioned Harpers First Ride behind pacesetting 45-1 long shot Saratoga Jack through a quarter-mile in 24.61 seconds, with Cordmaker and Hall Pass battling side by side behind the top two. Harpers First Ride was in front after a half in 48.39 seconds and went six furlongs in 1:11.53 when Cordmaker – third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special – came calling. They straightened for home together but Cordmaker was unable to sustain his drive and got passed by Forewarned for second.

“Claudio told me to get a good position and just sit behind the speed. The speed’s on the outside so (I) just (tried to) get him to relax and go on from there,” Cruz said. “At the top of the stretch I had so much horse, when I asked Harper he responded very well. When Cordmaker came by me I just sat patient and waited a little bit and when I asked him he responded for me. He’s just a game horse. He fights to the end.”

Harpers First Ride won four of his last five starts to cap 2020, all of them in stakes – the Deputed Testamony, Pimlico Special, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer. He owns eight wins from 10 career tries at Laurel with one second and one third.

Whereshetoldmetogo Proves Best in $100,000 Dave’s Friend

Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and Black Cloud Racing Stable’s Whereshetoldmetogo came with a determined run through the stretch on the far outside and edged clear to a three-quarter-length triumph in the $100,000 Dave’s Friend.

It was the third consecutive win and second straight in a stakes for Whereshetoldmetogo ($6), racing for the fourth time since joining Laurel trainer Brittany Russell. The 5-year-old El Padrino gelding ran six furlongs in a sharp 1:08.55 over a fast main track.

Jockey Jevian Toledo, subbing for regular rider Sheldon Russell, was unhurried in the early going as 25-1 long shot Charge to Victory ran a quarter-mile in 22.13 seconds before being overtaken by 13-time career winner Penguin Power after a half in 44.63. Put in the clear leaving the backstretch, Whereshetoldmetogo began rolling on the outside around the turn and was set down for a drive once straightened for home.

“Brittany told me not to rush him out of there and just leave him alone wherever he’s comfortable,” Toledo said. “I just let him break and settle and when I felt he was trying to move I made my move, and he gave me everything he had. He’s a really nice horse.”

Taco Supream put in a strong effort to be second, 1¼ lengths ahead of Penguin Power. Laki, favored at 4-5, was another two lengths back in fourth with multiple stakes winner and first-time gelding Lebda finishing fifth.

Whereshetoldmetogo has crossed the wire first for three straight races, but was disqualified to second in the Sept. 26 New Castle Stakes at Delaware Park for interference before rebounding to edge Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki by a nose in the Frank Y. Whiteley Nov. 28 at Laurel.

‘Sweet’ Streak Reaches Five in $100,000 Willa On the Move

Five Hellions Farm’s Dontletsweetfoolya extended her win streak to five races, putting away main rival Malibu Mischief at the top of the stretch and sprinting clear to her second straight stakes victory in the $100,000 Willa On the Move.

Dontletsweetfoolya ($4.20), favored at even money in a field of eight, hit the wire 2 ¼ lengths in front in 1:09.47 for six furlongs over a fast main track. It was the closest a horse had come to beating the daughter of Grade 1 winner Stay Thirsty during her streak, where she had won by an average of 6½ lengths.

“Ever since we drew the one-hole we were kind of dreading it, especially with the weather coming in. The track guys did a fantastic job with working this rail all day,” winning trainer Lacey Gaudet said. “We’ve had rain and cold weather and this rail is beautiful, so it did give us a little more confidence when we led her over here. [There was] a lot of speed; being on the inside we knew she was going to be pressed pretty hard and she just keeps coming back at them.”

Jevian Toledo, aboard for the entirety of the streak, hustled Dontletsweetfoolya from their rail post and was quickly joined by Malibu Mischief, a New York shipper that had won her six straight races. Malibu Mischief pressed Dontletsweetfoolya through fractions of 22.40, 44.81 and 56.75 seconds but was no match once they straightened for home, when Dontletsweetfoolya drew off to her fifth win in eight career starts.

“I didn’t tell Jevian anything. He rides this filly with confidence, and he knows her very well,” Gaudet said. “He got to the paddock and I gave him a fist bump and said, ‘It’s up to you now.’ That’s kind of what we’ve done the last few races with her, and he gets her home.”

Hisbiscus Punch, off at 21-1, edged Malibu Mischief by a half-length for second with Club Car just a neck back in fourth.

No Cents Hits Paydirt Again in $100,000 Heft

Isabelle de Tomaso and Hope Jones’ homebred No Cents survived both a resurgent effort from fellow stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion along the rail and a lengthy inquiry to extend his win streak to four races in Saturday’s $100,000 Heft at Laurel Park.

The Heft for males and $100,000 Gin Talking for fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, were among four stakes for 2-year-olds on a Christmastide Day program serving up eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses.

Juveniles also went around two turns at about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 Howard County for males, won by Shackqueenking, and $100,000 Anne Arundel County for fillies, won by Miss Leslie.

It was the second straight stakes victory for No Cents ($3.40) following his 1¼-length triumph in the James F. Lewis III on Nov. 14, also at Laurel. Ridden by Alex Cintron, the juvenile son of multiple Grade 1 winner Goldencents completed the distance in 1:23.79 over a fast main track.

Kenny Had a Notion, winner of the Jamestown on turf for Virginia-breds and Maryland Million Nursery on dirt two weeks apart in October, ran the opening quarter-mile in 22.78 seconds before fellow stakes winner Singlino went a half in 45.45. Cintron kept No Cents in the clear three wide and went after the leaders at the top of the lane, grinding away to take a short lead inside the eighth pole, only to have Kenny Had a Notion battle gamely inside but fall a neck short.

Jevian Toledo, the rider of third-place finisher Singlino, lodged an objection against Cintron and No Cents for drifting in and impeding his path near the eighth pole, but the complaint was dismissed after an extended review.

Based at Laurel with trainer Cal Lynch, No Cents made his first three starts at Monmouth Park, breaking his maiden against fellow New Jersey-breds second time out Sept. 27 and winning an open entry-level allowance Oct. 21 prior to his score in the Lewis.

Street Lute Narrow Winner of $100,000 Gin Talking

Lucky 7 Stables’ Street Lute ended a near-perfect rookie season the way it began – in the winner’s circle – leading from start to finish and holding off a frantic late bid from long shot Fraudulent Charge for a popular nose triumph in the $100,000 Gin Talking.

Ridden for the third straight race by Xavier Perez for trainer Jerry Robb, Street Lute ($2.80) ran seven furlongs in 1:23.39 over a fast main track. Sent off at 2-5 in a field reduced to four by scratches, Street Lute earned her fifth win from six starts, fourth in a stakes and third straight, all at Laurel.

Street Lute broke on top and raced through fractions of 23.55 and 46.21 seconds under mild pressure from Whiskey and Rye, making her stakes debut. Out of Sorts, runner up to Street Lute in the Nov. 14 Smart Halo, made a sweeping move to get into contention on the far turn but couldn’t keep up as Street Lute began to separate from the field.

Fraudulent Charge settled in a ground-saving position along the rail and was second after turning for home. Tipped to the outside by jockey Johan Rosado, Fraudulent Charge made a spirited bid on the outside and nearly pulled off the upset at 9-1 in just her second career start.

Out of Sorts was third, with Whiskey and Rye fourth. Aug Lutes, Beautiful Grace and Blissful Behavior were scratched.

Street Lute, bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman, won the Small Wonder in September at Delaware Park second time out and suffered her only career loss by a neck in the Oct. 24 Maryland Million Lassie behind Miss Nondescript, avenging that defeat in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Dec. 5 at Laurel.

Shackqueenking Rules in $100,000 Howard County

Pocket 3’s Racing’s Shackqueenking, favored in his first try against stakes company, dueled with stakes-tested Ain’t Da Beer Cold through the stretch and got his nose down on the wire to win the $100,000 Howard County.

Ridden by Victor Rosales for trainer Gary Capuano, Shackqueenking ($6.40) completed about 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.36 over a fast main track for his second win from four starts, all since Nov. 1.

“I’ve run him pretty quick four times now in a short period of time, but he seems to relish it. I have to train him the morning of the race because he just gets wild, but he’s not bad,” Capuano said. “He’s just a good-feeling horse. Victor does a good job with him and it all worked out well. He ran game. It was tight.”

Ain’t Da Beer Cold, most recently fourth in the Maryland Juvenile Futurity behind undefeated Jaxon Traveler on Dec. 5 at Laurel, was hustled to the front from Post 6 by jockey Angel Cruz and held it through splits of 24.13 seconds, 48.06 and 1:12.17. Shackqueenking rated just off the leader heading to the stretch when they hooked up, with Ain’t Da Beer Cold appearing to take a short lead inside the sixteenth pole before Shackqueenking surged again.

“I was really happy. The six horse broke and looked like he really wanted the lead. He sent him there and victor did a good job. He got him out of there but once that horse committed to go, he was able to just relax and track on the outside. He really had a good trip,” Capuano said.

“I wasn’t sure (he won) because he had gone by that horse and that horse came back and looked like he had the jump on him,” he added. “The last couple jumps we just nosed him out. It was good horse race. You don’t want to be on the losing end of that so I’m happy.”

Erawan was 3½ lengths behind Ain’t Da Beer Cold in third, followed by Market Cap, Reassured, Brett’s World and Twitty City.

Miss Leslie Steps Up in $100,000 Anne Arundel County

BB Horses’ Miss Leslie, trying two turns for the first time in her stakes debut, emerged from a three-way photo finish a head in front of favored shipper The Grass Is Blue to capture the $100,000 Anne Arundel County.

Miss Leslie ($7), with Roimes Chirinos up, had never gone beyond six furlongs in her first four starts and was racing for the second time since being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Claudio Gonzalez on Nov. 13. The win was the third straight overall for the daughter of Grade 1 winner Paynter.

Breaking from Post 7, outside all but Buckey’s Charm, Miss Leslie settled in fifth as 19-1 long shot Malibu Beauty led the way with splits of 24.24 seconds for a quarter-mile and 48.43 for the half. Chirinos swung Miss Leslie outside leaving the backstretch and had The Grass Is Blue on her right hip as they descended on Buckey’s Charm, who raced greenly on the lead. The three hit the wire together with Miss Leslie in between horses.

Buckey’s Charm was second, a head in front of The Grass Is Blue. It was 2 ¾ lengths back to Malibu Beauty in fourth. The winning time was 1:44.97 over a fast main track.

“We were talking about it in the paddock and she broke pretty good. I saved the most ground I could, and she was relaxed,” Chirinos said. “She wasn’t scared at all. She was just fighting to take the lead and she fought pretty good.”