Laurel Park: Sagamore Farm sending out favored Walkwithapurpose in Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship

Sagamore Farm’s resurgence to prominence can take another step in the right direction when the historic stable sends out favored Walkwithapurpose in Wednesday’s $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship at Laurel Park.

Owned and operated for more than 50 years by Alfred Vanderbilt, whose stars included the great Native Dancer, Sagamore fell into disrepair after it was sold in 1986. But it has come back to life since it was purchased in 2007 by Kevin Plank, the founder and CEO of Under Armour sportswear. Since Plank took over and poured money into rebuilding the farm and its breeding program, Sagamore most notably won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf with Shared Account in 2010.

Walkwithapurpose, the only two-time winner in a field of six Maryland-bred 2-year-old fillies, has flashed the potential to become another blossoming star for Sagamore. She is a half-sister to the filly Charged Cotton, who won this year’s All Brandy on turf, and to Go Maire Tu, who was third in the 2010 running of the Maryland Juvenile Championship.

After finishing third in her career debut going 6 1/2 furlongs on the bullring at Timonium, Walkwithapurpose drew clear to win a one-mile maiden race and followed up by coming from off the pace to get up by a neck in a seven-furlong race on Nov. 16. Those two efforts bode well for her chances in the 7 1/2-furlong Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship.

Sagamore and its primary trainer, Ignacio Correas IV, also have an uncoupled stablemate, Listen Boy, who managed to overcome a bumping incident coming out of the gate to finish third in her first try on the main track on Nov. 29. Listen Boy, whose only victory came going long on turf, is a half-sister to Monzon, winner of the 2011 Count Fleet at Aqueduct.

Aside from the two Sagamore runners, the only filly in Wednesday’s field to have won going longer than six furlongs is recent maiden winner No Means No. Unable to finish closer to the winner than 7 1/4 lengths in three sprint attempts, No Means No woke up at 15-1 when stretched out to a mile and scored by four lengths in an open company event for maidens.

The best last-race Beyer Speed Figure belongs to Hot Fun, who got a 64 for her runner-up performance facing winners for the first time. She will be racing beyond six furlongs for the first time.