Alwaysmining easy winner of Private Terms

Alwaysmining has been ripping it up all winter at Laurel Park, and on Saturday he won his fifth consecutive race and fourth straight stakes. The $100,000 Private Terms was an important start for the 3-year-old Maryland-bred son of Stay Thirsty as it marked his two-turn debut and, to a large extent, would determine his future path.

Trainer Kelly Rubley has patiently handled Alwaysmining, but has always been confident he would handle longer distances when given the chance. Earlier this week, she said, "I'm confident he can do it. The way he gallops in the mornings, he can go forever."

Alwaysmining broke sharply in the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms and jockey Daniel Centeno kept him well out in the track entering the clubhouse turn, floating second choice Joevia and jockey Nik Juarez wide. When Juarez took back to second position and Alwaysmining settled into a nice rhythm, the race for all intents and purposes was over.

"The plan was to try and break sharp and go to the lead," Centeno said. "I stayed a little wide, just a little trick."

Alwaysmining clipped off fractions of 24.28, 48.44, and 1:12.66. He strided out nicely down the lane and finished under a hand ride from Centeno to win by 6 3/4 lengths. He paid $3 and completed the course in 1:42.65, getting his final sixteenth in 6.19 seconds.

Joevia finished second, three lengths ahead of Tybalt in third.

"He answered the question we all were wondering," Rubley said.

Although Rubley did not wish to speculate about Alwaysmining's next start until she saw how he came out of this race, an upcoming local spot would be the $125,000 Federico Tesio at 1 1/8 miles at Laurel on April 20. The Tesio is a Win and You're In for the Preakness.

Alwaysmining is owned by Gregory and Caroline Bentley, who purchased him privately from Jim McIngvale after a maiden victory at Laurel in June.

Not For Love: Lewisfield impresses in comeback

Lewisfield served notice he is sitting on a big 5-year-old season with a front-running 3 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 Not For Love Stakes over five Maryland-bred or -sired rivals.

The Not For Love was Lewisfield's first race following a successful 10-start 4-year-old season, during which he put together a 3-2-3 record and earned $243,000 for owner-breeder Linda Zang and trainer Jeff Runco.

Lewisfield shot to the lead in the six-furlong Not For Love and then pulled away in the stretch while timed in a rapid 1:08.68. He paid $6.60 as the second choice to 4-5 Laki, who chased the winner throughout but finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind runner-up Rockinn On Bye.

"He needed a little bit of a break at the end of last year," Runco said of Lewisfield. "We sent him to the farm, put a little weight on him, and he came back moving really well."

Lewisfield is now 7 for 16 with earnings of $371,297. He is a son of Great Notion, the champion stallion in Maryland the last three years. Great Notion also is the sire of Anna's Bandit, winner of the Conniver Stakes at Laurel on Saturday.

Conniver: Anna's Bandit up in time

When Enchanted Ghost and S W Briar Rose took over from pacesetting Limited View entering the stretch of the seven-furlong Conniver Stakes, 6-5 favorite Anna's Bandit still had several lengths to make up. But she never stopped trying under jockey Xavier Perez and was up in the shadow of the wire to win a three-horse photo.

The $75,000 Conniver, which had a field of nine Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares, is the ninth win in 23 start for Anna's Bandit, a 5-year-old West Virginia-bred daughter of Great Notion who is trained by her breeder and owner, Jerry Robb, who races as No Guts No Glory Farm.

"She has more heart than ability, I can tell you that," Robb said. "She's overcome a lot of problems and was not supposed to race again."

Since returning from a 14-month layoff in September 2017, Anna's Bandit has won eight races and four stakes, including the 2018 Conniver.
Anna's Bandit paid $4.40 and was timed in 1:23.50.

S W Briar Rose bested Enchanted Ghost for second by a neck.

The Conniver was the second race on the card for Robb and Perez, who teamed up to win race 1 with Weekends for Work.