In five stakes victories this year, the 3-year-old gelding Barbadian Runner has never been favored, often going overlooked by bettors while stepping up in class. Now an undisputed heavyweight, he is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a modest field of six in the $100,000 Richard W. Small Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday. On the morning of Oct. 11, Henry Walters was simply content to have a four-time stakes winner in his barn at Laurel. The veteran trainer, who sent out his first starter at Timonium in 1980 and won his last stakes prior to this year in 2004, had finally received the horse of a lifetime. There was little more he could ask of Barbadian Runner, but later that day, the Maryland-bred proved he had plenty more to offer. In the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic, Barbadian Runner stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in his first start against older rivals and escaped the shadow of a giant. Post Time, a two-time graded stakes winner and runner-up in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, was in the throes of a 10-race undefeated streak at Laurel, but the jewel of Brittany Russell’s barn was no match for a new face in the Mid-Atlantic. “If Post Time ran 90 percent of his ability and we beat him, you’ve got to give Barbadian Runner high marks for that,” Walters said. “He ran his race for sure, and he was very determined that day. To me, it moved him up another level.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. As if vanquishing Post Time on his home track wasn’t enough of a calling card, Barbadian Runner’s improvement in the Maryland Million Classic marks him as one to watch ahead of his 4-year-old campaign. Far from taking advantage of an aging star, Barbadian Runner earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory, the second highest at the meet so far. He also successfully handled more distance and will run 1 1/8 miles again on Saturday. “He just loves to train,” Walters said. “And when he comes off the track, he wants to do more than you let him do. He wants to do more. He’s ready.” Dave’s Friend Russell always knows when Prince of Jericho is ready to run, and after nine months out of action, she will finally bring the 5-year-old back in the $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes at six furlongs on Saturday. She wasn’t sure earlier this year, but she’s more confident now. “He’s a real easy horse to read in the morning,” Russell said. “Real easy horse, easy horse to train. And he tells you when he’s good and he tells you when he’s not.” Russell entered Prince of Jericho in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico in May, but she ultimately decided that she wasn’t happy with his progress in training. After a distant third in the $200,000 General George in February, she felt that it was time for a longer break. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  “I cannot run him back too quick,” Russell said. “In his form, you see like little minor regressions when you wheel him back too quick. He just doesn’t run as good. No specific reason, but we figured him out now.” It’s hard to nail down the likely pacesetter in the Dave’s Friend field of nine, but Pennsylvania-based geldings Twisted Ride and Maximus Meridius are the likeliest to try. Twisted Ride returned to Parx last month and snapped an 11-race losing streak in an allowance score for trainer Mike Moore. Maximus Meridius has not run since the $150,000 Parx Sprint in September, when he dueled through the early stages and dead-heated for second for Butch Reid. Willa On the Move The $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes could prove to be one for the shippers, as only five runners in the field of 12 fillies and mares are based at Laurel. Onyx Ten, a 3-year-old filly trained by Gary Capuano, is Maryland’s most natural defender in the race after improving to win the Maryland Million Distaff in October. Capuano is not sure if she will run yet, however, and may instead point her to the Safely Kept at Laurel next weekend. Poor weather this weekend could impact his decision. “She ran huge that day,” Capuano said of her Maryland Million victory. “She’s doing well. Not 100 percent sure where I’m going to run right now. I’ll just kind of see how the weekend looks.” Several trainers share Capuano’s indecision ahead of the 6 1/2-furlong Willa On the Move. Trainer Linda Rice cross-entered New York-based mare St. Benedicts Prep in the $150,000 Forever Together at Aqueduct on Sunday, and as of Thursday morning, she had not decided where she will run. Mike Moore has entered a pair of 4-year-old fillies from Parx, both of whom seem to have strong chances. Takethemoneyhoney will make her first start since May, when she won the Serena’s Song by a nose in gate-to-wire fashion. Alani won her last start at Laurel in September and has since finished second in two straight starts, including the Endine at Delaware Park. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.