Cataleya Strike, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Rudy Sanchez-Salomon, closed from well off the pace to defeat two-time stakes winner Speedyness in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday. It was Sanchez-Salomon’s first stakes victory in Maryland since April 2023.  Running over a track that played against early speed for most of the day, favorites Speedyness and Film Star gunned to the lead and completed a half-mile in 47.76 seconds on the front end. The two seemed on their way to replicating their tense photo finish in the Robert T. Manfuso back in December when the track began to take its toll.  Cataleya Strike ($17.00), the 7-1 shot who finished 6 1/2 lengths behind those front-runners last year, came flying under jockey Jevian Toledo on the turn and blew them away in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.99.  “We had a lot of confidence in the horse, especially with those two fighting on the lead,” Sanchez-Salomon said. “That was our plan. I was talking to [Jevian] last night. If those two horses go to the lead, we have a chance to win the race.”   :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Film Star, a 6-year-old horse shipping to Maryland for trainer Linda Rice, wilted in the stretch and finished fourth. His struggles late in the race only served to flatter Speedyness, who held on as runner-up and finished 5 1/2 lengths ahead of third. Trainer Jamie Ness accepted the defeat and was happy with his gelding’s performance under the circumstances.  “Ran against bias and [Film Star] pushed him into an uncomfortable pace,” Ness said. “Unfortunate but proud of him because he brings it every time.”  Cataleya Strike likely benefitted from a hot pace and favorable track, but Sanchez-Salomon, donning his black cowboy hat and a wide smile, claimed he knew his gelding had a shot weeks ago.   “That’s the right distance for this horse,” Sanchez-Salomon said.  Sanchez-Salomon won the Dania Beach with 3-year-old colt Tocayo at Gulfstream Park in January 2024, but his last stakes victory at Laurel came in April 2023, when 4-year-old filly Misty Mauve won the Dahlia.  Heavenly Cause Stakes The track at Laurel seemed certain to swallow up every front-runner on the Saturday card until jockey Mychel Sanchez cracked the code with 5-year-old mare Royal Spa in the $100,000 Heavenly Cause Stakes. She was the only horse on the entire card to win in wire-to-wire fashion.  “You know what? You as a jockey, you use the connection between the horse and rider,” Sanchez said. “You still got the speed, so you have to go to the lead. After that, when they open, you have to have that good connection where the horse is breathing nicely and comfortable. Somehow, they tell you how they feel.”  Most runners in the field of six seemed hesitant to commit to a trip on the front end, allowing Sanchez to coax Royal Spa ($4.80) through soft early fractions. After completing the opening quarter-mile in 25.47 seconds and the half-mile in 49.44 seconds, he began angling the 7-5 favorite off the rail for the stretch run, where she found more at an opportune time.  Regaled, a 15-1 longshot, came flying down the center of the track while Catherine Wheel, a 4-year-old filly shipping in for trainer Chad Brown, charged at the leader on the inside. Both closing runners, particularly runner-up Regaled, were helped along by the track conditions, but neither managed to run down Royal Spa, who hung on to win by a quickly receding margin.    “I got a little worried because they were coming,” Sanchez said. “And she pinned her ears back and she took off again. I think she got a little lonely, but when she felt the company, she took off again.”  The filly, an 11-time loser in stakes competition, completed the mile in 1:39.64. Earlier in the week, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said that she was long overdue for a stakes victory and seemed to be improving after a runner-up finish in the Barbara Fritchie last time out.   Primonetta Stakes Following his victory aboard Royal Spa in the Heavenly Cause, jockey Mychel Sanchez hardly had time to change his silks before he rode Disco Ebo to a one-length victory in the $100,000 Primonetta Stakes. In 2024, the speedy 6-year-old mare won this stakes race in a weaker field of four, but she earned her victory this year against a stronger group.  It wasn’t quite a wire-to-wire victory to match Royal Spa's, but Sanchez and his mare never had to look back after inheriting the lead from a fading front-runner on the backstretch.  “I had so much horse that when I let her go, she sprinted away from them and I could see her ears going back and forth,” Sanchez said. “I had a feeling that whenever they come near, she was going to have enough to hold and win.”  Following a rowdy opening quarter-mile in 22.60 seconds, 19-1 long shot Mudslide began to quickly fade out in front, allowing Disco Ebo ($5.00), the 3-2 second choice, to inherit an easy lead. Traditionally a front-runner, she and Sanchez slowed the race down considerably, completing a half-mile in 46.21 seconds and kicking clear in the stretch.   Trainer Butch Reid was not at Laurel on Saturday but instructed Sanchez over the phone to ride her patiently under uncertain track conditions. She completed the six-furlong race in 1:13.24.  “I saw Angel [Cruz on Mudslide] went, so I just decided to stay a couple lengths away from him,” Sanchez said. “She was nice and then she was ready for me to let her go.”  Tipple, the favored 4-year-old filly trained by Linda Rice, was the only runner who seriously challenged Disco Ebo in the stretch, cutting the margin from three lengths to one before the wire. Closer after closer managed to win with dramatic charges down the center of the track at Laurel on Saturday, but Sanchez managed to win two stakes races with trips on the front end. Instead of playing the track, he played the fields, which seemed willing to give him the lead without much of a fight.  Disco Ebo’s victory Saturday was the 998th of Reid’s career, bringing the trainer one step closer to a milestone he has been inching toward for months. He has three horses, two at Aqueduct Racetrack and one at Parx Racing, entered in the next week.  Frank Whiteley Stakes Trainer Brittany Russell didn’t need to double her chances to win the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, as Worcester, a 5-year-old horse, closed from last and easily pulled away in the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths. His only challenger at the wire was his stablemate, 4-year-old colt New King, giving Russell a 1-2 finish in the field of six.  Coming off a runner-up finish in the Stymie at Aqueduct Racetrack, Worcester was returning to his comfort zone in the Frank Whiteley. The horse had previously earned two commanding wins running seven furlongs at Laurel. Moreover, the sloppy track on Saturday seemed to play perfectly to his deep-closing style. It all came together at once for the easy winner, who came flying around the turn to finish the seven furlongs in 1:24.38, paying $6.20 to win.  “I was just happy to walk him over at home,” Russell said. “He acted himself today. He wasn’t edgy. Everything worked out.”  While Worcester, a former West Coast runner for trainer Bob Baffert, entered the Frank Whiteley after an extended stay in Russell’s barn, New King left Baffert’s barn only last month and started seriously training for Russell a little more than a week ago. Running on short notice, the colt sat behind the leaders early and led into the stretch.  Though he couldn’t hold off his stablemate in the final furlong, New King still demonstrated plenty in defeat. Russell was encouraged by what she saw in the morning during her brief time with him, but his runner-up finish Saturday was confirmation that he was settling into his new home nicely.  “He had a really good week and that’s just what we wanted to see walking him over,” Russell said. “I think he’s a free-running type. I think the speed in front of him there, where he can sit in the catbird seat, was a perfect setup for him.”  While New King seems to be settling into a stint at seven furlongs for now, Russell said that she doesn’t have any ideas yet for Worcester going forward. The horse has shown plenty of ability between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, so it will likely be a matter of finding the best fit to determine her newest stakes winner’s next start.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.