Cooperative patient Street Lute shooting for third stakes win

Street Lute showed her class long before she ever raced by overcoming a delicate eye injury.

She’s since established herself as a top Maryland-bred 2-year-old and on Saturday she will be looking for the third stakes win of her young career in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong race is one of two stakes on the card. Jaxon Traveler will start as a strong favorite in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity at the same distance, putting his 2-for-2 record on the line. Both stakes are restricted to horses either bred or sired in Maryland.

Street Lute did not make her career debut until Sept. 7. Her first start was delayed after she hurt her eye, said Gina Robb, a former trainer who now works with her husband, trainer Jerry Robb.

“Something got in there and scratched her eye up,” said Gina Robb. “We were fortunate enough to have a great eye specialist on board with us. She had to have major eye surgery to save that eye and it all worked out. She has 100 percent vision.”

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Robb said Street Lute underwent a corneal transplant. The aftercare was significant, and was taken in remarkable stride by Street Lute.

“It was tedious, round-the-clock care,” Gina Robb said. “There was constant medicine. She let us do it. She kind of proved then she was a class act. For a 2-year-old to allow that . . . plenty of 2-year-olds wouldn’t have.”

Street Lute showed her talent when she won her debut in a maiden special weight over five furlong at Delaware Park. She came back and captured the track’s $100,000 Small Wonder in her next start Sept. 26, giving the young Lucky 7 Stables its first stakes win. Street Lute then ran second by a neck in the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie on Oct. 24 before winning the $100,000 Smart Halo in her most recent start Nov. 14 at Laurel. She will be racing beyond six furlongs for the first time Saturday.

“I know my husband from Day 1 felt like it would not be an issue stretching her out,” said Gina Robb. “He even thought it would move her up some. We feel strongly about that extra furlong. We think she’ll benefit from it.”

Street Lute will break from post 2 under Xavier Perez.

“I think she can do anything,” Gina Robb said. “She can go to the lead, sit off the pace. I think what hurt us in the Maryland Million was chasing – chasing the speed horse on the lead.”

Miss Nondescript rallied from off the pace to win the Maryland Million Lassie. She returns in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and will break from post 9 in the field of nine.

Jaxon Traveler has not made a wrong move coming into the Maryland Juvenile Futurity. The son of Munnings was a 10-length debut winner Sept. 25 at Pimlico, then came back and captured a first-level allowance by four lengths Oct. 23 at Laurel. The Beyer Speed Figure of 83 he earned at Laurel is the best career number in the field of seven Saturday.

Johan Rosado has the mount from post 3. Steve Asmussen trains Jaxon Traveler for the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner.