Speedyness gets two-turn test versus tough group in Private Terms

Sometimes you can’t judge a book by its cover, or a horse by his name.

After all, trainer Jamie Ness first thought he had a stone-cold sprinter with Speedyness.

“When he turned out as a baby, he was flying around the field passing horses, so we nicknamed him ‘Speedy,’ ” said Ness, who bred the gelding under the name Jagger Inc.

Speedyness had other plans, with three wins from as many starts at a one-turn mile. He’ll get the toughest test of his career Saturday at Laurel Park racing around two turns for the first time against graded stakes-tested 3-year-olds in the $100,000 Private Terms at 1 1/16 miles.

Prior to a third-place finish in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile on Dec. 2, Ness described Speedyness as “speed with a high cruising speed that can last. He’s fast enough to make the lead going short, but when you go long and don’t have to go fast, he seemed to have more stamina.”

Speedyness prepped for the Private Terms with a gate-to-wire victory in the Miracle Wood on Feb. 24. He overcame a bobble at the start and race-long pace pressure but picks up six pounds in the Private Terms.

Copper Tax won five consecutive starts in the Mid-Atlantic last year before tackling Dornoch and Sierra Leone, two of the top horses in the crop, in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct.

Sent to the farm for a brief freshening, Copper Tax’s ensuing preparation was altered due to severe weather. That, coupled with a wet track, forced trainer Gary Capuano to abandon his original plan of running Copper Tax in the Spectacular Bid on Jan. 27 at Laurel.

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Capuano pivoted to the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, where Copper Tax finished 10th of 12.

“When I got down there, he looked great,” Capuano said. “I let him breeze through the stretch the Wednesday before the race, and he struggled. I’m just guessing he never got a hold of the racetrack” in the Sam Davis.

Capuano entered Copper Tax in the Miracle Wood but opted to wait for the Private Terms.

“I want to make sure he gets a fair shot at a two-turn race,” Capuano said before the Miracle Wood.

Both Speedyness and Copper Tax have won on wet tracks, an important angle as there is currently a 100 percent chance for rain on Saturday at Laurel with 1 to 2 inches forecasted.

Inveigled returns to Laurel after finishing fourth in the both the Mucho Macho Man and Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream. In the Holy Bull, Inveigled faced 2-year-old champion Fierceness and subsequent Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product.

“I felt in the Mucho Macho Man, he got in so much trouble, he should have won that race,” said trainer Jane Cibelli, who added she picked the Private Terms to get away from horses like Dornoch and Fierceness.

Although Inveigled’s best races have come around one turn, Cibelli feels the Indiana-bred can succeed going longer. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Inveigled in his last three races, “feels like he wants two turns and farther than 1 1/16 miles.” Mychel Sanchez picks up the mount Saturday.

Speed Runner ships in from New York for Todd Pletcher after finishing sixth in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Withers. In that race, Speed Runner was checked and shuffled back to last leaving the half-mile pole. A Gun Runner half-brother to millionaire Brilliant Speed, Speed Runner wants distance and should get a solid pace to attack.

Point Dume, Circle P, and Startswithadream were second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the Miracle Wood. Circle P is cross-entered as an also-eligible Saturday in Turfway’s Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks.

I Know Map and impressive maiden winner Celtic Contender complete the field.

Beyond the Wire Stakes

Aoife’s Magic looks to regain her winning ways in the co-featured $100,000 Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies at one mile.

Trained by David Dotolo, Aoife’s Magic won all four starts last year, with three coming against state-sired competition at Parx Racing. In her seasonal debut, she finished fourth behind Jody’s Pride in Aqueduct’s Busher, a race run through a driving rainstorm on a very wet track.

“To get beat only five lengths to a horse that was second in the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Fillies], it was a pretty good achievement,” Dotolo said. “She proved she could run there, but I also want to take her to a spot where she’s the horse to beat.”

Dotolo believes that Aoife’s Magic could be the Beyond the Wire pacesetter.

Kiss for Luck, a half-sister to champion Vequist, placed second in Parx’s Main Line over sloppy going earlier in the month. Determined Driver stretches out after running second in Laurel’s Wide Country at seven furlongs. Stakes winner Kissedbyanangel, Go Sherry Go, and Patricia Ann also are entered.

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