E Dubai's Humor a filly with a future

E Dubai’s Humor was one of the more promising 2-year-old fillies in Maryland last fall. Her recent win at Laurel Park indicates she now may be one of the better 3-year-olds in the state.

E Dubai’s Humor’s last four starts have come on November afternoons at Laurel. Two of those races were last year, when she won a first-level optional-claiming race by almost four lengths and then finished a close second in the $100,000 Smart Halo.

After almost a year away from the races, she made her return Nov. 6, running evenly when beaten 2 1/2 lengths in a turf sprint. Last Saturday, she closed stoutly to win an optional sprint. She is now 3 for 5 with earnings of $108,000.

“After the Smart Halo, she had surgery to take chips out of one of her knees,” trainer Donald Barr said. “It was not my druthers to run her on turf first time back, but she handled it all right, and I got the tightener I wanted.”

Barr would prefer to run E Dubai’s Humor in another conditioned race but is considering the $100,000 Willa On the Move, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares at Laurel on Dec. 5.

“She’s kind of a big, strong filly, and the time off actually probably helped her,” Barr said. “I think she has a pretty good future.”

E Dubai’s Humor was bred by the late Brice Ridgely, a Maryland horseman, auctioneer, and farmer. She is owned by Ridgely’s daughter Melissa Covolesky and his son Randy Ridgely.

Melissa and her husband, David, are both longtime members of the armed forces. Melissa, a major, is based at Fort Meade, near Laurel. David, a colonel, will soon be deployed to Jordan, according to Barr.

“It was really nice that he was in town the other day and they were both able to come out and see her win,” Barr said.

Barr, 75, has sent out 739 winners over the years, including Ravalo, who earned more than $1.3 million. He also conditioned E Dubai Humor’s sister Hot Fun, a winner of three races and $187,000.

“She ran a lot of seconds but earned some good money,” he said. “She was not as good as this filly, though.”