Falcon Jet looks to get party started for connections in Sir Barton

A few hours before trainer Brittany Russell; her husband, jockey Sheldon Russell; and the ownership partnership headed by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables send out local hopeful Taj Mahal in the Preakness Stakes, they get Saturday at Laurel Park going with another 3-year-old who seems to be blossoming in Maryland. Falcon Jet makes his stakes debut in the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes, for 3-year-olds who have not yet won an open stakes.

Falcon Jet, by Justify, was a $750,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase for SF, Starlight, and Madaket, among others. As usual for this group’s young horses, Falcon Jet started out with Bob Baffert in California, and made five starts on both dirt and turf for the barn. He was second or third each time while finishing behind quality company, including eventual Grade 2 winner Litmus Test, stakes winner Greenwich Village, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Mr. A. P., and graded stakes-placed Buetane.

Hoping a change of scenery would help the colt break through, the group sent the colt to an East Coast member of the team, Russell, in mid-winter.

“If horses aren’t progressing or need a change of scenery, luckily for me, it’s kind of become their place to send them,” said Laurel-based Russell.

Falcon Jet responded with a four-length maiden win going six furlongs on April 4, and the light switch indeed appears to be flipped.

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“He’s been a pretty cool horse,” Russell said. “Pretty laid back, so he was kind of hard to get a gauge on, which the California team told me he’s kind of like that. He kind of just does what you ask him to do. He ran well the first time we ran him, and it might have picked his head up a little bit. He seems happy, he’s training forwardly.”

Falcon Jet was nominated to both the 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton and the six-furlong Chick Lang on Saturday’s program. Part of the impetus to stretch him out comes from Sheldon Russell, who rode the colt to win and “thinks that’s in his wheelhouse,” Brittany Russell said. In addition to being by Triple Crown winner Justify, Falcon Jet is out of Starship Bonita, a restricted stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles.

With a short run into the first turn of the Sir Barton, it means those in the outside posts need to hustle to avoid being hung wide, and those on the inside risk being squeezed back. The outside slots will belong to Falcon Jet, who sat second in his maiden win, in post 5; and Point Aven, who shows speed, in post 6. Morning-line favorite Reagan’s Honor had drawn post 7; however, trainer Cherie DeVaux reported Friday that the colt developed a fever after shipping to Maryland and will scratch from the race. That removes pace pressure outside for the other speed, but they'll still have to deal with a formidable foe directly to their inside. Final Story, drawn in post 4 under Irad Ortiz Jr., is coming off a front-running maiden score at Keeneland, and likely won’t give up anything here to secure position.

Point Aven was claimed for $50,000 by Michael Trombetta for Day At The Races, which wanted a horse to campaign locally, out of a second in a maiden sprint. Since then, he was third and then won back-to-back races at a mile at Laurel with improved figures.

“He’s done real well for us, and we’re gonna try something a little bit more challenging,” Trombetta said. “I think if we’re gonna do it, we might as well do it at home.”

Let’s Go Lando is multiple stakes-placed at Laurel, most recently third in the Federico Tesio behind Taj Mahal. New York-bred stakes winner Minorinconvenience has drawn the rail, and next door is Maryland Million Nursery winner Big Cuddle, who adds blinkers to stretch out.

Chick Lang

Earlier, six stakes winners help comprise the field of eight for the $150,000 Chick Lang. The sextet includes well-traveled Obliteration, who should settle into his wheelhouse as a dirt sprinter. The colt won the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes and was multiple stakes-placed sprinting on turf last year. After opening 2026 with a dominant win in the six-furlong Renaissance on dirt at Oaklawn, he was a game second in the Group 3 Saudi Derby going a one-turn mile, pestered while on the lead and only giving way grudgingly.

“Tough defeat in the Saudi Derby, and we feel the Chick Lang is the right race to get him back going,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He’s a fabulous one-turn horse. . . . He’s an excellent horse. I’m excited to get him running again.”

Pennsylvania-bred Shane’s Wonder, who shows dazzling foot while seemingly unasked, has won all three of his starts by a combined 19 lengths, including the restricted Wait For It.

The field also includes stakes winners Fulmine, Hollywood Import, Igniter, and Magic Wallet.

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