Familiar foes meet again in Fire Plug
The $75,000 Fire Plug at Laurel Park on Saturday has drawn a field of 10 and will rematch the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers from the Dave’s Friend Stakes.
The six-furlong Fire Plug for older horses will be joined Saturday by a pair of $75,000 stakes for 3-year-olds – the seven-furlong Frank Whiteley Jr. and the six-furlong Marshua, which is for fillies and mares.
Majestic Hussar, Beach Hut, and Heaven’s Runway return on three weeks’ rest following the Dave’s Friend. Majestic Hussar took the lead outside a pacesetting Beach Hut on the far turn of that six-furlong sprint, drifted a bit wide into the stretch, then was outfinished by the winner, Always Sunshine, who came up inside of him.
Beach Hut continued well after relinquishing the lead and was beaten three-quarters of a length for second. Beach Hut and Jake N Elwood, who also is entered, are being trained by Parx-based Marcos Zulueta since their previous handler, Ramon Preciado, began a 21-day suspension Thursday for two clenbuterol positives at Delaware Park last summer.
Heaven’s Runway, the 2-1 Dave’s Friend favorite, finished an even fourth after racing four wide.
Majestic Hussar is in top form for William Campbell, who trains a five-horse stable at Laurel. Campbell, 39, claimed Majestic Hussar for $25,000 in October 2014 and two races later made a recommendation to owner William Bayne Jr. that has paid off handsomely.
“In his first few races, he wasn’t performing well,” Campbell said. “I told Mr. Bayne we either needed to drop him or freshen him. He’s a horse with back class, and I thought it was worth giving him a break.”
Majestic Hussar, 6, showed promise early in his career. He won a Saratoga maiden race, defeated Palace Malice in a first-level optional claimer at Gulfstream Park, and was fourth to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Orb in the Fountain of Youth. Campbell and Bayne gave Majestic Hussar a nine-month rest, and since returning, he is 5-2-2-0 with earnings of $110,000.
In his start prior to the Dave’s Friend, Majestic Hussar finished second at 87-1 in the $200,000 Fabulous Strike Handicap at Penn National despite breaking slowly. He was beaten two lengths by Favorite Tale, who was coming off a third-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“He just needed the time off,” Campbell said of Majestic Hussar. “I think a lot of him. He’s a hard knocker.”
Campbell grew up assisting his father, Donald, who trained in Maryland. He took out his own license in 2002 and has won 224 races while winning at a 15 percent clip.
“I was in the same barn at Bowie for many, many years,” Campbell said. “When they closed it, I moved to Laurel.”
Key contenders
Majestic Hussar (Last 3 Beyers: 92-79-85)
* Versatile enough to go to the lead or sit off the pace.
Jake N Elwood (Last 3 Beyers: 92-92-87)
* Couldn’t keep up with the suddenly red-hot Green Gratto in the Gravesend at Aqueduct last out, but prior to that, he had won three of five while finishing second twice, once to Favorite Tale and once to stablemate Trouble Kid.
Heaven’s Runway (Last 3 Beyers: 87-97-97)
* Was hung wide from the outside post in the Dave’s Friend. Benefits from post 5 on Saturday.
Beach Hut (Last 3 Beyers: 90-90-87)
* An improving horse, he went to the lead in the Dave’s Friend but might be more effective coming from off the pace.