Favorite Tale heads deep renewal of Fire Plug Stakes

The $100,000 Fire Plug, one of two six-furlong stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, has drawn a deep field of 12.

The Fire Plug and $100,000 What a Summer, which is for fillies and mares, are the local prep races for next month’s Grade 3, $250,000 General George and Grade 2, $300,000 Barbara Fritchie.

Trainer Lupe Preciado has entered Dave’s Friend winner Favorite Tale in the Fire Plug. Originally, there was supposed to be three weeks between the races, but following two weather-related cancellations Favorite Tale will be coming back on 12 days’ rest.

The field also has attracted the top two finishers from the Gravesend Stakes at Aqueduct, Do Share and Life in Shambles. Do Share, who is trained by Linda Rice, ran down the Steve Asmussen-trained Life in Shambles in the final sixteenth of the Gravesend to win by a half-length.

Someday Jones come into the Fire Plug off a comeback win in a third-level optional-claiming race at Parx for John Servis, and Something Awesome is undefeated in two starts since being transferred by Stronach Stable to Laurel-based horseman Jose Corrales.

In the What a Summer, Ms Locust Point will take on Angel At War, who is undefeated in six career starts.

Ms Locust Point, who is using the What a Summer as a prep race for the Fritchie, should go favored. Trained by Servis, she is 4 for 6 in her career and 2 for 2 since returning from a nine-month layoff.

Angel At War will be making her stakes debut for trainer Michael Gorham, who claimed her for $40,000 out of her second start.

◗ Sagamore Farm and trainer Horacio De Paz had a banner holiday weekend at Laurel, winning with four of their six starters. Sagamore won maiden races Saturday and Sunday with Dictate Cool and Global Citizen, and claiming races on Monday with Proportionality and Annapolis Class.