Flawed contenders abound in restricted stakes

The two stakes Saturday at Laurel Park in Maryland have a strong South Carolina flavor.

The Donna Freyer (race 5) and the Christopher Elser Memorial (race 7) are restricted to 2-year-olds that spent at least 90 days before this past June 30 in South Carolina. Both races will be contested over six furlongs on dirt, and the Freyer is further restricted to fillies.

South Carolina has no formal parimutuel racetracks, but the state long has been a Thoroughbred flashpoint, particularly the Aiken and Camden areas, where many prominent horsemen have wintered their stock, especially yearlings turning 2.

No one perfectly fits the Elser, but Hidden Funds, Kitchen Fire, and Jumpmaster appear to be the principals.

Hidden Funds has finished third in two recent open first-level Laurel allowance races, but the concern is both those starts came over one mile, and Hidden Funds looks less reliable sprinting.

Kitchen Fire was well below his best form finishing a distant sixth last out at Laurel in the $100,000 James Lewis, and the lingering question is whether a horse that made his first five starts over the Tapeta Footings surface at Presque Isle Downs can come anywhere near his best on dirt.

Jumpmaster is a two-start maiden, but showed good speed at Parx Racing in his two trips to the post.

The Freyer has a similar feel, with none of the apparently most talented entrants obviously suited to six furlongs on dirt.

Wise Gal won the $100,000 Selima earlier this year and can be excused a lesser run in the Nov. 4 Chelsea Flower at Aqueduct stretching out from two sprints to a route. But all three of those races came on turf, and Wise Gal, by Einstein, is an unknown quantity on dirt.

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Matty’s Magnum has form perhaps a half-notch below Wise Gal, but like that filly Matty’s Magnum has raced only on turf.

Kapalua Starlight in her only start finished second after contesting the pace in a maiden $50,000 claiming sprint on the dirt at Belmont. She wouldn’t need to improve much, and probably has the speed to get over and into position from a wide draw Saturday.

Dialin finished second in a $50,000 stakes in August and finished seventh after stumbling at the start in a Laurel optional claimer last out.