Former claimers square off in John B. Campbell

With a half-dozen entrants, the $100,000 John B. Campbell has the shortest field of the six stakes on the Winter Carnival card at Laurel Park on Saturday, but the 1 1/8-mile race offers a nice matchup between the former claimers turned stakes horses Afleet Willy and Zanotti.

Trainer Claudio Gonzalez claimed Afleet Willy out of a $25,000 maiden-claiming victory at Laurel in December 2015. Not offered for a claiming tag since, Afleet Willy is now an 11-time winner of $427,000. He has won three stakes since September and has never been better.

Zanotti is based at Parx with trainer Carlos Guerrero. Claimed for $30,000 at Churchill Downs in November 2016 by Marshall Gramm’s Ten Strike Racing, he was sent to Guerrero’s stable. Zanotti has since put together an 5-3-0 record from 8 starts and earned $217,000.

Afleet Willy, who will be ridden by Jomar Torres, has a bit more speed than Zanotti, but both horses like to settle before making their move. There’s a good chance they will be eye-to-eye at some point during the race. Afleet Willy will be favored since he holds the home-court advantage and has seven wins at Laurel.

Zanotti has won 4 of his last 5 races and scored his first stakes win in his most recent start, the 1 1/8-mile Queens County at Aqueduct. Jorge Vargas Jr. has the mount.

“He’s a very honest horse,” Guerrero said. “We’ve stretched him out, which he likes. He is getting better and better I think. Jorge knows him very well and does a good job getting him to relax down the backside.”

Turco Bravo, the likely third choice in the race, is scheduled to run Thursday afternoon at Aqueduct, and would be coming back on two days’ rest in the Campbell.

Bishop’s Pond loving the dirt

The $100,000 Maryland Racing Media, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares (race 7), has a wide-open field of 10, including three horses who are cross-entered in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie – Bishop’s Pond, Frisky Whiskey, and Sky Flower.

Bishop’s Pond might be the Maryland Racing Media favorite, but as of Thursday afternoon trainer Jason Servis was not sure which race she would target.

Bishop’s Pond has made 21 of her 24 starts on turf but 3 of her last 4 on dirt. She is 2 for 3 on the main track, and won the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes going a mile on dirt at Laurel in her most recent start Jan. 8. The Thirty Eight Go Go was the first one-turn start of Bishop Pond’s career.

The field also includes Just Got Out and Sherini, the first- and third-place finishers in the 1 1/8-mile Ladies at Aqueduct on Jan. 21. Sherini was disqualified and placed fifth for coming inward in the stretch.

It should be noted that the Ladies was run in a slow 1:55.32, with a final furlong in 14.10 seconds.

The first three finishers from the Jan. 27 Nellie Morse at Laurel are entered in the Maryland Racing Media. In the Navy Now ran down Line of Best Fit to win the Nellie Morse by a neck. It was another half-length back to Sky Flower.