Four contenders hard to separate in Friday's feature

Scuba and Coach Fridge come into Friday’s featured race at Laurel Park off first-level allowance victories. Going to Market and River Rush will be available for the $25,000 optional claiming price. Sorting them out isn’t easy.

Scuba likely will be favored in the second-level optional $25,000 claimer off his mid-December victory for new trainer Tony Dutrow. After making his first four starts on turf for Bill Mott, Scuba was sent east from Kentucky, given three works at Fair Hill by Dutrow, and then finished well after racing in traffic to win his main-track debut.

Scuba and Coach Fridge were on even terms with a furlong remaining in that 1 1/16-mile race, but Scuba pulled away to score by 2 1/4 lengths. He has since been given three more works at Fair Hill for this 1 1/16-mile race.

Coach Fridge came out of that race to win a one-turn mile by a neck after opening a 3 1/2-length lead in midstretch. A 6-year-old, Coach Fridge had been stuck at the first-level allowance condition since April 2012. He now has 3 wins and 14 seconds from 35 career starts.

Going to Market should offer Scuba a stern challenge. He won at this level by seven lengths Oct. 31 and then was claimed by leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez out of a third-place effort Dec. 3. In his first start off the claim, Going to Market tired to finish ninth after pressing the pace over a muddy track in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes on Jan. 3.

Gonzalez trained Going to Market over the summer and knows him well. He should be a good fit in this spot.

River Rush was claimed by Kieron Magee for $15,000 in November, won a race similar to this in December, and is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Native Dancer. He also looks to be well placed in this wide-open race.

◗ The fifth race on the card is a 5 1/2-furlong maiden event for 3-year-old fillies. The top contenders are Clem Gem, Preseli’s Pulpit, and Pret Say Eye, each of whom has good speed. Pret Say Eye looks to be the quickest of the group and could prove an elusive target with a race under her belt following a seven-month layoff.

◗ Jevian Toledo had a big week at Laurel from Jan. 15-17, going 6 for 19. Two riders won three races last week. Sheldon Russell went 3 for 20, and Xavier Perez was 3 for 10. Victor Carrasco had a tough weekend, going 1 for 18. Carrasco and Toledo lead the standings with 11 wins apiece. Russell is third with 10.