Fritchie top two figure to play cat and mouse on the lead

There’s a big-fight feel surrounding Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park as Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya figure to start swinging from the bell in the seven-furlong contest for fillies and mares.

The Runhappy Barbara Fritchie and the Grade 3, $250,000 General George Stakes are the features on a Saturday Winter Sprintfest program that boasts six stakes races worth $900,000 in purses.

Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya are two of the best filly and mare sprinters in the region and both are very swift from the gate. The latter hasn’t been headed in her last five starts and trainer Lacey Gaudet isn’t planning on switching tactics from post 3.

“We’re not going to change anything, I think we’re all a little happy that she got on the inside,” Gaudet said. “I think it’s going to be a big race play on who’s in front between us and Hello Beautiful. I think the draw was going to be the determining factor between that. This filly loves the rail. She loves to see it and hug it and get around there and be in front.

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“We’re going to take it to them.”

Dontletsweetfoolya's plan may be set, but Hello Beautiful’s outside post gives jockey Sheldon Russell options.

“From the eight-hole, he can dictate however he wants to go with it,” trainer Brittany Russell said about her husband’s potential game plan. “I always say that Sheldon knows her better than any of us so I leave it up to him.

“If they want to take it to us, well don’t forget our filly is fast too.”

With a perfect 7-for-7 record over Laurel Park’s main track and a three-race win streak coming into the race, Hello Beautiful looms the horse to beat. Despite the erratic weather, the Maryland-bred’s training regimen hasn’t been interrupted.

“Haven’t missed a beat,” said Brittany Russell. “We’ve been fortunate. We got our works in when we needed them. If she had to stay in the shed, it didn’t really affect what we would have done if we left the shed.”

Sharp Starr, trained by Horacio DePaz, would benefit if Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya wear themselves out. The Munnings filly earned a 101 Beyer three back and followed that runaway victory with a Grade 3 triumph in the Go for Wand Handicap over sloppy Aqueduct footing.

Recently, she was second as the favorite in the La Verdad Stakes for New York-breds on muddy ground. All three of her victories have come at a one-turn mile, but a fast pace works in her favor.

Club Car is a late threat. Fourth to Dontletsweetfoolya in the Willa On the Move, she then was a rallying second, beaten a length by Hello Beautiful, in the What a Summer. She’ll get the proper race flow and should appreciate the extra furlong.

Completing the field are stakes winner Estilo Talentoso; Group 2-placed Suggestive Honor; stakes-placed Hibiscus Punch; and multiple stakes winner Needs Supervision.