Front-running locals square off in Barbara Fritchie

Mother Nature shook her fist at the Mid-Atlantic region and last Saturday’s Winter Sprintfest at Laurel Park failed to escape her wrath.

The good news for horsemen, horseplayers, and racing fans alike is that the program will be brought back in its entirety on Saturday with six stakes races worth $900,000 in purses.

Although the temperatures have been frigid, the pace of the Grade 3, $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes should be hot as Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya figure to start swinging from the start of the seven-furlong contest.

“We had so much anticipation for last week,” trainer Lacey Gaudet said Wednesday regarding Dontletsweetfoola, a filly that hasn’t been headed in her last five starts. “We were so well-prepared, even with a few hiccups with the weather that came. So far, so good. She got a little blowout this morning. Not ideal, I guess of what we really wanted, but they both went well and they came back fine.”

As the innermost speed breaking from post 3, don’t expect Don’tletsweetfoolya’s tactics to change.

“I think it’s going to be a big race play on who’s in front between us and Hello Beautiful,” Gaudet said last week. “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.”

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.

“She’s doing fine,” trainer Brittany Russell. “The track’s been closed a couple of days, but no big deal, we made it happen. Everyone’s dealing with it, so you just do what you can.”

Dontletsweetfoolya’s pace 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,” Russell said last week.

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

Sharp Starr is one the local hopefuls must fear.

Trained by Horacio DePaz, the Munnings filly benefits if Hello Beautiful and Dontletsweetfoolya wear themselves out.

Sharp Starr, like all the shippers for Saturday’s card, has been at Laurel for the past week.

“It’s been good for her to settle in,” DePaz said. “She’s been eating much better since we’ve given her time to settle in.”

After earning a top Beyer Speed Figure of 76 in her first seven starts, Sharp Starr turned the corner. She received 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.

“She started breaking much better, so she’s been able to get in better position early on in the race,” DePaz commented on her improvement.

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