Gonzalez sends out two of the four Saturday stakes winners

Trainer Claudio Gonzalez and jockey Angel Cruz teamed to win two of the four stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, when Eastern Bay accounted for the $100,000 Polynesian and Harpers First Ride took the $100,000 Deputed Testamony.

The races shared a card with the $100,000 Twixt won by Wicked Awesome and the $100,000 Alma North captured by Never Enough Time

The stakes figure to produce starters for next month’s Preakness Weekend at Pimlico. The Preakness is set for Oct. 3.

Eastern Bay ($8.20) rallied up the rail to catch Laki for a 1 1/4-length win in the Polynesian. The winner stalked the pace through an opening quarter of 22.31 seconds and a half-mile in 44.89 before covering six furlongs on a fast track in 1:08.72.

“That was our game plan, to sit off the pace,” Cruz said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel. “I was waiting for the hole and it opened for me.”

Eastern Bay is a son of E Dubai who races for Robert Bone. He is now 10 for 33 and picked up $60,000 for his win Saturday.

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Harpers First Ride ($5) improved his Laurel record to 6 for 7 when he rallied past the leaders in the stretch in the Deputed Testamony. He stalked the pace set by Infuriated, who put up fractions of 23.95 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.26 for the half-mile, and 1:12.52 for six furlongs. The winner went on to cover the “about” distance of mile and a sixteenth in 1:42.86.

Harpers First Ride won by 3 1/4 lengths over Cordmaker, while it was another 4 1/2 lengths back in third to Awesome D J.

Harpers First Ride is a son of Paynter who races for MCA Racing Stables. He earned $60,000 for the win, and improved his record to 7 for 13.

Never Enough Time became a stakes winner in the Alma North with her length victory over Chalon. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third to Last True Love.

The Alma North was a six-furlong race for fillies and mares.

Never Enough Time ($12.80) dueled with Amy’s Challenge through an opening quarter in 22.23 seconds and a half-mile in 45.88 before going on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:10.20.

Julian Pimentel was aboard for Larry R. Johnson and trainer Michael Trombetta.

Never Enough Time is a daughter of Munnings who has now won 4 of 8 starts. For the win Saturday she earned $60,000.

Wicked Awesome ($7) closed from last for a four-length victory in the Twixt, the first stakes on the Saturday card. She won over Artful Splatter. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back in third to Smooth With a Kick.

The Twixt was for fillies and mares at about a mile and a sixteenth.

Wicked Awesome trailed as Artful Splatter took the field through an opening half-mile in 23.63 seconds, a half-mile in 47.38, and six furlongs in 1:11.94. The eventual winner advanced, and went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:43.33.

Horacio Karamanos was aboard for trainer Ferris Allen, III. Wicked Awesome is a daughter of Awesome Again. She earned $60,000 for Warwick Stable.