While 2020 has been a disastrous year for most, Harpers First Ride isn’t complaining. The 4-year-old son of Paynter has won 6 of 10 starts this season, including the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, and established himself as arguably the top handicap horse in the region. Following a 100-Beyer Speed Figure victory in the Richard W. Small Stakes last month, Harpers First Ride will start favored against six foes in Saturday’s $100,000 Native Dancer going 1 1/8 miles at Laurel Park. “I don’t think he’s going to bounce this time,” trainer Claudio Gonzalez said. “He’s better than ever. He breezed [Sunday]. [Monday,] I had to take him the wrong way to the track because he’s jumping in the stall. He’s really happy.” While Harpers First Ride made a decisive four-wide bid on the second turn of the Small, runner-up Cordmaker was hemmed in before receiving optimal clearance. Cordmaker has finished behind Harpers First Ride in their last five meetings, but the four-time stakes winner might have the best chance at an upset. Laki gets a rematch Seven of the nine entrants in the $100,000 Dave’s Friend are stakes winners, but most of the attention will focus on Whereshetoldmetogo and Laki. They finished noses apart in the Frank Whiteley on Nov. 28 and will renew their feud at six furlongs. Laki has finished first or second in all six starts this year and became trainer Damon Dilodovico’s first graded stakes winner with his game score in the De Francis Memorial on Oct. 3. Dilodovico is hopeful that Laki can turn the tables on Whereshetoldmetogo. :: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program. “I was not disappointed with the trip Horacio [Karamanos] gave us” in the Whiteley, Dilodovico said. “He just got outrun to the wire. Maybe Sheldon [Russell aboard Whereshetoldmetogo] was able to save a little more ground than we got, but we got beat a nose, so it’s hard to argue with the trip.” Whereshetoldmetogo might be best known for savaging Firenze Fire in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob Stakes in 2019, but he wasn’t biting off more than he could chew in the Whiteley. That was his fourth stakes victory, and the Brittany Russell barn went on a 19-for-38 tear at Laurel Park between Oct. 24 and Dec. 20. The two locally based runners will have to deal with the speedy Share the Ride. Share the Ride, winner of the Grade 3 Fall Highweight on Nov. 28 at Aqueduct, might get the jump on both Whereshetoldmetogo and Laki. Speedballs square off If you like early speed, then keep an eye on the $100,000 Willa On the Move at six furlongs. Dontletsweetfoolya hasn’t been headed in her last four starts, including a 91-Beyer romp in the Primonetta last month. She’ll tackle Malibu Mischief, a gate-to-wire winner of her last six races. “She was really a headcase as a 2-year-old and was very nervous, and a little unruly and rank in the mornings,” trainer Lacey Gaudet said of Donletsweetfoolya. Owner Five Hellions Farm “sent her to Florida to Bryan Rice, and he turned her out for a little while and she’s just really put it together as a 3-year-old. I think she just needed to grow up a little bit.” Dontletsweetfoolya drew the inside post in the field of nine fillies and mares. “I hate being in the one hole,” Gaudet said Monday. “Thankfully, the rail looks like it’s been really well the last couple of days at Laurel, so hopefully that will hold through the weekend. She’s as well-prepared as she can be. She had a wonderful work this morning.” If the pace is electric up front, fillies like Skipat Stakes winner Never Enough Time and Kentucky invader Club Car loom large late. No Cents seeks four straight Sometimes first impressions can be deceiving. For example, take No Cents, the likely favorite in the $100,000 Heft for juveniles going six furlongs. When asked if the colt would be this good from Day 1, trainer Cathal Lynch responded with a chuckle. “Honestly, no,” Lynch said. “For the first couple of months, he was a little backward. He was a big goof that hadn’t figured anything out. We just gave him plenty of time.” Lynch’s patience has paid handsome dividends as No Cents has won 3 of 4 starts, including the James F. Lewis on Nov. 14 at Laurel. No Cents has excellent tactical speed, and Lynch is hopeful he’ll receive a trip similar to the one that propelled him to victory in the Lewis. “There’s a little speed in there,” Lynch said. “We’ll let the speed go, not too far off as the track has been pretty speed-favoring recently. I don’t see him being too far back. He’s not one-dimensional by any means.” Among the Heft contenders are multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion, sixth behind No Cents in the Lewis; impressive debut winner The Wolfman; and stakes winner Singlino, recently second behind promising Jaxon Traveler in the Maryland Juvenile Futurity. ◗ In other stakes action Saturday, Street Lute seeks her fourth stakes victory when she starts as the probable favorite in the $100,000 Gin Talking for juvenile fillies at six furlongs. ◗ There also are two juvenile stakes races at 1 1/16 miles. Both the $100,000 Anne Arundel County for fillies and the $100,000 Howard County feature competitive fields. The Anne Arundel attracted Chad Brown-trained The Grass Is Blue, Shadwell Farm’s homebred Zeyaraat, and recent optional-claiming winner Miss Leslie. The Howard County might come down to pace and trip. Shackqueenking, never out of the exacta from three starts, is a top contender.