Hello Beautiful intimidating presence in Politely Stakes

Hello Beautiful seeks her ninth stakes victory when she starts favored in Friday’s $75,000 Politely Stakes for Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares at Laurel Park.

The six-furlong Politely shares top billing with the $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes for statebred sprinters traveling seven-eighths.

Hello Beautiful hasn’t been headed in her last three starts, all against stakes competition, and has won 10 of 18.

“All systems are go,” according to Hello Beautiful’s trainer, Brittany Russell.

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While Hello Beautiful will run in the Politely, several other entrants might run instead in Saturday’s $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel. Malibu Beauty, Street Lute, Princess Kokachin, Miss Chesapeake, and Proper Attire are nominated to the Safely Kept Stakes.

Trainer Gary Capuano said Malibu Beauty would be cross-entered in the Safely Kept. Malibu Beauty finished second to Hello Beautiful in the Maryland Million Distaff on Oct. 23.

“I want to see how the draw comes up and look at both spots,” he said. “Obviously, it’s going to be tough to beat Hello Beautiful. We don’t want to keep chasing her if we don’t have to.”

Miss Chesapeake, also trained by Russell, won a maiden $40,000 claiming sprint at Laurel in her only start. Russell said her status for the Politely is “up in the air right now.”

Proper Attire probably won’t run in either race unless the Politely scratches down to three or four horses, said trainer John Salzman Jr.

One mare who will line up against Hello Beautiful is Never Enough Time. The last time she faced Hello Beautiful was in the Weathervane at Laurel on Sept. 18, when she stumbled at the start and finished third. Hello Beautiful won the Weathervane by 10 1/4 lengths and beat Never Enough Time by 12 1/4.

“It’s a huge challenge to try and beat that filly, but we really don’t have a lot of other choices,” said trainer Michael Trombetta.

In her most recent start, Never Enough Time finished second over sloppy going in the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie at Belmont. She earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure – Hello Beautiful territory – when second to Group 2 winner Cheetara in the Seeking the Pearl at Colonial Downs on Aug. 23.

Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes

Russell saddles 12-time winner Whereshetoldmetogo in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes. Freshened since a game score in the restricted New Castle at Delaware Park on Sept. 25, Whereshetoldmetogo will race at Laurel for the first time since the track was renovated.

“A lot of it with this horse is actually mental with him,” Russell said. “He just has a different air about him when he trains at Laurel. Over at Pimlico, he would play up a little bit and do some silly things. But he’s back acting right.”

As of Wednesday morning, Plot the Dots and Galerio were between running in the Bender or Saturday’s Richard W. Small Stakes around two turns, said their respective trainers, Trombetta and Salzman.

If they do compete on Friday, they’ll face Air Token and Double Crown, the one-two finishers in last month’s Maryland Million Sprint, as well as Alwaysmining, Hunter Joe, Clubman, Youngest of Five, and Band On Tour.

◗ Per a Tuesday text from the Maryland Jockey Club, the 2021 turf season is officially over at Laurel. Two races originally scheduled for turf on the Friday card will be moved to the main track.