Trainer Brad Cox has big plans for Howl, but the impressive debut winner must first pass the class test in Laurel’s Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. The Safely Kept is one of three $100,000 stakes on Saturday at Laurel, joining the Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and the City of Laurel for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. Howl was bet to favoritism in a 12-horse maiden special weight on Oct. 28 at Keeneland and won by 7 3/4 lengths with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. :: DRF's Black Friday Sale: Get 20% off (almost) everything in the DRF Shop. Code: BF2023 “We had her last winter and liked her,” Cox said. “She had a setback, and we gave her time. She’s a nice talent. She’s a big, big filly that covers a tremendous amount of ground.” Cox was pleased with Howl’s most recent workout, a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.80 on Nov. 19 at Churchill. “It was totally the right way,” he said. “By herself, well in hand, looks like there was plenty left in the tank.” Cox hopes the Safely Kept is a springboard to Grade 1 races. “In a perfect world, we’re trying to get to the La Brea,” on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, Cox said. “That’s dreaming a bit, but she’s given us a lot of reasons to dream.” Apple Picker, winner of Pimlico’s Weather Vane on Sept. 16, recently finished fourth in Keeneland’s Grade 2 Raven Run. Vahva and Alva Starr “are two of the best you’re probably going to ask her to run against,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “This race has been on our radar because she’s home and she can walk right out of her stall.” Warrior’s Ransom was cross-entered in Saturday’s Comely at Aqueduct, but will likely run here. Claimed for $25,000 by Jamie Ness during the spring, Warrior’s Ransom has won half of her six starts for the new connections and finished third in Parx Racing’s Plum Pretty on Oct. 10. “One of my better claims in a while,” Ness said. “For a 3-year-old filly, we hooked her with a nice older mare [multiple stakes-winner Disco Ebo] last time going seven-eighths, and she was coming. She was almost getting there.” Unified Alliance was freshened after finishing last of five in the Grade 2 Prioress on Sept. 2 at Saratoga. She previously won the off-turf Coronation Cup at the Spa and brings early speed for trainer Tom Morley. Worst Behaviour, Liquidator, and Dot Marie complete the field. Post Time tries City of Laurel Although Post Time’s unbeaten streak ended in last month’s Perryville at Keeneland, the talented colt lost little else, earning a career-best 94 Beyer when third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by graded winner Raise Cain. “There were a lot of questions going over there to Keeneland with the ship,” Russell said. “This is a quirky horse. From a mental standpoint, I think he handled himself pretty well.” Russell likes the way Post Time has been training coming into the City of Laurel. “I feel like he’s improving,” she said. “This horse has a confidence and an air about him right now.” Let It Ride showed no rust returning from a seven-month layoff as he dominated a solid field of first-level allowance runners at Aqueduct. The lightly-raced colt looks like a strong pace factor for trainer George Weaver. Ninetyprcentmaddie got up in the nick of time in the off-turf Carle Place traveling six furlongs during the Belmont at the Big A meet. Trainer Butch Reid believes that the gelding is best at “seven-eighths or a one-turn mile.” Praetorian Guard, Veeson, and Byk also entered. Giant Mischief will remain in Kentucky to run Sunday. Coffeewithchris and Super Accelerate are expected to compete on Friday at Laurel, per their trainers. Be Better stretches back out Russell hopes that Be Better will live up to his name when stretched back out to nine furlongs in the Richard W. Small. The winner of the Deputed Testamony over this course and distance during the summer, late-running Be Better recently finished fourth in a slow-paced M.P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile on Oct. 17 at Parx. “Love the distance for him,” Russell said. “We took him to Parx because he was doing good and he was ready to run, but I didn’t think that was going to be his cup of tea, necessarily.” Reid counters with King Kumbalay, second in the Ballezzi after pushing the winner’s slow fractions. “He made a nice run through the lane, but the winner got the drop on him,” Reid said. Ain’t Da Beer Cold and Market Maven meet again after battling to the wire in the Maryland Million Classic. Market Maven finished first that day but was disqualified after a bumping incident. Trainer Jamie Ness filed an appeal of the stewards’ decision to the Maryland Racing Commission. Millionaire Forewarned, speedy Movisitor, Outlier, and Hay Chief also are expected. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.