Interstatedaydream could show more speed in Twixt Stakes
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Brad Cox hopes a return to Maryland leads to a return to the winner’s circle for Interstatedaydream.
“She’s performed well over there,” Cox said.
She has indeed, with Pimlico victories in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in 2022 and this year’s Allaire duPont.
Now, Interstatedaydream tries her luck at Laurel as the likely favorite in the $100,000 Twixt for fillies and mares at about 1 1/16 miles.
The Twixt is one of four stakes on a Saturday program with three turf events, the $150,000 Selima for juvenile fillies at 1 1/16 miles, the $150,000 Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, and the $100,000 Japan Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles.
Never worse than fourth in her career, Interstatedaydream has raced twice since the duPont, with a runner-up effort in Thistledown’s Lady Jacqueline followed by a third-place finish in the Groupie Doll at Ellis.
Cox might change tactics Saturday.
“Maybe get her out and get her a touch more involved,” he said. “In her last two, she’s given herself just a little too much to do.”
Brittany Russell counters with two entrants. Hybrid Eclipse has won 6 of 9 at Laurel, including the Caesar’s Wish on July 15. The recent layoff has been by design.
“I think she thrives with some extra time in between,” Russell said. “She’ll show up and run her race.”
Batucada, formerly trained by Cox, won her first start for Russell when grabbing a second-level allowance on Aug. 30 at Delaware. The 3-year-old filly has won all three of her route starts and is based at Fair Hill.
“She’s a filly that they thought a lot of early on,” Russell said. “She’s just a tricky filly to train. A lot of things need to go her way. She can be a little headstrong. She needs a quiet setting to train in.”
Battle Bling won this race last year and used it as a springboard to a victory in the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm at Aqueduct. Sixth last time out in a strong edition of the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap, she returns from a July layoff for Rob Atras.
“We pointed toward this race and are hoping to get her back in form,” Atras said. “If she does what she’s doing in the morning, I think she can do it.”
Malibu Beauty stretches out after two sprints and looks like a strong pace factor breaking from the rail for Gary Capuano.
“She does like to get out there,” Capuano said. “She’ll do either one, but if she gets an easy, comfortable lead, it’s always good when they do that.”
Miss New York and Six the Hard Way cross-entered Friday at Churchill and Laurel, respectively. Freccia d’Argento and Champagne Toast complete the field.
Selima Stakes
George Weaver has had a sensational year with his 2-year-olds, compiling 16 wins from 44 starts. He’ll attempt to add to that gaudy record with Brocknardini in the Selima.
Brocknardini rallied powerfully to defeat New York-breds in her Saratoga debut.
“I was just giving her a race,” Weaver said. “She jumped up and showed me something good.”
Heartened by that performance, Weaver ran Brocknardini in the Grade 1 Natalma on Sept. 16 at Woodbine. The trip didn’t work out as she broke slowly, then checked terribly in upper stretch.
Graham Motion sends out recent Kentucky Downs maiden winner Yatta.
“I sprinted her first time, and she needed to stretch out,” Motion said. “The second time, she just had a terrible trip. [Tyler Gaffalione] said she got totally stuck. She did win very comfortably last time.”
Chad Brown trained two of the last three winners of the Selima, and he’ll go with Positive Carry. A runner-up in her debut at Saratoga, she’s “a medium-sized horse at best, but very athletic and very agile with a nice turn of foot in the morning,” according to Brown.
“Occasionally, we’ll run a maiden in these types of races if we feel they ran a winning race,” Brown added. “I expect her to move forward. She came out of it a bit fitter and sharper.”
Low Mileage stretches out off a successful turf debut in the restricted Jamestown at Colonial; Carmelina, a stakes winner on dirt, makes her turf debut with a strong grass pedigree. Determined Sail was a pacesetting third in her stakes debut, the Kitten’s Joy against males on Sept. 9.
◗ Weaver tries his luck in the Laurel Futurity with Dancing Mischief, a recent seven-length winner of an off-turf maiden for New York-breds at Saratoga. Other strong contenders include speedy Monmouth debut winner Tropandhagen, stakes-placed Air Recruit, Massif, and Wine Collector.
◗ Multiple stakes winner Eons grapples with stout Bear Oak, recent dirt stakes winner Serifos, progressive 3-year-old Regal Kingdom, and late-kicking Yamato in a competitive edition of the Japan Turf Cup.
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