King: Ivy Bell a capable invader at Laurel

Stakes races abound across the country Saturday, from Los Alamitos, which runs the Starlet and Futurity, the day’s only graded races, to Gulfstream, Fair Grounds, and Laurel, a trio of tracks that are running less prestigious but intriguing black-type contests.

Laurel Park caught my eye Saturday, running four stakes, two of which have horses I’m eager to back. The first of those is the Willa On the Move Stakes for older fillies and mares, where I like Kentucky invader Ivy Bell, followed a race later by the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, where Steamy Hot is my selection.

Ivy Bell is in the midst of her best year yet, recording three wins and two seconds from six races and developing from a first-level allowance horse to a stakes-winning, graded-placed runner. With better racing luck, she might already be a four-time winner in 2017, except she lost her rider after clipping heels when poised to win the Open Mind Stakes on Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs.

From that potentially frightening experience, I was a little concerned how she might react in her subsequent start in the Dream Supreme on Nov. 24 at Churchill. She showed no ill effect, rallying smartly to finish second to Hailstorm Slew on a day when that one turned in the fastest race from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint.

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Much of this is apparent in her past performances, but I’m hopeful that because she starts for a small Kentucky-based barn that she might go off a smidge higher than she should. Don’t underestimate her, small barn or not. Her trainer, Billy Denzik, is winning at a 20 percent clip on the year, a fine record particularly when taking into account the modest stock he trains.

I’m also encouraged that regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. comes from his Fair Grounds base to pilot her, giving up riding a rich card on Louisiana Champions Day in New Orleans.

Hopefully, she will not dip below her 3-1 morning line, even if Absatootly, cross-entered in the Garland of Roses on Saturday at Aqueduct, runs in New York as expected. Two other Willa On The Move entrants, Shimmering Aspen and Ms Locust Point, also figure to draw action from bettors.

As for Steamy Hot in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, she presents an angle I have often liked – she is a fast filly coming out of a claiming race. In her case, that was a maiden $40,000 off-the-turf claimer Oct. 29 at Laurel, a race she won by 14 lengths.

While she undoubtedly capitalized by catching a depleted field caused by the surface switch, don’t downplay her performance for that reason. She was under a firm hold for the first half of the race, and once cut loose and angled to the outside, she quickly drew away with authority. That performance narrowly earned her the top last-race Beyer, a 65.

She should enjoy a smooth trip from her outside post in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, sitting just off the leaders in the clear.

A price in the Starlet

Turning west to Los Alamitos, I will shoot for a price in the Starlet with Yesterday’s News, a seasoned but still improving filly who is a proven stayer in a race where the favorites are not. She won her maiden at a mile in September at Del Mar and recently finished second in turf allowance going that same distance there.

That latter race was the superior effort, coming behind promising 2-for-2 filly Tesora after chasing the pace. Though Yesterday’s News is now moving back to dirt, I don’t believe regression is in the cards. She is bred for dirt and may have simply been running on turf for the opportunity to go two turns.

She’s a long-striding filly with one gear – the kind of style better suited to dirt routes than turf routes, which often are decided by late bursts of acceleration.

Yesterday’s News is going to need to jump forward yet again to win the Starlet, even if this race seems more like a Grade 3 than a Grade 1. And if the untested speed horses go too quickly early, perhaps the race could fall into her lap.