Laurel Park: Centrique invades for Barbara Fritchie Handicap

[bc_video_id:316397:]Trainer Marty Wolfson had a logical reason to ship Centrique from south Florida to Maryland for Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap as opposed to keeping her home for last Sunday’s Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park, where his filly was 2 for 2 this winter.

“I didn’t want to run against Groupie Doll,” Wolfson said.

There certainly are no fillies and mares of the caliber of two-time champion female sprinter Groupie Doll – who, by the way, dominated the Hurricane Bertie – among Centrique’s nine rivals in the Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park. In fact, there are no graded stakes winners in the field. My Wandy’s Girl, last year’s beaten favorite in this race, did win Group 1 races in Puerto Rico but has yet to duplicate that form in the United States.

Centrique will represent just the fourth horse Wolfson has run at Laurel Park. His last runner, Miss Singhsix, won the Maryland Racing Media Stakes in 2010. Before that, he participated in two stakes in the mid-1990s.

Centrique, a 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon, enters the Fritchie off two solid victories for Wolfson and Miller Racing at Gulfstream Park. On Dec. 7, Centrique won the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper, running seven furlongs in 1:22.21 and earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure. On Jan. 29, Centrique won a conditioned allowance race by 2 1/4 lengths, running a mile in the slop in 1:36.04 and earning a 95 Beyer.

“That was on a track I don’t think she liked, and she beat a good field pretty easily,” Wolfson said.

That Centrique is running back just 17 days after that win doesn’t faze Wolfson, who noted that Centrique had almost eight weeks between her two most recent starts.

Centrique has won three of her last four starts, all since returning from a two-month layoff that was precipitated by a sinus infection she couldn’t shake in the spring and early summer.

Edgard Zayas will ride Centrique from post 3.

My Wandy’s Girl is the 119-pound highweight despite having not won since November 2012. She has only raced twice since finishing second in this race last year, running second in the Grade 2 Ruffian last April and fifth in the Garland of Roses at Aqueduct in December.

“I was surprised she didn’t show up – she always has,” said Mike Hushion, the trainer of My Wandy’s Girl, about her performance in the Garland of Roses. “Took her to Florida, where she had the best of everything. I like what I saw down there.”

Hushion also liked his horse’s outside post draw. She broke from the rail last year. Rajiv Maragh rides My Wandy’s Girl.

La Verdad, a speedy daughter of Yes It’s True, makes her stakes debut after winning five consecutive races, including three against New York-breds. La Verdad has made all of her starts at six furlongs, but the Barbara Fritchie’s extra eighth of a mile isn’t of much concern to trainer Linda Rice.

“I don’t think seven furlongs is that big an issue,” Rice said. “Hopefully, she’ll like the course down there. I’m excited to try her in stakes company, kind of wish I could have done it here at home in New York. I’m a big fan of not shipping them if you can help it, but because of the timing and the graded status for her, it’s a necessity.”

Jose Ortiz rides La Verdad from post 4.

Winning Image has won eight listed stakes in her 26-race career, including two at Laurel, and will seek her first graded win in her final start. Like La Verdad, Winning Image has early speed and is attempting seven furlongs for the first time. Tony Black rides from post 6.

Villette, trained by John Servis, has won four or her last five starts, including a third-level allowance at Parx off a nine-month layoff. Stewart Elliott rides from post 2.

Among the locals, the late-running Flattering Bea looks like a potentially live longshot in her 4-year-old debut. When last seen Nov. 9, she finished a fast-closing second in the Safely Kept Stakes over this track.

Bold Curlin tops Campbell Handicap

Bold Curlin seeks his third consecutive victory when he takes on six rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 John B. Campbell Handicap at 1 1/8 miles.

Bold Curlin defeated three of his six Campbell rivals in last month’s Native Dancer at 1 1/16 miles. Prior to that, he won a 1 1/8-mile allowance at Laurel.

Indian Jones, the 8-5 favorite in the Native Dancer, and Managed Account finished noses apart when second and third behind Bold Curlin that day and will attempt to turn the tables.

Irsaal, Behemoth, Wild Louis, and Concealed Identity complete the field.