Laurel Park: Concealed Identity tries to double up on turf in Find Handicap
The 3-year-old Concealed Identity, a multiple stakes winner on dirt, will try to show he’s more than a one-hit wonder on turf when he faces older and more experienced grass runners in Saturday’s $60,000 Find Handicap for Maryland-breds at Laurel Park.
After making the first 12 starts of his career on the main track, where he won the Maryland Juvenile Championship and the Federico Tesio before finishing second in the Grade 3 Pegasus, Concealed Identity experimented on turf in a third-level optional $32,000 claimer a month ago. Facing older horses for the first time, Concealed Identity rated in third for the first half-mile, put his head in front after six furlongs, and drew off to win by 6 1/2 lengths, earning a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
All those signs look encouaging for a repeat in the 1 1/8-mile Find. But bettors should be wary, because Concealed Identity’s 81-year-old trainer, Eddie Gaudet, is 0 for his last 8 with last-out winners on the turf.
Concealed Identity’s most dangerous rival is the New York shipper Monument Hill, a 5-year-old who has been training at Saratoga for trainer George Weaver. Monument Hill has never been worse than third in 10 starts on grass. Although just 1 for 6 this season, Monument Hill has been consistent on the Beyer scale, running between 85 and 93 every time. In his lone stakes appearance, Monument Hill finished third in the one-mile Battlefield at Monmouth Park.
The 8-year-old Sir Rabbit is an intriguing longshot. He ended his 2010 season beaten 50 lengths on Laurel’s main track for a $7,500 claiming tag, but responded to the switch to turf to win a $12,500 claimer in January at Calder. A 10-time winner on turf, Sir Rabbit has consistently picked up small pieces of starter allowance purses on the grass this season. His best Beyer this year, an 83 in March, compares favorably to the last four numbers (86-85-86-85) posted by Monument Hill.
Regal Solo, third in last year’s Find when the race was contested on a sloppy main track, would be a threat if the race is taken off the turf. Regal Solo rallied from far back to finish two lengths behind the winner in the Frank De Francis Dash two weeks ago.