Laurel Park: Falling Sky will be tested in his return in City of Laurel

A trio of Grade 3 stakes winners – including one who hasn’t raced since coming out of the Kentucky Derby with an ankle chip – are among a dozen 3-year-olds signed up for Saturday’s $100,000 City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong City of Laurel is the final leg of an all-stakes pick four on a Salute the Troops promotion day in advance of Monday’s Veterans Day holiday. All active and retired military in attendance will receive free admission and a 25 percent discount on all food and beverages.

Edge of Reality, winner of the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx Racing on Labor Day, and City of Weston, who upset the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at 30-1 in his most recent outing, are clearly two contenders among the talented cast in the City of Laurel. It’s more difficult to gauge what to expect from the long-absent Falling Sky, who underwent surgery to remove a chip from his left front ankle shortly after finishing last in the Kentucky Derby.

Early this season, Falling Sky established himself as a Derby prospect by winning the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs and holding the lead until deep stretch of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, where he wound up fourth.

Now trained by George Weaver, Falling Sky shows five workouts over Saratoga’s training track since Oct. 10, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.97. Although all four of his starts in 2013 were in routes, seven furlongs should be in Falling Sky’s comfort zone. He won his career debut sprinting six furlongs and closed out his 2-year-old campaign with an easy win going 6 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

On the down side, Weaver does not do well with horses coming back from long layoffs switching from routes to sprints or first time back following a long break going 6 1/2 to seven furlongs. His five-year record in both categories is 2 for 18.

Among the others, Bond Vigilante and Res Judicata both got less than ideal trips in the $400,000 Researcher at Charles Town.

Bond Vigilante was wide on both turns in the seven-furlong race, checking in third as the 9-5 favorite. Res Judicata steadied early and lost interest, racing over a speed-favoring sloppy track he might have disliked.

In the other stakes, all with purses of $100,000:

◗ London Lane, Riding the River, Air Support, and Paris Vegas – all of whom own a first or second in Grade 2 turf stakes within the past two seasons – are among 10 older turf runners in the Japan Racing Association at 1 1/16 miles. All four of the top-class horses, however, were fourth or worse in their most recent starts.

Based on recent good form, the Jonathan Sheppard-trained Utley looks dangerous. In four starts since September 2012, Utley has two wins and a pair of near-misses, including a victory in his only previous visit to Laurel.

Among the quartet with back class, the most recent good race belongs to Paris Vegas, who was second to Silver Max in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch over yielding ground at Saratoga three starts ago. Paris Vegas was a distant sixth in last year’s Japan Racing Association at 3-1 and his trainer, Tom Voss, is only 2 for 24 with the horses he has shipped in to run on Laurel’s turf course.

Air Support, winner of the 2012 Grade 2 Bowling Green, makes the second start of his form cycle for Shug McGaughey, who won the Laurel Turf Cup in September with Tricky Hat.

London Lane connected at 50-1 in the Grade 2 Colonial Turf Cup in June, but was well beaten in three subsequent starts.

Canadian-based Riding the River won the last two runnings of the Grade 2 King Edward at Woodbine. Saturday’s race marks the first time since April 2012 that he has raced at a level other than Grade 1 or Grade 2.

◗ Asiya, who ships in from New York for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin following a third-place finish in a restricted stakes at Belmont; Lady Sabelia, who improved her Beyer Speed Figure nearly 40 points to a 92 with the addition of blinkers; and Crazy About Me, stepping up in class after winning five in a row by wide margins; merit respect in the seven-furlong Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies.

◗ Daydreamin Gracie, an eight-length winner the last time she faced statebreds on the main track; and Access to Charlie, third against similar competition in March but idle since June; are contenders in the one-mile Geisha for Maryland-bred fillies and mares.