Lewisfield, Mesotherm look tough in Fabulous Strike

The annual highlights of the Penn National season are the Grade 2 Penn Mile in June and the $200,000 Fabulous Strike, which will be held Wednesday in its traditional Thanksgiving Eve slot on the calendar.

The six-furlong Fabulous Strike is race 4 on a card that begins at 6:05 p.m. It will be preceded by a pair of $100,000 races, the Swatara and the Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies.

Lewisfield, who races out of Charles Town for trainer Jeff Runco, and Mesotherm, who is stabled at Laurel Park with Lacey Gaudet, will be well backed in the Fabulous Strike. The two were cross-entered in the Fall Highweight at Aqueduct on Thursday, but according to their connections will be heading to Penn National in Grantville, Pa.

:: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs

Two others entered in both races, Always Sunshine and Life in Shambles, are more likely to race in New York, which would reduce the Fabulous Strike field to seven.

Lewisfield has won three stakes this year, including an 8 3/4-length romp in the Oct. 20 Maryland Million Sprint. If he succeeds as the likely favorite in the Fabulous Strike, it will be his richest victory.

“He’s doing great,” Runco said. “He’s had two nice works, and the month between races is perfect for him.”

Lewisfield is fast, and has won on the lead and from just off the pace. He should be in the mix early under Jevian Toledo.

Mesotherm is a 5-year-old Trappe Shot gelding who didn’t make his career debut until April. He has made up for lost time by winning four of six starts, including three in a row.

He was purchased by owner Matt Schera for $400,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

“It was just a lot of minor things, he just kept needing more time,” Gaudet said. “Matt gave him the time and now it’s paying off.”

The Fabulous Strike will be Mesotherm’s stakes debut. Alex Cintron rides.

“Up until now we’ve tried to find the right spots for him,” Gaudet said. “We’ve taken baby steps with him, but we feel that now is a good time to try him in a stakes.

“I mean, before this year he’d never even broke from the gate.”

Mesotherm’s Beyer Speed Figures have been on the rise in his last three races. He earned a 96 for his 6 1/4-length victory last out in a second-level optional claimer at Laurel.

Gaudet is in the midst of a career year with personal bests in starts (218), wins (44), and purse earnings (more than $1.4 million). Since Oct. 1 she has gone 15 for 35, a 42 percent win average.

The Man will be making his first start since finishing sixth after a wide trip in the Grade 3 De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel. He comes into this off a sharp work tab for trainer John Servis and will likely be part of what figures to be a hot pace.

Claudio Gonzalez, the leading trainer at Laurel, will start both Rockinn On Bye, whom he claimed out of his most recent start for $50,000, and Mr. Brix, whom he took two starts back for $50,000.

Mr. Brix should come from just off the pace while Rockinn On Bye will be farther back early.