Matta making stakes debut in Laurel Dash
Razor-sharp Matta leaps into the stakes ranks for the first time when he faces a strong field of sprinters in Saturday’s $100,000 Laurel Dash at 5 1/2 furlongs. The Dash is one of five turf stakes worth a total of $600,000 in purses on Laurel Park’s Fall Festival of Racing program.
Never off the board from seven grass starts, Matta finished ahead of two next-out winners when a promising third in a competitive second-level allowance at Saratoga in 2020. Circumstances out of his control, however, kept him on the sidelines for the remainder of his 4-year-old campaign.
“Last year was typical turf horse stuff,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “The season came and went so quick. We had a few rain-offs, and you don’t have the season that you wanted.”
Matta returned from a lengthy layoff to place third in a restricted allowance on June 19 but subsequently earned two 90-plus Beyer Speed Figure victories. The Take Charge Indy gelding wheels back in three weeks, but the relatively quick turnaround doesn’t concern Trombetta.
“He’s in a good place,” Trombetta said. “These kinds of horses, unless you go to South Florida, they have all winter to rest up.”
Francatelli, a versatile stakes winner on turf and dirt, figures among the early leaders. A game third two starts back in the Grade 3 Parx Dash, the City Zip gelding broke a five-race losing streak with a gate-to-wire score in the Rumson on dirt at Monmouth Park. Grateful Bred has won 2 of 3 starts in 2021 and gave an excellent try when second to perfect-trip winner Belgrano in the Rainbow Heir Stakes on Aug. 28 at Monmouth.
Often a handful behind the starting gate in the past, trainer Madison Meyers noted that “everything about him has been more mature this year. Mentally, he’s grown up so much. He got a little mean with the gate crew. Knock on wood, we’ve gotten through a lot of that.”
Battle Station raced last week over a boggy turf course in the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing. In his prior start, he was four wide most of the way when second behind odds-on The Critical Way.
Cannon’s Roar cuts back in distance after contesting three two-turn races. The Maryland-bred was recently fifth in the Find Stakes over yielding ground.
“He did not like that course at all,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “It was just too soft for him.”
While Capuano expects Cannon’s Roar “should run his race,” he mentioned that Cannon’s Roar’s main goal is the Maryland Million Turf at nine furlongs on Oct. 23 at Laurel.
“I like going from short back to long in those stakes,” he said.
Recent stakes winner Boldor, Xy Speed, and The Connector can contend. Smooth B, Fiber and Emily, Valued Notion, and So Street also entered.
Selima
Consumer Spending and Hedy Lamarr, the one-two finishers of a maiden race at Saratoga last month, should take plenty of play in the $150,000 Selima for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.
Both Consumer Spending and Hedy Lamarr are trained by Chad Brown, who won last year’s Selima with recent maiden winner Fluffy Socks.
A $200,000 yearling by More Than Ready, Consumer Spending finished second in her debut before receiving a perfect ride from Manny Franco to graduate. She saved ground, bulled her way out on the far turn, and drew off.
Hedy Lamarr, a $200,000 weanling by Nyquist, ran well for second, considering it was her debut and it came over testing ground.
Trainer Graham Motion captured the Selima in 2019 with Sharing and counters the Brown duo with two fillies of his own. Sparkle Blue won her debut in an off-the-turf race at Colonial but has a super turf pedigree as a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account.
Luna Antonia is still a maiden, but the Into Mischief filly stretches out for the first time with stout bloodlines.
Petition Prayer, the lone two-time winner in the field, and open-lengths maiden winner Paynt By Number can factor. She’s Like Thunder, Evangeline Allons, and Determined Charm also entered.
◗ Motion seemingly has the strongest hand in the $100,000 All Along for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles. Oyster Box recently ran a strong second behind red-hot Shantisara in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington. Stablemate Tuned has won her last two races, including a stakes at Colonial Downs.
◗ Grade 3 winner Tide of the Sea faces millionaire A Thread of Blue, stakes winner Oceans Map, and four others in the $100,000 Japan Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles.
◗ Motion saddles impressive maiden winner High Stock in the $150,000 Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. The Noble Mission colt tackles restricted stakes winner Determined Kingdom and stakes-placed Wish Me Home, both trained by Phil Schoenthal.
City at Night and Ready to Purrform invade from Kentucky for trainer Michael Maker and Brad Cox, respectively. Epic Luck hasn’t been headed from two starts.