In the Navy Now gets up in Morse, Afleet Willy takes Native Dancer

In the Navy Now overcame a slow early pace and a wide trip to win the $100,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday.

Fanned three wide into the first turn after breaking from the outside post in the seven-horse field, In the Navy Now trailed the pack by several lengths down the backstretch. Jockey Julian Pimentel kept her in the three path on the far turn as she began to creep closer to the leaders, then wheeled her far out in the track for the drive. She was up to beat Line of Best Fit by a neck.

Julerette, the 6-5 favorite, set a controlled pace of 25.24 and 50.06 while racing inside Tiz Rude. On the far turn, they were joined from the outside by Sky Flower and then by four-wide Line of Best Fit.

Julerette began to tire entering the stretch after six furlongs in 1:14.91, and the race came down to the other three leaders and In the Navy Now, who still had quite a bit of ground to make up.

In the Navy Now completed the course in 1:45.61, almost two second slower than Afleet Willy's time of 1:43.78 two races earlier in the Native Dancer Stakes. In the Navy Now paid $20.80.

"I had a lot of horse turning for home," Pimentel said. "I just took her outside and made a run."

Line of Best Fit ran well after losing her rider at the beginning of her prior start, the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. She just missed the win Saturday and bested Sky Flower for second by a half-length. Tiz Rude finished fourth, 2 1/4 lengths farther back. Julerette was last.

Owned by R. Larry Johnson and partners, In the Navy Now is trained by Michael Trombetta. In her prior race she broke a string of eight second- or third-place finishes by winning a second-level optional-claiming race.

In the Navy Now improved her record to 4-8-3 from 18 starts. She now has earnings of $224,220. The Nellie Morse is her first stakes win.

"She's been very consistent," Trombetta said. "After they went so slow early, I was worried if she would be able to get up."

Native Dancer: Afleet Willy leads throughout

Afleet Willy went right to the lead in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes and proved much the best after being allowed to coast through a 25.62 opening quarter in the 1 1/16-mile race.

John Jones, who figured to make the early lead, or at least vie for it, broke outward and bumped Monongahela at the start. He moved up outside Afleet Willy on the first turn but was rated and applied only token pressure before settling into second on the backstretch.

Afleet Willy turned back a challenge from John Jones on the far turn, and then drew off to win by five lengths. Jockey Jomar Torres took him in hand for much of the final sixteenth.

Timed in 1:43.78, Afleet Willy paid $4 as the favorite over 7-5 John Jones.

Long-fused Bodhisattva rallied from last to be second, 3 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place John Jones.

Claudio Gonzalez claimed Afleet Willy for $25,000 out of a maiden race in December 2015. Now 5, he has put together and 11-for-26 record. The Native Dancer is his third career stakes win. He has won seven races at Laurel.

Afleet Willy was racing on 19 days' rest. He finished eighth as the favorite in the six-furlong Dave's Friend at Laurel after being bumped at the start.

"Last time he had a lot of excuses," Gonzalez said. " Six furlongs is not good for him. Jomar did a good job today and got a 25 first quarter."