Promising 2-year-olds take their shots in Smart Halo, James F. Lewis III stakes

The runaway maiden winner Out of Sorts, and Dalton, beaten a nose last out in stakes company, will be well supported Saturday when Laurel Park holds a pair of six-furlong 2-year-old stakes.

The $100,000 Smart Halo, for fillies, is race 7 and will be immediately followed by the $100,000 James F. Lewis III. Although it poured in Laurel, Md., on Wednesday and into Thursday, and the track was sloppy and sealed for Thursday races, it should be fast, or at least close to it, by Saturday.

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Out of Sorts, a $1,000 buy at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, has a lot of things going for her but will face new obstacles in the Smart Halo.

The positives include her easy 10 3/4-length victory and the Beyer Speed Figure she earned, which fits well against this group. Her connections, the husband and wife team of jockey Sheldon Russell and trainer Britanny Russell, are having strong Laurel meets. Coming into Thursday’s card, Sheldon held a narrow lead in the jockey standings and Britanny was 10 for 17 and just a win behind leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez.

On the negative side of the ledger, Out of Sorts will be returning on just 13 days’ rest and, after winning over a sloppy track, must prove she can duplicate that performance over different footing. Additionally, the Smart Halo is loaded with speed, and Sheldon Russell will have to work out a suitable trip from post 2 in the field of eight.

“I know it’s back kind of quick, but I think her maiden win she did it easy enough and she’s come right out of it, so we’ll give it a shot,” Brittany Russell said.

Street Lute, who will break from the rail, is 2 for 3, all for trainer Jerry Robb, and more proven at running from off the pace. While she may be a bit short in the Beyer department, Street Lute has done little wrong in her races. She won first out at Delaware Park, came back to take the restricted Small Wonder by five lengths on owners’ day at Delaware, then just missed by a nose to unbeaten Miss Nondescript in the Maryland Million Lassie.

Prodigy Doll is coming off two impressive front-running wins, the last by nine lengths in optional-claiming company at Laurel. Based at Penn National with Bernie Houghton, Prodigy Doll earned a 76 Beyer in her most recent race, the highest in the field and a point better than Out of Sorts earned for her maiden victory.

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James F. Lewis III Stakes

Dalton will likely be favored in the 10-horse Lewis for trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. based on his narrow loss in the Smoke Glacken Stakes at Monmouth Park. The winner, Pickin’ Time, came back to score by 2 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct last Sunday for trainer Kelly Breen.

A Colts Neck Stables homebred half-brother to Do Share, winner of the 2017 Gravesend and 2019 Tom Fool, Dalton earned a 77 Beyer in the Smoke Glacken, the highest in Saturday’s field by 6 points.

Kenny Had a Notion is 3 for 4. His wins include five-length romps in the Virginia-bred Jamestown on turf at Laurel and the Maryland Million Nursery on dirt.

“We’ll see what he’s made of now,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “There’s no restrictions on this one. I think he’ll run his race. If he’s good enough, he should be tough.”

Xtreme Mayhem merits a look. He enters the Lewis off a rallying two-length debut win at Laurel for trainer Mac Robertson,