Seven's Eleven leads whole way in Bender

Seven’s Eleven took the field gate-to-wire in Friday’s Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes at Laurel Park.

The Bender Memorial, for 3-year-olds and upward at seven furlongs, was one of two $75,000 stakes for Maryland-bred or -sired performers on the program along with the Politely for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Trained by Carlos Mancilla and ridden by Angel Cruz, Seven’s Eleven broke well from the rail post, and hustled up to set a pressured pace inside longshot Tenax through an opening quarter of 22.91 seconds.

Tenax folded quickly, and that left Seven’s Eleven on a pretty easy lead over a track that favored speed for most of the afternoon.

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Seven’s Eleven passed the three-eighths pole in 46.11 while chased by a ground-saving Double Crown, a hard-ridden Sagamore Mischief, and a three-wide Holy Synchronicity.

None of those horses could make inroads, however, as Seven’s Eleven was full of run entering the stretch. He streaked under the wire 2 3/4 lengths better than Double Crown with Super Accelerate another 2 3/4 lengths back in third.

Holy Synchronicity, Joe, Sagamore Mischief, Coffeewithchris, Tenax, and Hello Hot Rod completed the order of finish.

Favored Seven’s Eleven returned $6.60 after polishing off the distance in 1:23.34. Ain’t Da Beer Cold scratched.

"He's versatile," Cruz said in a post-race interview conducted by Laurel Park. "He can go off the pace, in the lead. This is his distance. Seven furlongs is good for Seven's Eleven. He's three for three [at seven furlongs], and I knew he had it at the top of the stretch."

A 3-year-old by Bandbox, Seven’s Eleven is a homebred owned by The Cottonwood Stable, and has won 5 of 12 starts for earnings of $222,230

A comprehensive winner of a restricted allowance at Laurel on Sept. 29, he wheeled back 15 days later to grab the Maryland Million Sprint by five lengths. Seven’s Eleven placed third at odds-on in an open second-level allowance going six furlongs on Nov. 2.

Although winless in three route races, Cruz and the rest of Seven’s Eleven’s team are optimistic that the gelding will successfully stretch out in the future.

Intrepid Daydream continues streak in Politely

Intrepid Daydream won her fourth straight race with a strong 5 1/4-length victory in the Politely.

Trained by Gary Capuano for owner-breeder Paul Fowler, Jr., Intrepid Daydream pressed outside pacesetter Response Time through fractions of 22.70 and 46.07 seconds.

Intrepid Daydream moved better than Response Time turning into the stretch, and soon took over a clear lead while drifting toward the inside.

She completed the distance in 1:10.85 seconds, returned $2.40 as the prohibitive favorite, and was one of four Friday winners booted home by jockey Jevian Toledo.

Response Time held second, four lengths better than Utterly Enchanting. Then came Canoodle, Malibu Beauty, and Moonboots.

A hulking 4-year-old filly that weighed in at 1,222 pounds prior to the Politely, Intrepid Daydream is a daughter of Jess's Dream.

She has won 7 of 12 starts for lifetime earnings of $363,350. Her current streak began at Pimlico in the restricted Shine Again Stakes on Sept. 16. She entered the Politely after scoring the Maryland Million Distaff on Oct. 14.

Intrepid Daydream's connections have mentioned that they are eager to stretch the filly out in distance. She hasn't raced around two turns since a 16 3/4-length victory in a maiden special weight at Delaware in 2021.

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