Shackled Love ($45.60) notches upset in Private Terms

Sometimes you just have to "take a shot."

That's what trainer Gary Capuano did with Shackled Love ($45.60) in Saturday's Private Terms for 3-year-olds at Laurel Park as the Maryland-bred son of Preakness winner Shackleford upset favored Maythehorsebwithu under a pace-pressing ride by jockey Charlie Marquez.

"He was in the race yesterday," Capuano said regarding an entry-level allowance on a card that was canceled after a horse tested positive for EHV-1.

"They brought the race back and it didn't fill, so I just figured I'd take a shot. He ran such a game race last time out. He ran a pretty decent number. He has some staying power. He's got some talent."

Breaking from post 3 in the seven-horse field, Shackled Love attached himself to the hip of rail-skimming pacesetter Maythehorsebwithu. After fractions of 23.97 and 47.55 seconds, Shackled Love turned up the pressure.

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"I expected to be close," Marquez said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel following the young rider's first stakes victory. "We were walking up front, so I wanted to push the pace a little bit and give my horse the confidence he needed."

Shackled Love's more-fancied stablemate, Shackqueenking, and Royal Number lurked from off the pace, but the speeds kept going. Maythehorsebwithu, making his two-turn debut after taking the Miracle Wood here last month, dug down deep but couldn't deny Shackled Love.

The winner completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.56 and finished a half-length ahead of Maythehorsebwithu. Excellorator was another two lengths back in third followed by Shackqueenking, Zertz, Royal Number, and Commodore Perry.

Capuano indicated that Shackled Love might next appear in the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at nine furlongs on April 17.

Not For Love

Whereshetoldmetogo ($2.40) cemented his status as one of the Mid-Atlantic's elite sprinters with a popular victory in the $75,000 Not For Love Stakes for Maryland-breds.

Trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by her husband, Sheldon Russell, Whereshetoldmetogo raced near the back of the pack as Stroll Smokin and Carey Times battled through early splits of 22.48 and 45.20 seconds.

Whereshetoldmetogo advanced four paths wide into strong contention on the turn and grinded out the victory despite failing to change leads in the stretch. The 6-year-old gelding completed the six furlongs in 1:09.82.

"The horse just looked like he was comfortable the whole way. Sheldon had him in a great spot and they took care of it," Brittany Russell said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park.

Karan's Notion, last year's Maryland Million Sprint winner, finished second, 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner. He suffered through a tough trip as he steadied hard in between horses on the backstretch, then re-rallied along the inside. Day the Music Died finished third, followed by Abuelo Paps, Stroll Smokin, Carey Times, and Odds On.

The Not For Love was Whereshetoldmetogo's seventh lifetime stakes score and 10th overall victory from 25 starts. He has won four straight stakes since being transferred to the Russell barn last summer. Whereshetoldmetogo was freshened after narrowly winning the $100,000 Dave's Friend Stakes here on Dec. 26.

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time of year," Russell added. "Him being a Maryland-bred, it looked like a good place to get the year started.”

Harrison E. Johnson Memorial

After enduring some frustrating moments when Cordmaker either faced better horses or suffered from difficult racing luck, trainer Rodney Jenkins was rewarded when his 6-year-old rebounded from 10 consecutive losses with a gate-to-wire win in the $75,000 Harrison E. Johnson Stakes at nine furlongs.

Jenkins said Thursday afternoon that having Cordmaker "closer to the pace" might be the key to getting back to the winner's circle. "I just think he runs better that way and doesn't get discouraged."

The plan came together perfectly as Cordmaker ($8.60) went right to the front under Victor Carrasco, set slow fractions of 24.92 and 49.34 seconds while taking token pressure from Galerio, flicked that one away in upper stretch and went on to score by a length in 1:49.37. Galerio finished second with Dixie Drawl a one-paced third. Forewarned, Plot the Dots, Mischief Afoot, Tattooed, Awesome D J, and Saratoga Jack completed the order of finish. On-the-pace horses ran 1-2-3 around the track and closers were likely compromised by the race flow.

"This horse has some tactical speed and we haven't been using it," Jenkins said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel. "Victor was great today. He got him out there, didn't have to use him a lot and then he finished like a good horse."

Cordmaker also grabbed the Harrison E. Johnson in 2019. He has won nine of 28 starts and five stakes races but had the misfortune to face talented Harpers First Ride on five occasions last year. That horse was undoubtedly the best handicap runner in the region before racing in the Pegasus World Cup and being privately purchased. Harpers First Ride is now based at Oaklawn with trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Leading up to today's race, Cordmaker finished third in the Jennings Stakes in his seasonal debut and might have been closer that day if Carrasco didn't misjudge the finish line. In last month's John B. Campbell Stakes, Cordmaker was bumped at the start, was hemmed in by the eventual winner on the second turn and finished with interest for another third-place effort.

Cordmaker is a son of Curlin and is the third blacktype earner produced by the Polish Numbers mare Tanca.

Conniver

Kiss the Girl ($6) chased odds-on winner Gale when a solid second in the one-mile Geisha at Laurel on Jan. 16.

With Gale off to become a broodmare at Gainesway Farm, Kiss the Girl had the path cleared for her first stakes victory and she grabbed the brass ring in Saturday's $75,000 Conniver for Maryland-bred fillies and mares going seven furlongs.

Ridden by Victor Carrasco for his second consecutive stakes win on the card, Kiss the Girl pushed early leader Artful Splatter from the rail through fractions of 23.31 seconds and 46.31 seconds. Maneuvered to the outside on the turn, Kiss the Girl gradually gained on the leader and powered by in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:23.21 seconds.

Trombetta-trained Lookin Dynamic gave a strong wide rally to finish second while Gulfstream invader Whispering Pines saved ground to pip Artful Splatter for third money. S W Briar Rose, Deep Red, and Coconut Cake were next under the wire.

Kiss the Girl was Grade 3-placed at 2 for trainer Todd Pletcher and earned a sloppy-track victory for Steve Asmussen last year. She was transferred to Trombetta's barn by owner Three Diamonds Farm last fall.

"It took us a race to get her on track," Trombetta said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel. "She was coming off a break and she has been making progress all along."

A 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, Kiss the Girl is out of a half-sister to stakes-winning sprinter Nathan's H Q from the family of multiple Grade 3 winner Tasha's Miracle.