Shaft’s Bullet settled just off the early leaders, made a strong three-wide bid for the lead on the turn, then drew away from three rivals in Laurel Park’s $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial for 4-year-olds and up at a mile.  The Harrison E. Johnson Memorial was one of three stakes on the Saturday program and was headlined by last year’s winner Nimitz Class, who made his third start for trainer George Weaver after being privately purchased over the winter.  Nimitz Class, sent away the odds-on favorite, set moderate fractions of 24.67 and 47.98 seconds while prompted by Grade 2 winner Double Crown, but never seemed very comfortable and faded to last in the stretch.  :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Conversely, Shaft’s Bullet always traveled sweetly. Jockey Carlos Lopez pointed the 5-year-old gelding in the right direction, and they easily moved past the pacesetters after six furlongs in 1:12.16. Shaft’s Bullet completed the distance in 1:37.14, and was four lengths better than It’s Sizzling Time, who rallied widest from last to get second. Double Crown finished five lengths back in third.  Dollarization, Magic Michael, and Adero scratched. Trained by Gary Capuano, Shaft’s Bullet was bred in Kentucky by Athens Woods LLC, and is by Mineshaft out of stakes-winning sprinter Comet of Love.  He was purchased by owner Larry Fowler for $16,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, and quickly paid dividends, winning his first two starts in game fashion.  Shaft’s Bullet prepped for the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial with a neck victory in a high-level allowance at Laurel on Feb. 25. He has won five of nine starts for earnings of $225,580.  Conniver Stakes Too Many Kisses benefited from a masterful ride by Forest Boyce to take the Conniver for Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares at seven furlongs.  The pace was solid as an eager Royal Whisper pulled her way forward to set the pace outside of rail-skimming Bay Street and favored Golden Tabby after an opening quarter of 23.13 seconds.  Royal Whisper kept rolling along on the backstretch, and she cleared off to an uncontested lead through a sharp half-mile clocking of 46.04.  Meanwhile, Boyce took her time with Too Many Kisses. They saved ground at the back of the pack and cut the corner swinging for home with plenty of work to do.  Royal Whisper still had the lead inside the eighth pole but began to weaken from her early effort as Boyce maneuvered Too Many Kisses off the rail for the final attack.  Too Many Kisses was rolling now, and she streaked under the wire 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Royal Whisper. Bay Street finished third, two lengths behind the runner-up.  Bella Bettina, My Flicker, Sultry Sally H, and Fast Tracked were next. Golden Tabby reportedly bled from both nostrils, was pulled up in upper stretch, and was vanned off.  Too Many Kisses paid $11.60 as the public’s second choice. “She was a little backwards early, and it’s taken awhile to get her here,” winning trainer Tim Keefe said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park. “I think she’ll be better when we start stretching her out.” Bred by Keefe in partnership with Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnes, Too Many Kisses is owned by Cynthia McGinnes and Francis Clemens. A 4-year-old filly by Arrogate, she is a half-sister to Still Having Fun, who won the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Stakes for Keefe in 2018.  Unraced as a 2-year-old, Too Many Kisses won her maiden traveling six furlongs at Laurel on Sept. 30. The following month, she finished second in an open first-level allowance around a one-turn mile.  Freshened over the winter, Too Many Kisses rallied from last to notch her 2024 debut, a state-sired allowance at seven furlongs on Feb. 17. She has won three of seven starts for earnings of $135,460. Not For Love Stakes Capuano’s huge day began when Take a Hint made his stakes debut a winning one in the Not For Love for Maryland-bred or -sired performers at six furlongs. Owned by the 57 Strong partnership, Take a Hint found an excellent position tracking early leaders Arden’sluckytobe and Rominski as those two geldings contested fractions of 22.18 and 44.97 seconds.  Jockey Jaime Rodriguez put his foot on the gas midway on the turn, and Take a Hint confronted Arden’sluckytobe from the outside turning into the stretch.  Arden’sluckytobe tried hard, but Take a Hint had momentum, and Rodriguez guided the winner under the line 1 1/4 lengths better than Arden’sluckytobe in 1:10.72.  Coffeewithchris was another 1 1/4 lengths behind in third. Then came favored Rominski, Kenny Had a Notion and Exculpatory. Ace Nine Nine scratched.  Take a Hint returned $6.20 to win as the second choice in the betting. Take a Hint kicked off his 2024 campaign with a gate-to-wire victory in a state-sired allowance traveling 5 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 5. He utilized similar tactics the following month when grabbing an open first-level allowance race.  Sent away at odds-on in an open second-level allowance on March 3, his final prep before the Not For Love, Take a Hint finished a disappointing third after setting the pace once again. A 4-year-old gelding by Bandbox, Take a Hint is out of stakes-winning sprinter Fancy Diamond, who scored the Conniver in 2009. Bred by Mr and Mrs. Charles McGinnes, Take a Hint is a half-brother to stakes-placed sprinter Return the Ring, sold for $22,000 as a yearling and has never finished off the board from 14 starts with lifetime earnings of $209,819.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.