Six stakes on loaded De Francis Dash undercard
The De Francis Dash undercard at Laurel Park on Saturday includes six stakes. Five of the six are worth $100,000, and the 11-race has large, competitive fields which average of 11.9 horses per race.
Among the stakes are the City of Laurel and Safely Kept, seven-furlong races for 3-year-olds; the James F. Lewis III and Smart Halo, for 2-year-olds at six furlongs; and the Richard W. Small, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. The $75,000 Geisha is a one-mile race for Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares.
The entire card will be streamed live on DRF.com.
Two 50-cent minimum, 12 percent takeout pick fives will be offered. The first is on races 1-5; the other is on races 7-11. The Rainbow 6 will be on races 6-11.
The 14-horse City of Laurel (race 7) may be the most wide-open event on the card. The field includes Sharp Azteca, trained by Jorge Navarro; Hot Seat, trained by Jason Servis; and Awesome Speed, who is conditioned by Alan Goldberg.
Sharp Azteca will be making his first start since finishing second in the Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 6. Navarro brought him back to Monmouth Park following that race with the intention of returning for the Super Derby, but Sharp Azteca grabbed a quarter while training and missed significant time.
“It’s perfect now,” Navarro said. “I think he’s going to have a big 4-year-old year.”
Hot Seat is undefeated in two blowout wins and has earned Beyer Speed Figures of 97 and 93. He was entered and scratched from the Grade 3 Discovery, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct last Saturday, in favor of this spot.
Awesome Speed is a three-time stakes winner. He won the Lewis on last year’s De Francis card, went on to win the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park, then was placed first in the Federico Tesio at Laurel in April after being beaten a nose by Governor Malibu.
He ran extremely well in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing on Sept. 24 while returning from a four-month layoff. He pressed a hot pace in that six-furlong, $300,000 race before finishing fourth, beaten three lengths.
◗ In the 14-horse Richard W. Small Stakes (race 5), Tommy Macho will make his second start since having a knee chip removed last winter.
Tommy Macho tired in his comeback race to finish fifth and last in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont Park on Oct. 8. The winner of that race, Anchor Down, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on Nov. 26 at Aqueduct. The runner-up, Tamarkuz, came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tommy Macho was the workmate for stablemate Keen Ice leading up to his third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Pletcher has been shopping for a race for Tommy Macho and entered him main-track-only in last weekend’s 1 3/8-mile Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct.
Tommy Macho also is entered main-track-only in Saturday’s one-mile Artie Schiller at Aqueduct – which is expected to stay on the turf – and is nominated to the $100,000 Swatara Stakes at Penn National on Wednesday night.
Also in the field is Admirals War Chest, who won the Maryland Million Classic for the second straight year Oct. 22. A confirmed front-runner, he assures a quick pace in the Small.
◗ Malibu Stacy is a top contender in the Safely Kept (race 6) for trainer George Weaver after having finished second to multiple graded stakes winner Lightstream in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland.
Malibu Stacy finished ninth in her turf debut two starts back, but before that won a first-level allowance at Saratoga and was second, beaten a neck, in the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park.
◗ Favoritism in the James F. Lewis (race 4) could come down to Rockshaw, a Keeneland maiden winner for Kentucky-based Ron Moquett, and El Areeb, an 8 3/4-length maiden winner for trainer Cal Lynch.
Rockshaw held on for a neck win over a fast-closing Greeley and Ben at Keeneland. Greeley and Ben came back to win a Churchill Downs maiden race last Sunday.
Moquett won last year’s De Francis Dash with Gentlemen’s Bet, who was placed first following the disqualification of Trouble Kid.
El Areeb was a $340,000 2-year-old purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction in March.
The Smart Halo (race 2) includes the last-out maiden winners Perfect Wife, a Keeneland winner for trainer Ken McPeek; Riley’s Choice, who is trained by Horacio De Paz and is coming off a local 3 1/2-length score; and Tequilita, who earned a 79 Beyer Speed Figure while winning at Keeneland for trainer Michael Matz.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Perfect Wife. Trainer Ken McPeek is 10-3-4-1 with a $5.25 ROI over the past five years with juveniles in dirt sprints following a maiden win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Tequilita. Trainer Michael Matz is 29-0-3-6 over the past five years on dirt with last-out maiden winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
◗ Lovable Lady will try to stretch out to a mile for the first time in the Geisha (race 11). Lovable Lady was a bit keen last time out in the seven-furlong Maryland Milllion Distaff and was caught late. She finished third, beaten a half-length.