Smart Halo among three stakes on Saturday card
The unbeaten Bound by Destiny has established herself as a top juvenile filly in the Mid-Atlantic and looms a major player Saturday in Laurel’s $100,000 Smart Halo Stakes at six furlongs.
If she goes.
“If it’s going to be a wet, sloppy track I will not run,” trainer Anthony Pecoraro said Wednesday, referencing potential precipitation caused by Tropical Storm Nicole.
If the weather cooperates, Bound by Destiny ships from Delaware for the first time. A two-time stakes winner against Delaware-breds, she’s captured all four of her races despite failing to change leads.
“In the morning, I watch her switch leads at every turn,” Pecoraro said. “I don’t know whether she gets too excited.”
Dissolute seemingly wouldn’t mind a wet track in the Smart Halo. A Union Rags filly trained by Cal Lynch, Dissolute won her only start by 9 1/4 lengths in an off-turf maiden race over a track rated good Oct. 13 at Delaware.
Twice as Sweet graduated sprinting on turf Aug. 28 at Ellis. She then finished second to future stakes winner Key of Life in a first-level allowance Oct. 7 at Keeneland.
Gormley’s Gabriela, Miss Georgie, Diamondsifyoudo, and Shiny Slam also were entered in the Smart Halo. Chickieness, winner of the Maryland Million Lassie on Oct. 22, will scratch, per trainer Jamie Ness.
There are two other stakes Saturday at Laurel, each with a purse of $100,000: the James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds at six furlongs, and the Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Post time for the first race Saturday is 11:45 a.m. Eastern.
James F. Lewis III Stakes
Lynch saddles Recruiter in the James F. Lewis. Recruiter earned Beyer Speed Figures of 82 and 79 in his two starts, both gate-to-wire victories. Those are the two best Beyers in the field.
Recruiter beat Johnyz From Albany in a first-level allowance over a sloppy track last month at Laurel, and that horse returned to win the Maryland Million Nursery by five lengths on Oct. 22 at Laurel.
Heldish finished second in the Nursery and returns in the Lewis. He has been first or second in all four of his starts. Trained by Brittany Russell, he’ll break from the rail.
“I wasn’t upset to see that,” Russell said. “He’s been able to sit in behind and run respectable races doing that.”
Russell believes Heldish will handle off going “based on the way he’s trained on one in the morning.”
Riccio scratched from an allowance at Delaware last Saturday to run here.
“I don’t think he likes Delaware and have been waiting to run him at Laurel,” trainer John Robb said.
Riccio will come off Lasix for the Lewis, and Robb said he is anxious about how the colt will run without it. Riccio finished second at Laurel without Lasix in his debut, but has used the medication in his other five starts.
Robb says the plan Saturday is to take back and make one rally.
Honeyquist adds to the pace picture. A 73-Beyer winner at Charles Town of his debut, he then finished second in the Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders’ Classic going a two-turn 6 1/2 furlongs there.
Coffeewithchris, Tiz No Clown, and Where Is Mike complete the field.
Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes
Malibu Beauty seeks her third stakes victory of 2022 in the Thirty Eight Go Go.
Trained by Gary Capuano, Malibu Beauty is a 4-year-old who has won going short and long, over fast and wet. She recently ran second in the seven-furlong Maryland Million Distaff after setting the pace, and should be close to the lead breaking from the rail Saturday.
Hybrid Eclipse comes off a third in the Grade 2 Beldame at Aqueduct, beaten 15 1/4 lengths by winner Nest, the likely 3-year-old filly champion. Trained by Russell, Hybrid Eclipse captured the Caesar’s Wish on July 2 at Laurel.
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She breaks from the outside post in the field of eight Saturday.
“Maybe not the best post,” Russell said. “She’s doing so well. She’s sitting on a good race.”
Berate, a Claiborne Farm homebred trained by Shug McGaughey, makes her stakes debut after winning a first-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 2 at Churchill.
“I think two turns on the dirt is what she wants to do,” McGaughey said.
Graded-placed Beguine and razor-sharp Baby Man will probably contest the pace, while Timonium Distaff winner Breviary usually rallies from the back. Champagne Toast and Click to Confirm also were entered.
◗ Jeiron Barbosa, the meet’s leading rider, suffered a fracture to a small bone in his wrist after a spill Tuesday at Parx Racing, according to jockey agent Tom Stift. There is no timetable for his return.
“We’re just thankful that’s all it is,” Stift said. “It looked horrible.”
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