It was only fitting that jockey Sheldon Russell’s 1,500th lifetime win came aboard Hello Beautiful in Saturday’s $100,000 Alma North Stakes at Pimlico. Hello Beautiful is trained by Russell’s wife, Brittany, and as one of the region’s leading filly and mare sprinters has helped propel the stable to national prominence. The victory in the Alma North by Hello Beautiful was no surprise, as she was the 1-9 favorite. Hello Beautiful has now won 8 of her 16 starts. “She’s in the first stall for a reason,” Brittany Russell said earlier in the week. “She’s special. She knows she’s good. She’s our girl.” :: Get DRF Betting Strategies for exclusive analysis and wager recommendations from our expert handicappers. Hello Beautiful acted up slightly behind the gate and bobbled just a bit after breaking from the inside post in the six-furlong race. She quickly righted the ship, however, went straight to the lead, and rattled off fractions of 23.41 and 45.84 seconds. Briefly challenged by Call On Mischief turning for home, Hello Beautiful scooted home to win by 3 3/4 lengths. Call On Mischief finished a neck ahead of Precious to save the place. They were followed home by Bluefield and Paisley Singing. Club Car scratched. Hello Beautiful completed the distance in 1:09.63 and paid $2.20 to win. Sheldon Russell said that Hello Beautiful has “always been a little temperamental behind the gate.” “She’s got a lot of early natural speed, and I was just happy with that first quarter because I knew she was traveling very nicely. “I just feel like it’s sort of a fairytale moment that [the 1,500th win] just happened to be on Hello Beautiful. She’s a very special filly in the barn. She’s been with us since the start. For it to happen on her, I couldn’t be happier.” A Maryland-bred daughter of Golden Lad, Hello Beautiful was privately purchased by current owners Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stable and Magic Stable after her maiden win as a 2-year-old in 2019. She is a half-sister to 2021 stakes-winning sprinter Hello Hot Rod. Deputed Testamony Stakes Harpers First Ride is back in the Claudio Gonzalez barn and back in top form. Harpers First Ride, who made three starts for trainer Robertino Diodoro earlier this year, on Saturday won his second straight race since returning to the care of Gonzalez. Harpers First Ride took advantage of a slick ride by Angel Cruz to take the $100,000 Deputed Testamony at nine furlongs by 1 1/2 lengths over favored Magic Michael. On paper, the Deputed Testamony was devoid of pace, and Cruz grabbed the bull by the horns leaving the gate. As the other riders took hold of their mounts, Cruz snatched the lead and the rail through an opening quarter in a tepid 25.38 seconds.  Cordmaker and jockey Victor Carrasco turned up the heat from the outside on the backstretch and they held a half-length advantage over Harpers First Ride after a half-mile in 49.34. The two pacesetters began to sprint for home midway on the second turn, and Harpers First Ride soon tucked Cordmaker into bed. Magic Michael, who saved ground in the pocket on the backstretch, rallied three wide for the stretch drive but couldn’t overcome Harpers First Ride’s tactical advantage. Cordmaker held third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Magic Michael. Mischief Afoot, Forewarned, and Two Thirty Five completed the order of finish. Bourbon Calling scratched. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Harpers First Ride finished up in 1:49.52 and paid $7.20 to win as the second choice in the wagering. “I looked inside and nobody wanted to go so I just took the lead and slowed it down as much as I could,” Cruz said. “Victor came outside of me and put a little pressure, but I thought we were going slow and easy, so I didn’t mind that. It played out pretty well. “He’s my favorite.” Claimed by Gonzalez for $30,000 out of his maiden win at Churchill Downs in 2019, Harpers First Ride immediately found a home on the Maryland circuit. The Paynter gelding won nine of his first 15 starts for the barn, including four stakes. Harpers First Ride defeated Cordmaker by 3 1/4 lengths capture last year’s Deputed Testamony. Owned by GMP Stables, Arnold Bennewith and Cypress Creek Equine, Harpers First Ride won a Pimlico allowance on June 27 for Gonzalez. He has now won 12 of 23 starts. Challedon Stakes Mucho was always cut out to be a nice horse. After finishing second in the Grade 1 Hopeful as a 2-year-old, Mucho was sidetracked by injuries and ineffectiveness. Now 5, he finally broke through with his first stakes victory in the $100,000 Challedon at six furlongs. Mucho, under Reylu Gutierrez, prompted the early pace outside of Lebda through splits of 22.96 and 45.83 seconds. Lebda looked strong at the three-sixteenths pole, but Mucho collared him soon after and went on to score by a length in 1:10.83. Lebda finished second, a neck ahead of favored Whereshetoldmetogo. Laki and Whiskey and You were next. Threes Over Deuces scratched. Mucho paid $7.20 as the third choice. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures “The horse has been a little bit sharper and getting faster out of the gate every start,” said trainer John Ortiz. “I told Reylu not to take anything away from him and let him go. If somebody wants to go with you, make them use. And he did.” A half-brother to Grade 3 winner Size by Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Blame, Mucho was claimed by Ortiz and owners WSS Racing and 4 G Racing for $80,000 out of a seventh-place finish last fall at Churchill Downs. He was nosed out in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes at Churchill on June 25, his final start before the Challedon. “I saw a lot of potential in his past performances,” Ortiz told Daily Racing Form earlier in the week. “You could see he had a lot of back class.”