Surprise Twist figures in Presious Passion

Trainer Arnaud Delacour stretched Surprise Twist out to 1 1/2 miles in the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park and the result was a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure and runner-up finish to his more accomplished stablemate Canessar. Delacour is keeping Surprise Twist at 12 furlongs for the $75,000 Presious Passion Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, and the 5-year-old Elusive Quality gelding might be sitting on his first stakes win.

The seven-runner Presious Passion is named for the front-running marathoner who won the Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park, the W.L. McKnight at Calder Race Course, and the United Nations at Monmouth twice each between 2007 and 2010 while based at Monmouth during the summers with trainer Mary Hartmann. The Presious Passion is slotted as the fifth on a 12-race card.

Surprise Twist has been a consistent runner for Delacour and the Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen Jackson the past three seasons, even if he hasn’t shown a burning desire to win while going 3 for 15 and 1 for his last 8. It could be he has found his true calling as a distance runner, and is now ready to realize the potential he has occasionally hinted at.

His 95 Beyer is the highest recent figure of anyone in the field. Tyler Conner picks up the mount.

Postulation and Archaggelos are Grade 3 stakes winners and Surprise Twist’s strongest challengers. Postulation won the 1 11/16-mile American St. Leger at Arlington Park as a 5-year-old in 2017, the same year Archaggelos won the Grey Stakes as a 2-year-old at Woodbine.

Trained by Michael Matz, Postulation will be making his first start since December. Matz has worked him four times at Fair Hill since July 30. Paco Lopez rides.

Archaggelos, who is trained by Michael Dickinson, has the same run-off style as Presious Passion did and will likely steal away to a sizable early lead.

Archaggelos set the pace in the 1 1/2-mile Cape Henlopen but faltered to finish far behind Surprise Twist. He was pressed on the lead that day by Manitoulin but should have things his own way in this field. Nik Juarez will be aboard.

Timonium: Anna’s Bandit solid choice

Anna’s Bandit, a very popular in runner both Maryland and West Virginia, is well spotted to score her sixth stakes victory in the $75,000 Timonium Distaff on Saturday.

West Virginia-bred but Maryland-sired, the 5-year-old daughter of Great Notion has feasted on restricted company the past two years, winning the Conniver at Laurel Park and the Down Town Allen and Sadie Hawkins at Charles Town in 2018. This year, she has scored a repeat victory in the Conniver and won the Original Gold in West Virginia.

Anna’s Bandit’s popularity is due to how honest and consistent she has been, putting together an 11-3-6 record in 27 starts over four seasons of competition. Her success is all the more remarkable because she sustained a serious injury at 2 and was away from the races for 14 months. Bred by trainer Jerry Robb and owned by his No Guts No Glory Farm, Anna’s Bandit has overcome considerable adversity to knock out $446,000 a small chunk at a time.

The 6 1/2-furlong Timonium Distaff was an open race in 2018, but the Maryland Horse Breeders Association has contributed $50,000 to the purse this year and it is restricted to Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares.

Anna’s Bandit will be making her first start over Timonium’s five-furlong track and can be expected to settle early before making her move under jockey Xavier Perez. Her experience over the six-furlong Charles Town track should serve her well.

Bunting is Anna’s Bandit’s chief rival in an eight-horse field. A 3-year-old, Bunting is owned and was bred by the Hillwood Stable of Ellen Charles and is trained by Rodney Jenkins. Charles and Jenkins won last year’s open running of the Timonium Distaff with Shimmering Aspen.

There isn’t much speed in the Distaff and Bunting may be able to make the lead. She set the pace in the statebred Miss Disco at Laurel last time out but was run down late and beaten a half-length. Victor Carrasco is named to ride.

Phantom Shot and Belial are both 1 for 1 at Timonium. Phantom Shot won a first-level optional claimer at last year’s meet, while Belial won a maiden race at the fair in 2018.

Racing at Timonium continues through the Labor Day holiday.