Take Cover ends long layoff in big field of turf sprinters
The Friday card at Laurel Park includes three interesting turf races with 12-horse fields. The races will be part of both the pick five with a 12 percent takeout and the Rainbow 6.
Race 8 is a third-level optional-claiming sprint, race 7 is a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles, and race 5 is a maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.
In race 8, Take Cover will be favored for trainer Alan Goldberg. He drew post 12 but will move inward several positions as there are three main-track-only entrants in the field.
Take Cover won the $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, a five-furlong turf sprint at Penn National in June, but has not started since finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Parx Dash in July.
An alternative to Take Cover is Triple Burner, who will be coming back on six days’ rest for trainer Linda Albert after finishing eighth in the Belmont Turf Sprint. Triple Burner finished second in the $100,000 Laurel Dash two starts back.
In the race 7 allowance, Map Room could go favored for trainer Tom Proctor after finishing a closing third at this level in his most recent start. Daniel Le Deux and Runninginthevale also are contenders.
Proctor has a solid race 5 favorite in Compelled, who has finished third in both of his starts, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint at Saratoga and a one-mile maiden race at Belmont Park in which she was beaten only a neck. Compelled will have to overcome post 12.
Caymanbird, trained by Rodney Jenkins, and Brainchild, conditioned by Niall Saville, also have shown ability in their brief careers.
◗ There are no stakes at Laurel this weekend, but next Saturday is Maryland Million Day, one of the high points of the Laurel season.
◗ Post time switches to 12:30 p.m. Eastern at Laurel beginning Friday.