Tequilita facing tough group in Twixt

A highly competitive field of 11 fillies and mares in the $75,000 Twixt at Laurel Park on Saturday matches a trio of promising up-and-comers against a handful of proven stakes runners.

Still There, Magical, and D J’s Favorite have won seven of their 11 combined career starts. They will all be making their stakes debut Saturday.

The veterans in the lineup include two-time graded winner Tequilita; Bishop’s Pond, who won the Thirty Eight Go Go at Laurel in January; 10-for-37 Power of Snunner; and, last but certainly not least, Charles Town-based Lake Ponchatrain, who is in extraordinary form for trainer Ernest Haynes.

The Twixt conversation begins with Tequilita, who shortens up to seven furlongs after attempting to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles in the Obeah Stakes last time out. Tequilita ran a confusing race that day as the 4-5 favorite, racing in good early position, dropping back on the far turn, and then coming on again in the stretch to be fourth.

Tequilita is 0 for 5 at distances of a mile and up and 4 for 9 at seven furlongs and shorter. She finished third in the Grade 2 Ruffian going a mile at Belmont Park before trying two turns in the Obeah. The seven furlongs of the Twixt looks ideal.

Tequilita should come from off the pace under jockey Feargal Lynch.

Still There is a 4-year-old New York-bred daughter of Union Rags who is based at the Thoroughbred Training Center outside Lexington, Ky., with trainer Dane Kobiskie.

She won her debut in a Keeneland maiden race by 2 3/4 lengths in April, then shipped to Belmont and took a statebred allowance race in the slop by 7 1/2. She faltered to finish sixth at Belmont in her last start when stretched out to a mile over turf rated good. She should prove very competitive at this shorter main-track distance.

Jevian Toledo, who comes into the raceweek atop the Laurel rider standings, picks up the mount.

Haynes has won six races with Lake Ponchatrain since claiming her on his own behalf in the fall of 2016, but she has never been better than now.

Lake Ponchatrain won the $100,000 Dance to Bristol at Charles Town in April, was eased over soft turf in the Gallorette at Pimlico, then won a high-level optional-claiming sprint at Delaware Park.

In her last start, she rallied to miss by a nose to Jessica Krupnick in the $75,000 Dashing Beauty at Delaware. Lake Ponchatrain will be rolling late under Daniel Centeno.

Magical is 3 for 5, all for trainer Brittany Trimble, and comes into the Twixt off a second-level optional-claiming win. The runner-up, Keep Your Distance, came back to win a high-level optional claimer at Laurel last Saturday.

Bishop’s Pond will be making her first start since trainer Jason Servis shipped her to California, where she finished 10th in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita in March. She is quite capable of running well fresh.

D J’s Favorite has won two straight races, both in Maryland for Linda Rice.

Power of Snunner should hit hard at this level for trainer Timothy Kreiser.