Winterfell wins Polynesian Stakes at Laurel
:quality(75))
Winterfell has spent much of his 12-race career bouncing between the coasts, but his stays in Maryland for trainer Brittany Russell have always been fortuitous. Back home at Laurel Park, where he remains unbeaten in three starts, the 5-year-old proved overwhelming again in the $100,000 Polynesian Stakes on Saturday.
“He loves it at Laurel,” Russell said. “He’s been very good here, and he's a good horse. It was really satisfying to get him back here on the East Coast and get him back in the winner’s circle.”
In 2024, Winterfell made his first five starts in California for trainer Bob Baffert before entering Russell’s barn in Maryland. A large ownership group led by SF Racing has made this switch with many horses over the years, and it immediately proved successful for Winterfell, who notched his maiden victory by eight lengths in his first start for Russell.
The then 3-year-old went on to win two more races at Laurel, including the $100,000 City of Laurel in November 2024, before shipping back to Baffert to run in that year’s Grade 1 Malibu. He finished fifth and did not run again for more than a year.
In August, he popped back up in Russell’s stable off another lengthy layoff, finishing third in an allowance at Colonial Downs. The runaway winner that day, Caldera, finished second in the Grade 1 Goodwood at Santa Anita next time out.
“That was a tough heat to get him started back going, but I needed to get him back to the races,” Russell said. “I thought he was ready, but he probably could have had a little bit more going into that first run.”
Back in comfortable waters with a sharp prep under his belt, bettors were wise to Winterfell’s homecoming in the Polynesian on Saturday, making him the even-money favorite. With a decisive early move under Sheldon Russell, he took command on the backstretch in the mile race and never looked back, pulling clear at the top of the stretch and holding to win by two lengths over the late-closing Zero Blitz. He paid $4 to win.
The Russells connected for two stakes victories on the card at Laurel, and after winning the $100,000 Smart Halo aboard the front-runner Piggybunz, Sheldon Russell seemed to have an idea of how the good, sealed track was playing.
Longshots J J Zo Zo and Bold Diversion tried their best to keep Winterfell from assuming early command, dueling though an opening quarter-mile in 23.69 seconds. Russell didn’t wait for long aboard the favorite, however, rushing up to take a clear lead and complete the half-mile in 47.09.
Stronsino, the 3-1 second choice trained by Jamie Ness, briefly advanced to give chase in second, but the stalking contender withered behind the surging pacesetter. Winterfell easily turned him away and was 3 1/2 lengths clear at the top of the stretch.
Zero Blitz, who entered the Polynesian with six wins in seven starts at Laurel, had the right idea under Jorge Ruiz, closing from fifth with a late rally. He never came close to the winner, however, settling for second by a length over Stronsino. Winterfell completed the mile in 1:37.62.
In seven career starts for Baffert in California, Winterfell remains winless with four finishes in the money. In five starts with Brittany Russell in the Mid-Atlantic, he has won four races, including two stakes. Far from the ‘B’ team, Maryland has clearly become his found home.
Anna's Promise ships to win Twixt
Anna’s Promise shipped to Maryland and crashed the party for trainer Carlos David in the $100,000 Twixt Stakes on Saturday, easily fending off the Laurel-based Russell trainees Waveless and Especially.
With an uncontested lead for most of the mile race, jockey Jevian Toledo coaxed the 4-year-old filly home to her first stakes victory, long overdue for the fifth-place finisher in last year’s Kentucky Oaks.
After missing the second half of her 3-year-old campaign, Anna’s Promise needed five tries to earn her first allowance victory over older rivals, which came in May at Churchill Downs. David then entered her in the $100,000 Mari Hulman George Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis in July, where she finished fourth at 25-1.
The pieces seemed to be falling into place for the filly coming off a nearly three-month layoff, and Laurel provided the perfect spot. The 3-1 third choice was never in too much trouble on the front end, easing through an opening quarter-mile in 23.91 seconds and half-mile in 46.93.
Waveless, the 8-5 favorite, advanced from second on the far turn to challenge the pacesetter into the stretch, but Anna’s Promise had plenty left under Toledo and easily turned her away. She edged clear by 1 1/4 lengths, completing the mile on a good, sealed track in 1:38.42.
Especially, Russell’s other filly in the field of six, made a modest bid from fourth to take third by three-quarters of a length over the George Weaver-trained filly Reputation. She finished 2 1/4 lengths behind her stablemate.
Walt's Notion scores in Lewis
Walt’s Notion was turned away in his stakes debut at Delaware Park last month, but the juvenile colt had a much easier time at Laurel in the $100,000 James F. Lewis III Stakes on Saturday. Jockey Mychel Sanchez was aboard for the commanding gate-to-wire victory.
“If I had to be honest, I was a little concerned with the fractions when I saw, what the fillies ran [in the Smart Halo earlier on the card],” trainer Phil Capuano said. “I was hoping he’d have enough through the stretch, but Mychel seemed to know what he was doing.”
With blinkers on for the first time, Walt’s Notion hustled forward to take a 2 1/2-length early lead in the six-furlong sprint. The even-money favorite completed the opening quarter-mile in 22.31 seconds and cruised through a half-mile in 45.90. Prince of Peace, a last-out maiden winner trained by Robert Bailes, gave chase in second all the way around.
After Walt’s Notion hustled forward from an even break, there was no change in order between the five juveniles at any point in the race. Prince of Peace challenged on the far turn and cut into Walt’s Notion’s margin in the stretch, but the front-runner easily held by 1 1/4 lengths. He completed the six-furlong distance in 1:11.87 and paid $4 to win.
“I was talking to Mychel after the race, and he just made a note of how intelligent that horse is,” Capuano said. “I was talking to him before the race and I said, ‘This horse will do whatever you need him to. He's very quiet in the paddock. It’s almost like he's half-asleep.“
Prince of Peace stalked ahead of the Brittany Russell-trained colt Harewood the entire way and pulled clear to take second by 2 3/4 lengths at the wire.
In three starts, Walt’s Notion has only come up short to one horse, when Strong Suspicion got his revenge by a head in the $125,000 First State Dash at Delaware in September. The two juveniles debuted against one another in August, when Walt’s Notion defeated him by 2 3/4 lengths.
Piggybunz holds on in Smart Halo
The field for the $100,000 Smart Halo Stakes was chopped in half on Saturday, but the juvenile filly Piggybunz did not disappoint in her second start for Brittany Russell.
“She’s been as straightforward as a horse can be since she showed up,” Russell said. “She has ability. She’s a very good gate horse and she's just a little race horse. She just runs.”
In a determined front-running effort under jockey Sheldon Russell, the last-out maiden winner kicked clear by three lengths at the top of the stretch and had just enough left to hold off Welovemollynteddy by a nose. She completed the six-furlong sprint on a good, sealed track in 1:12.02.
“You get to the point where they have to sort themselves out a little bit,” Russell said. “You can like a horse a lot, but they also have to step up and do it. You're also talking about a different surface that they've never been on. As much as I loved her, she still had to answer a few questions.”
The Grade 1-placed filly Harper’s Corner, 20 1/2-length maiden winner Go New York Go, and Gary Capuano-trained stakes winners Martiniwithatwist and Whitten Way all scratched, shortening the Smart Halo field to four juvenile fillies.
The second-time starters Piggybunz and Welovemollynteddy were the clear favorites among those who stuck around, and they were well ahead of Talking Foolish and Bellablaze near the wire. Piggybunz won her debut by 5 1/4 lengths at Colonial in August, while Welovemollynteddy scored by 15 1/2 lengths at Parx Racing for Lou Linder Jr.
Sheldon Russell had the run of the race from the very beginning, breaking sharply and opening up by 2 1/2 lengths through an opening quarter-mile in 23.20 seconds. Piggybunz received a mild early challenge from her stablemate Bellablaze while completing the half-mile in 47.07, but it was nominal pressure and did not trouble the front-running even-money favorite.
Welovemollynteddy was fractious at the starting gate, as Linder feared she might be, and carried in at the start by Bellablaze. The 6-5 second choice was game late under jockey Eliseo Ruiz, however, mustering a prolonged rally from third.
With a few more strides, Piggybunz would have been out of luck, but she hit the wire just in time for the photo, paying $4.20 to win.
Talking Foolish, a last-out maiden winner trained by Hamilton Smith, finished five lengths back in third.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.