Witty flashes new dimension again in Ben's Cat victory

Witty didn’t leave much to chance in the $100,000 Ben’s Cat Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park, forgoing his late-closing style in favor of a flawless stalking trip. The 7-year-old gelding is now a nine-time stakes winner and always seems to find a way.

“That was making me a little nervous, that there wasn’t any speed in the race,” trainer Elizabeth Merryman said. “He just seems to be a little sharper this year.”

Jockey Jeiron Barbosa, who first rode Witty in an allowance on dirt last month, has now kept the gelding in touch with the early leaders twice, a dimension that has paid dividends in victories over short fields. Wickeddivine and Brightshininglight scratched from the Ben’s Cat, leaving a compact group of five Maryland-breds in the six-furlong turf sprint.

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“He might just be sharper because he had a bit of a longer break,” Merryman said. “Barbosa is letting him run his own race, and that’s just where he’s putting himself.”

Coming off a five-race 2025 campaign that included two stakes victories on the grass, Witty was bet down to 4-5 in his return to the Ben’s Cat. He had not run in the state-restricted stakes since he won it in 2023, when it was a five-furlong sprint at Pimlico, but he became a two-time winner in gritty fashion, paying $3.80 to win.

Witty’s key rivals were never far away on Saturday, as 2-1 co-second choices Whenigettoheaven and Had to Have Him ambled through slow early fractions on the front end. Whenigettoheaven, another two-time Ben’s Cat winner for trainer Nolan Ramsey, broke quicker under Yedsit Hazlewood, but Had to Have Him and Jevian Toledo joined him from the far outside and took over through an opening quarter-mile in 23.56 seconds.

While Whenigettoheaven retreated to a stalking position on the far turn, Witty advanced into second to take aim on the leader. Had to Have Him, resurgent in his third start this year for John Salzman Jr., completed the half-mile in 45.85 and led at the top of the stretch. Though he had energy left, he still couldn’t deny the challenger to his outside.

Whenigettoheaven tried to rally from the rail but was shut off, forcing Hazlewood to alter course to the outside for a late bid. Had to Have Him also remained stubborn after getting passed, and though both contenders kept things close, they were never fighting for better than second.

“I kind of thought he would keep on trucking,” Merryman said. “But I was also wishing it would be 5 1/2 furlongs at one point. I was ready for the wire to appear.”

Witty never put away his two chief rivals, who finished next to him on either side, but he was never in trouble either, prevailing by a half-length. He completed the six-furlong distance in 1:08.77.

When racing in Maryland went on hiatus last summer, Merryman shipped Witty to Colonial Downs for a commanding victory in the $150,000 Van Clief. The trainer said she will likely point to that race again on Aug. 1.

Had to Have Him finished second by a head over Whenigettoheaven. Tidewater, an 11-1 outsider trained by T.J. Aguirre Jr., closed late to finish a length behind in fourth, doing enough to stay in the mix and leaving 28-1 longshot Thataway well back in fifth.

Mopo flies late to take Jameela

Cooler heads prevailed in the $100,000 Jameela Stakes on Saturday, as Mopo took advantage of a contentious speed duel and flew home late to win by a half-length. The 4-year-old filly has finished second in 7 of 12 career starts, but she did not capitulate in her stakes debut.

“She doesn’t like horses passing her,” trainer Phillip Capuano said. “Passing horses might be a little tougher for her, but once she gets the lead, she’s pretty tough.”

Coming off a characteristic runner-up finish in a first-level allowance last time out, Mopo was bet down to 4-5 in the field of seven Maryland-bred fillies and mares. The Capuano trainee rewarded her confident backers with her third career victory, paying $3.80 to win.

While the heavy favorite settled into a distant fourth under Forest Boyce in the early going of the six-furlong turf sprint, several of her key rivals got caught up in a chaotic start.

“I thought she might be a little closer,” Capuano said. “Her last couple races, the track has been playing pretty quick. But it ended up working out well. Turning for home, it looked like she was in the perfect spot.”

Boujee Bubblez, the morning-line favorite who went off at 7-2 for Hugh McMahon, broke sharply and briefly led out of the gate, but she quickly had to back off due to pressure from her outside. Her stablemate, 20-1 longshot Malibu Hooch, and Big Earn both pulled at their riders early, hustling to the front through an opening quarter-mile in 22.94 seconds.

Big Earn, a last-out allowance winner in peak form for Michael Trombetta, easily handled her pacesetting rival to take a short lead around the far turn. But after blowing through a half-mile in 45.44, she was highly vulnerable to several contenders firing from off the pace.

Boujee Bubblez, relegated to a stalking position, never kicked into gear, but Mopo and 17-1 shot Gift of Gab were both eager to join the top flight. Gift of Gab started farther back in sixth, but by the time the field exited the far turn, she was following just behind Mopo with just as much momentum. She tipped to the outside and drew alongside the favorite in the stretch.

Big Earn was powerless to turn away the late challengers, and though Boujee Bubblez was cut off by Mopo in midstretch, she had already done her best running by that point.

Capuano conceded that many of Mopo’s runner-up finishes have come as a result of her trouble passing rivals, and while that hesitance is more well-known, it’s just as true that she is fiercely stubborn when others try to pass her. With the front-runners zapped in the final furlong, the Jameela came down to two late chargers and Mopo finished with more energy, outkicking her persistent rival and creating space near the wire. She completed the six-furlong distance in 1:08.50.

“Especially from 3 to 4, just noticed her marked improvement in her training,” Capuano said. “Always thought she was a talented filly from the get-go, but she’s taken that next step.”

Gift of Gab, a steady 7-year-old mare likely dismissed by bettors for being past her prime, finished up valiantly to take second by 2 1/2 lengths for trainer Suzanne Stettinius. Big Earn, vanquished at the end of a taxing trip, ran third, a half-length clear of Boujee Bubblez.
 

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