Wondrwherecraigis red hot for De Francis Dash

Wondrwherecraigis earned the fastest Beyer Speed Figure for a dirt sprinter in Maryland this year when he popped a 102 winning an allowance race on July 18 at Pimlico. One start later, he became a stakes winner in the restricted Tale of the Cat at Saratoga.

At Laurel on Saturday, Wondrwherecraigis looks to continue his ascent in the sprint division when he faces five rivals in the Grade 3, $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at six furlongs.

Trained by Brittany Russell, 4-year-old Wondrwherecraigis showed potential from the start. He won his first two starts, both at Laurel, before running second by a head in the Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont. Fourth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last summer at Saratoga, the Munnings gelding received a break after that race and has returned better than ever.

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Wondrwherecraigis has won three of his four starts in 2021, with his only loss having come three starts back at Delaware. Jevian Toledo picks up the mount with regular rider Sheldon Russell out of action with a foot injury. Wondrwherecraigis breaks from post 5.

Wondrwherecraigis hasn’t been headed in his three victories this year, but he might face a strong early challenge Saturday from rail-drawn Kalu, a winner in four of his last five starts, all against weaker competition.

Trainer Kent Sweezey called Kalu a “tricky horse to manage.”

“But we seemed to figure out what makes him click,” he said. “We’ve tried to keep it real simple, and that has just been go to the front and catch me if you can, which has seemed to really work for him.”

When asked if he’ll instruct jockey Victor Carrasco to send Kalu from the gate, Sweezey replied, “Yeah. Got to, I think.”

This is Sweezey’s second go-around with Kalu. He originally claimed the gelding from breeder Godolphin for $8,000 at Tampa Bay Downs during spring 2020 before losing him for $6,250 at Gulfstream two starts later. Kalu’s second dam is Chilukki, a multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire.

“He’s a cool little horse,” Sweezey said. “We’ve inched him up the ladder a little bit. I don’t think we expected him to blossom the way he has this summer, but it’s a pleasant surprise.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Jalen Journey from post 2. The 6-year-old son of With Distinction has taken a winding road to the De Francis. Grade 1-placed in Southern California for Peter Miller in 2019, he briefly went to Jorge Navarro’s barn without starting for that trainer.

Transferred to Asmussen, he returned from a year-plus layoff last October. He won claiming races last November and in January before finishing 10th in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan in March.

Jalen Journey has won two of his last three starts, including a dominating 102-Beyer victory against three-other-than allowance foes at Saratoga. Feargal Lynch rides Jalen Journey on Saturday. Asmussen and Lynch teamed to win the 2018 De Francis with Switzerland.

Maryland-bred Laki gave trainer Damon Dilodovico his first graded stakes victory when he won last year’s De Francis. The 8-year-old Laki ran seventh in the Chesapeake Stakes at Colonial Downs last out Aug. 23. He breezed a half-mile over the newly renovated dirt surface at Laurel six days ago. Laki breaks from post 6 under Horacio Karamanos.

Whiskey and You and War Tocsin complete the field.