Laurel’s Summer of Stakes Hits Midway Point with De Francis Day Card
Laurel Park Featured This Weekend in Hit & Split Wagering Promotion
LAUREL, MD – While graded-stakes winners Special Reserve, Wondrwherecraigis and Pickin’ Time figure to garner plenty of attention in Saturday’s $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, Pocket 3’s Racing’s Threes Over Deuces will be flying under the radar – again.
The 7-year-old Flat Out gelding is entered to make his 46th career start in the six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up, which highlights an 11-race program featuring four stakes worth $450,000 in purses on the second of three Sizzling Saturdays in July at Laurel Park.
Threes Over Deuces owns seven wins, 14 seconds and nine thirds with $572,847 in purse earnings and has placed twice in graded-stakes since debuting in the 2017 First State Dash at Delaware Park, graduating next time out in an October 2017 waiver maiden claimer at Laurel.
Trained throughout his career by Laurel-based Gary Capuano, Threes Over Deuces is a multiple stakes winner, having taken the 2020 New Castle at Delaware and 2021 Dave’s Friend at Laurel. He has placed in nine other stakes on both turf and dirt, finishing second to Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire in Laurel’s 2020 General George (G3).
“He runs with the best of the best around here,” Capuano said, “and he’s run right with him. He always shows up. He might not quite get there or they might be a little bit too much for him some days, but he gives it his all. That’s all we ask and the old boy just keeps plugging along, and he’s happy right now. It’s just about keeping him happy and good.”
In his most recent effort, Threes Over Deuces was unable to close at speed-favoring Penn National and ran fourth in the June 17 Chocolate Town to Ny Traffic, a multiple stakes winner that has placed in five graded-stakes including a second by a nose in the 2020 Haskell (G1) behind eventual 3-year-old male champion and Horse of the Year Authentic.
Threes Over Deuces was second to another multiple stakes winner, Maryland-bred Jaxon Traveler, in the six-furlong Maryland Sprint (G3) May 21 on the undercard of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1) at historic Pimlico Race Course.
“He’s a tough kind of horse. He has a lot of seconds and thirds, but he gives you 110 percent every time he runs,” Capuano said. “The race at Pimlico was a really good race; Jaxon Traveler was a little too much for him that day. He came to him turning for home but the other horse had too much left and that horse has got some class to him too, plus he’s fast. It was another great effort.”
Capuano has not noticed a drop-off from Threes Over Deuces as he gets older. His multi-millionaire sire raced 29 times through his 7-year-old year, closing it with a victory in the 2013 Cigar Mile (G1).
“He’s as enthusiastic as ever. He got a little heavy on us at one point, so we got his weight down a little bit where he looks really good now,” Capuano said. “He just keeps plugging along. He’s got a bunch of seconds, but he keeps trying.
“He’s pretty adaptable. If it doesn’t look like there’s a ton of speed in there, we can kind of send him out of there pretty good and try and get a decent position. He usually breaks well,” he added. “If the pace is hot, he can come from off the pace. He’s pretty versatile. He’ll do whatever, he just needs a little bit of luck sometimes – like they all do.”
Capuano opted to skip the De Francis with nominee Shackqueenking. Similarly owned by Pocket 3’s, the gelded 4-year-old son of 2011 Preakness winner Shackleford has not raced since finishing fourth to Cordmaker in the Feb. 19 General George. Shackqueenking has run third in four stakes since capturing the 2020 Howard County in his juvenile finale.
“He’s getting close. I threw him in there just to maybe kind of see if he was ready this weekend, but he’s got another work or two before I think he’s ready to go,” Capuano said. “He’s getting fit and working pretty steady. We’ll see what comes up for him. We’ll try and find something a little easier to come back to.”
Laurel’s Summer of Stakes Hits Midway Point with De Francis Day Card
Saturday’s 11-race program highlighted by the $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Dash for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs is the second of three Saturdays in July offering a total of 11 stakes worth $1.05 million purses, as well as $1,500 in gift card giveaways.
The De Francis drew a strong field of eight runners led by multiple graded-stakes winner Special Reserve, making his seasonal debut; Grade 3 winner Wondrwherecraigis, based at Laurel with trainer Brittany Russell; fellow Grade 3 winner Pickin’ Time and multiple stakes winners Beren and Threes Over Deuces.
Named for the late president and chairman of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course, the six-furlong Dash’s illustrious roster of winners includes Hall of Famer Housebuster; fellow sprint champions Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor’s Echo and Benny the Bull; and Lite the Fuse, the race’s lone two-time winner.
Fillies and mares 3 and up will go 6 ½ furlongs in the $100,000 Alma North, where Chub Wagon – a two-time stakes winner at historic Pimlico Race Course – goes after her 12th victory from 13 lifetime starts. Kaylasaurus, twice at stakes winner at Laurel, and Chilean Group 2 winner Cheetara are also entered.
Godolphin homebreds figure prominently in both stakes scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the grass. Multiple graded-stakes winner Pixelate will seek to defend his title as he makes his season debut in the $100,000 Prince George’s County while Michael Stidham-trained stablemate Alms, herself a two-time Grade 3 winner, chases an elusive fifth career victory in the $100,000 Big Dreyfus.
Laurel’s Summer of Stakes began July 2 with 3-year-old colt Old Homestead’s victory in the $100,000 Concern and 4-year-old filly Hybrid Eclipse’s triumph in the $100,000 Caesar’s Wish.
July’s Summer of Stakes wraps up with five stakes worth $400,000 July 30, topped by the $100,000 Deputed Testamony for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. It is joined by four $75,000 events restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses – the Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds and Miss Disco for 3-year-olds fillies going seven furlongs, and Ben’s Cat for 3-year-olds and up and Jameela for females 3 and older each scheduled for 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.
John Davison and Eunhee Kim’s undefeated homebred Super Love is being pointed to make his stakes debut in the Star de Naskra. The son of 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver has won each of his three starts for Laurel-based trainer Damon Dilodovico, the most recent a popular front-running 8 ¾-length allowance romp June 19 over his home track.
Free nominations for all five July 30 stakes close Saturday, July 16 and can be made by emailing stakes coordinator Marie Kizenko at marie.kizenko@marylandracing.com or calling the racing office at 1-800-638-1859.
Every stakes day in July, five $100 VISA gift cards will be given away to fans in attendance at Laurel. Fans can enter for a chance to win at guest services in the grandstand, and winners will be chosen at random. Fans must be on site to claim their prize.
For more information on the July stakes and stakes-day giveaways, visit www.laurelpark.com
Laurel Park Featured This Weekend in Hit & Split Wagering Promotion
This weekend at Laurel Park marks the continuation of 1/ST BET’s Hit & Split wagering promotion that is giving away $100,000 in bonus money to its customers throughout the month of July.
For the first time, 1/ST BET and Xpressbet customers have the chance to earn bonus cash while playing racing’s biggest bets and top tracks such as Gulfstream Park, Saratoga, Del Mar, Woodbine and Monmouth Park.
Laurel Park will be featured in the Hit & Split promotion with its Late Pick 4 on Saturday and Sunday, as well as July 24 and 31.
The Hit & Split offer is valid every day through July 31. Each of 29 separate prize pools is split evenly between all players who register and make a winning bet. If 10 players make a winning bet in a $2,000 prize pool, each would receive $200.
Top payouts so far include $6,000 in Belmont Park’s Late Pick 5 and $1,000 on Prairie Meadows’ Late Pick 4, both July 9.
Registration is free and required. Only wagers placed through Xpressbet.com, Xpressbet Mobile, Xpressbet Teller Service, Xpressbet Voice & Touch Tone Service or 1/ST BET are eligible.
To register or for more information, visit https://www.xpressbet.com/july-2022-100k-hit-split