One of Two Turf Stakes on 13-Race Closing Day Program Sunday
LAUREL, MD – Charles Blanford’s Grade 3-placed Crabs N Beer, beaten two lengths or less in each of his last four stakes attempts and fewer than three lengths on average in seven career tries, continues the quest for his breakthrough win in Sunday’s $75,000 Find at Laurel Park.
The 43rd running of the Find for 3-year-olds and up co-headlines a 13-race summer meet closing day program with the $75,000 All Brandy for fillies and mares 3 and older, also restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses and scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass.
First race post time is 12:25 p.m.
Trained since the beginning of last year by Keri Brion, 5-year-old Crabs N Beer has three seconds and two thirds in stakes company, with six of the seven races coming on turf. Beaten a neck in last year’s Find by Field Pass, he ran second by 1 ½ lengths to Balnikhov in the 1 1/8-mile Dinner Party (G3) May 18 on the Preakness (G1) undercard at historic Pimlico Race Course. Both Field Pass and Balnikhov are multiple graded-stakes winning millionaires.
“We’ve taken some big shots with him. Obviously the Dinner Party was great,” Brion said. “We brought him up to Saratoga last time and he didn’t like the course. The inner course there was just too tight and it was really hard that day.
“But he’s been holding his own in New York and we just would really like to get him his win. He deserves to get his head in front,” she added. “I think this is a spot we can do it in. He’s doing great. He had a great work [Monday]. I was down from Saratoga to watch him work and he worked awesome. He couldn’t be doing any better.”
Overall Crabs N Beer has been third or better in 20 of 29 starts, five of them wins, with $371,209 in purse earnings. He has a record of 2-2-3 in nine tries over the Laurel turf and dead-heated for the win in his last try against restricted company, a one-mile grass allowance April 27 at Laurel in his season opener, with fellow Find rival Vax a Nation. They were a neck ahead of third-place finisher Riccio, who also returns in the Find.
“He looks good in there, I think,” Brion said. “Last year was my first year with him. We actually did a throat operation on him before this year. He always made kind of a noise so we finally took care of that and he’s been a model of consistency. He just keeps improving so I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet, to be honest.
“He’s a pleasure to have in the barn,” she added. “I’m very lucky to train him and it’s been cool to watch him progress. He really suits my training program. He really loves training out back up the hills at Fair Hill. He’s just really doing well.”
Crabs N Beer drew the rail in a field of eight and will be ridden for the first time by former British champion jockey Ben Curtis.
“He can’t be on the lead or close to it, because he does too much early. He’s going to be off the pace no matter where he is, so it’s probably actually a good post. He can save ground early and then hopefully tip out or find a way through and come running late,” Brion said. “That’s his style, and he’s always run well at both Laurel and Pimlico. I think this is a good spot.
“Obviously the end goal would be the Maryland Million. He ran in it last year. I think he was too close to the pace and he tired late,” she added. “He showed in the Dinner Party that the mile and an eighth doesn’t really matter anymore. He actually enjoys going farther at this stage, so hopefully we can have a good run here and then head on to the Maryland Million.”
Crabs N Beer was beaten two lengths in last fall’s Maryland Million Turf and one length in the same race in 2022, both times by Wicked Prankster, who returns to restricted company in the Find. Owned and trained by Sam Davis, the 6-year-old gelding was pulled up after a quarter-mile in last year’s Find, rebounding with a front-running Turf triumph.
“He’s a nice horse,” Davis said. “You just have to take care of him.”
Wicked Prankster has primarily faced open company in his 34 career starts, going winless in his three tries this year, all on the Laurel turf. Beaten three lengths in his season opener April 21, he was no factor finishing off the board in similar spots June 15 and July 5, the latter at one mile.
“He’s doing very good; training good, eating good,” Davis said. “Now he’s running with restricted company, so he should give a better showing of himself. The last couple races, I think the heat got to him because he ran like three-quarters [of a mile] and just stopped. After that I wanted to not run him and give him a little break until the weather breaks. If you look at his form, he really did good in the fall when it’s nice and cool. I think I got him back on track and I’m looking forward to a big effort.”
Jockey Yomar Ortiz, aboard for the 2023 Turf and entered to return this weekend at Laurel for the first time since being hurt in mid-June at Delaware Park, has the call from Post 7.
“When you put him on the lead it’s best for him,” Davis said. “Everything went his way the last couple Maryland Millions. The weather was good and everything worked out. That’s why I’m anticipating this weekend to be nice and cool, the turf not too fast. I’m still anticipating putting him on the lead. That’s the way he runs his best numbers anyway. It’s best to leave him alone, at least for a little while, and then try and get him.”
R. Larry Johnson and R.D.M. Racing Stable’s 2022 Maryland Million Turf Sprint winner Sky’s Not Falling has placed in eight other stakes in 33 starts and finished sixth, beaten 3 ¼ lengths, in last year’s Find. Trained by Mike Trombetta, the 6-year-old gelding is winless in five starts this year, none at Laurel, where he is 3-2-1 from nine lifetime tries.
Bestsugardaddyever, a six-time winner yet to run on turf; and Hunter Joe round out the field. Dirt stakes winner Vance Scholars is entered for main track only.
The Find is named for the Sagamore Farm homebred that raced through age 11, starting 110 times with 22 wins, 27 seconds and 27 thirds and purse earnings of $803,615. He won or placed in 51 stakes, retired in 1961 as Maryland’s all-time leading money winner and the second-richest gelding in history.