Joins $75,000 All Brandy on Laurel Summer Meet Closing Day
LAUREL, MD – Grade 3-placed Crabs N Beer, runner-up in last year’s race, and two-time Maryland Million Turf winner Wicked Prankster are among 20 nominees to the $75,000 Find for Maryland-bred/sired horses Sunday, Aug. 18 at Laurel Park.
The Find for 3-year-olds and up and $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, headline the final program of Laurel’s 36-day summer meet.
Charles Blanford’s Crabs N Beer was beaten a neck by multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Field Pass in the 2023 Find and two starts later finished fifth as the favorite, two lengths behind Wicked Prankster, in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Turf. The 5-year-old Blofeld gelding began this year dead-heating with nominee Vax a Nation for one-mile allowance win April 27 at Laurel and was second by 1 ½ lengths in the Dinner Party (G3) May 18 over soft ground at historic Pimlico Race Course.
Wicked Prankster, owned and trained by Samuel Davis, rebounded after being pulled up in last year’s Find to register a front-running three-quarter-length triumph in the Maryland Million Turf, becoming its seventh two-time winner and fifth in back-to-back years joining Winsox (1997-98), Pocket Patch (2010-11), Roadhog (2012-13) and Phlash Phelps (2015-16). The 6-year-old Mosler gelding is winless in three starts this year, most recently seventh in a July 5 optional claiming allowance at Laurel.
Fifth in that same race was The Elkstone Group’s Find nominee Wish Me Home, trained by Brittany Russell and third, a half-length behind Crabs N Beer, in last year’s Find two starts after being claimed for $40,000 out of a win via disqualification at Pimlico. He has led in each of his two races this year before finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, beaten a total of 4 ½ lengths.
Also prominent among nominees are multiple dirt stakes winners Alwaysinahurry and Coffeewithchris; The Addison Pour, fourth by a length in last year’s Find and exiting a third in the 1 1/8-mile Prince George’s County on the Laurel turf July 14; and 2022 Bald Eagle Derby winner Vance Scholars.
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.
Jean Mahoney’s Gold Digging Broad, promoted to the win via disqualification of first-place finisher Downtown Katie for interference after running second by a nose, is nominated to defend her title in the All Brandy. Shamrock Farm homebred Thegirlfromireland, third by less than a length but placed second in the 2023 All Brandy, is also one of 21 nominees.
Steven and Caitlin Keil’s Cut From Class had a three-race win streak snapped when second by a half-length to multiple graded-stakes winner Sparkle Blue in the 1 1/8-mile Big Dreyfus July 21 at Laurel. Bonita Farm’s 3-year-old filly Juniper Juice, two-for-three this year, was entered but scratched when Laurel’s Aug. 4 Searching was rained off the grass.
Other nominees include multiple dirt stakes winner Miss Harriett; Next Episode, a winner of two straight; and last-out winners Atlas Strong, Daily Planet and Princess Lucia.
Bred by John Manfuso Sr., former owner of the Maryland Jockey Club, All Brandy was named Maryland’s champion 3-year-old filly of 1962 and would go on to win three stakes in 1963 including the Barbara Fritchie Handicap. All Brandy was also the granddam of Maryland’s 1981 champion 2-year-old colt A Magic Spray.
Laurel’s summer meet resumes with a nine-race program Friday, starting at 12:25 p.m. With six racing days remaining, Jamie Ness has a 19-15 lead over Brittany Russell in the trainer standings while Jaime Rodriguez holds a 35-25 edge over Jeiron Barbosa in the race for leading jockey.