Perpetual Notion a sharp debut winner
Frustrated wins again
LAUREL, MD—In one of the wildest finishes at Laurel Park in recent years, Doctor Abbie bested Aeolian in Saturday’s $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
Pink Ruby, ridden by Jaime Rodriguez, made the first menacing move, sweeping four paths wide to pass the favored Waveless at the five-sixteenth pole. Aeolian, having tracked the leaders from the pocket, eased outside Pink Ruby to challenge in the upper stretch.
Then the floodgates opened.
Especially dove down to the inside after getting stuck in traffic. Ivy Girl rallied from the far outside, and Doctor Abbie picked her way through the field under jockey Angel Rodriguez.
Doctor Abbie came up on Aeolian’s right flank, and the two battled hammer and tongs over the final hundred yards. Doctor Abbie won by a head in 1:46.00 on a fast track, paying a whopping $64.80 as the longest shot on the tote board.
Especially, finished another three-quarters back in third. Pink Ruby, Ivy Girl, Waveless, and Dazzling Move followed. Late Nite Call and Amalfi Drive, who battled for the lead in 23.47 and 47.16 seconds, finished next. Delray completed the order.
“She’s a filly that likes to come from the back,” Rodriguez said. “I know she likes to go outside, but when I saved some ground, I hoped to tip her to the outside, and it all worked out. She always gives everything she has, and she gave it to me.”
Trained by Tim Kreiser, Doctor Abbie is owned by Bush Racing Stable, which made headlines earlier this year when Point Dume, claimed for $40,000, went on to win Laurel’s General George Stakes and Aqueduct’s Grade 2 Carter Stakes.
Bryan Bushey, co-owner of Bush Racing Stable with his son David, drew inspiration from Point Dume after his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the spring of 2024. Bryan Bushey passed away on July 13, but David keeps his father’s racing dreams alive.
Doctor Abbie was claimed for $25,000 in the summer of 2025 and, in her second start for Bush Racing, finished second in last year’s Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. Doctor Abbie won a high-level allowance at Penn National on March 6, then was rested until last month, when she finished second at Penn National on October 14.
“She’s a class-act filly,” said David Bushey. “We gave her a little time off to freshen her up on the farm. She came back better than she’s ever been. This wasn’t our first choice to run in this race, but we entered her in six different allowance races and couldn’t get one to go long for the girls. We knew she was sitting on a big one, so we [took] a shot. With her running style, we thought we could pick up a piece.”
Bushey credited Rodriguez’s ride. “Angel is a guy at Penn National. He’s been there a long time, and that’s where we’re based. We try to find jockeys who fit horses. Angel got on her and seemed to fit her like a glove. He’s patient and calm with her, and he has soft hands. We love that he saves ground.”
Bred in Pennsylvania by Brian Schartz, Doctor Abbie is a 6-year-old mare by Sky Kingdom out of La Estrellita (by Crypto Star). She made her first 38 starts for her breeder and earned several stakes placings while trained by Bruce Kravets.
Doctor Abbie has won 13 of 47 starts and earned $528,064. Bushey said, “She’s going to keep running until she tells us she doesn’t want to anymore. Our groom, Annie, is amazing. This is like Annie’s child. She’s done an amazing job with this mare, and our whole team has too. It’s an all-hands-on-deck team.”
*Perpetual Notion a sharp debut winner
It’s no surprise when trainer Gary Capuano sends out a live first-time starter.
Heading into Saturday’s card, he won with 22 of his last 60 debut runners, delivering faithful handicappers a $2.60 return on investment.
Another promising Capuano runner appeared in the Laurel paddock for the fourth race, a $37,000 waiver maiden for juvenile fillies over 5½ furlongs.
The well-bred Perpetual Notion overcame some traffic entering the turn, posting a widening 2 ½-length victory over the more experienced Ayni. Perpetual Notion completed the distance in 1:06.38 and returned $3.20 to win.
Five-pound apprentice rider Emanuel Rosario saved ground aboard Perpetual Notion on the backstretch, and they had to steady along the rail at the half-mile pole.
Not many debutantes would overcome that trouble, but Perpetual Notion showed a good deal of class. She eventually moved to the outside, set her sights on Ayni, and kicked her down in professional fashion. Her gallop-out was also impressive, putting daylight on the field as she passed the second wire.
Perpetual Notion impressed in the morning while working alongside Happy Decision, a juvenile filly Capuano unveiled on November 6. Happy Decision won an off-the-turf maiden special weight by 9½ lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 72.
“They breezed together,” Capuano said. “They’re two pretty nice fillies.”
Capuano was impressed by Perpetual Notion’s run.
“She’s a strong, stout filly,” he said. “She trains really well. She’s fit. You never know with 2-year-olds, and she’s on the inside and gets into a little trouble. Once she got out and started running, she settled in and finished really strong. I was really happy with that.”
Bred in Maryland by Anchor & Hope Farm, Perpetual Notion is a half-sister to stakes winners Exculpatory and Sacred Thunder, as well as to multiple stakes-placed Tappin Cat. Capuano trained both Sacred Thunder and Tappin Cat. Perpetual Notion is by Great Notion, out of Elusory (by Broken Vow).
“I bought the mare for [Larry] Fowler,” Capuano said. “She never ran, and [he] ended up giving the mare to Anchor & Hope, and then we ended up getting all the foals.”
Capuano purchased Perpetual Notion for $35,000 as a yearling for owner John Hazard.
“I’ve had the whole family, so I thought I might as well get another one,” Capuano said. “She had a couple of issues when we bought her, so we didn’t have to pay as much. We gave her all the time she needed and did right by her.”
Perpetual Notion had always shown advanced maturity.
“She’s always been a professional kind,” he admitted. “She’s kind of quiet. Some of the other foals are a little nervous and get upset sometimes. Knock on wood, she’s been pretty good. My filly usually breaks pretty quick, but she didn’t break quite as quickly, and they outran her at first. That turned out to be good. It was a great experience. She really showed a lot of class.”
Capuano mentioned the restricted $100,000 Juvenile Filly Stakes at Laurel on December 26 as a possible next start for Perpetual Notion.
*Frustrated wins again
After Frustrated won his career debut in 1:10 flat, the fastest six-furlong dirt race of the current meet, jockey Sheldon Russell didn’t hold back.
“He wowed me,” Russell said to his wife, trainer Brittany Russell.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Frustrated made it 2 for 2 to begin his career in Saturday’s eighth race, sitting in the pocket, then altering course to the outside and driving clear to win by 4 ¾ lengths over stablemate Surgical Precision. He ran six furlongs this afternoon in 1:10.19.
“This horse can be anything, huh?” Brittany Russell asked. “I think Surgical was doing exceptional going into this. We expected Surgical to run well, and when he ran by Surgical, it was like he was out for a gallop. Breaking from the rail, it would have been just as easy to go on with it. Each test, he might not be the fastest horse next time, so it’s nice to know he can sit in the pocket.”
“He was more alert during the warm-up today,” Sheldon Russell added. “He broke better, so I decided to put him down on the rail. He saw an opening, and it was like his cue to go. I tried to get him to relax, but I couldn’t really switch him off. Every race, he’s got to keep learning.”
Bred in Kentucky by Bridlewood Farm, Frustrated is a 3-year-old gelding by Maclean’s Music, out of Embur’s Zip (by City Zip). His second dam, Embur’s Song (by Unbridled’s Song), was a multiple Grade 3 winner on synthetic tracks.
A $235,000 yearling buyback, Frustrated was purchased by Mike Repole’s Repole Stable for $425,000 last year and sent to trainer Todd Pletcher for early lessons. Frustrated breezed once for Pletcher at Monmouth before being laid up and transferred to Russell.
“Since we got him, he hasn’t had a bad day,” Brittany Russell said. “He’s been up at Fair Hill with my team. Emma [assistant trainer Wolfe] has done a fantastic job with him, and from day one she said he was a racehorse.”
*Around the track:
Jockey Jose Vargas and trainer Troy Singh teamed up to win two races on Saturday’s card. Cap Com ($21.60) rallied from off the pace to win the second race, while Vida ($6.20) fought back along the rail to take the finale.
Trainer Michael Trombetta had a great day, saddling two winners. Open Range ($10.80), ridden by Jorge Ruiz, rallied from off the pace to win the third race. In the eighth, Steel the Moment ($3.60) led from start to finish in her career debut, with Mychel Sanchez aboard the pricey Gun Runner filly.
Maryland Million Ladies winner Mopo ($4) successfully turned back in distance to win the fifth race for trainer Phil Capuano and jockey Forest Boyce. It marked the start of a natural double for Boyce, who piloted World On Fire ($7.80) to a front-running win in the sixth.
Maryland Million Starter winner Kerness K won his twelfth straight race in the $100,000 Ready Rocket Express, a Claiming Crown event at Churchill Downs.
Live racing resumes Sunday with a ten-race program. Gates open at 11 am ET, and the first post is at 12:00 pm. Two “Value Pick 5” wagers carry a LOW 12% takeout.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. The Sunday guide is available. Click here to view it.
Visit the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center in Reisterstown on Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 8 pm for a special screening of “Pimlico from the Heart.” Produced by Eclipse Award-winning racing writer John Scheinmann and featuring fellow Eclipse Award-winning racing writer Vinnie Perrone, the film follows the two friends as they revisit the historic Pimlico racetrack one final time before its demolition, reminiscing about the horses, people, and events that made “Old Hilltop” so special. Reserve your spot here.
Join us at Laurel Park on Saturday, November 21, starting at 11 AM, for a special hat giveaway celebrating Pimlico Race Course’s new look. Purchase a live racing program (2 MAX per person) to receive a FREE Pimlico hat, while supplies last. It’s a great way to show your Maryland racing pride and take home a piece of Pimlico’s exciting new chapter.
Enjoy Thanksgiving Day at the Races at Laurel Park on Thursday, November 26. Doors open at 10:00 am, and the special first post time is 11:25 am. Purchase a live racing program to receive a complimentary apple or pumpkin pie, and join us for the all-inclusive Thanksgiving luncheon. For tickets and menu options, visit here.
Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.
Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.