Another Broad Tops 22 Nominees to G3 Allaire du Pont Dec. 26
Another Broad Tops 22 Nominees to G3 Allaire du Pont Dec. 26
Among Eight Stakes Worth $850,000 on Christmastide Day Program
Maryland Million Sprint Winner Karan’s Notion Tests Streak Saturday
LAUREL, MD – Farfellow Farm Ltd.’s Another Broad, twice Grade 2-placed this year, and a half-dozen fellow stakes winners are among 22 horses nominated to the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) Saturday, Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.
The 1 1/8-mile du Pont for fillies and mares 3 and up, traditionally run during Preakness (G1) weekend, is among eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses on the Christmastide Day program that closes Maryland’s 2020 stakes calendar.
Entries for all eight stakes will be taken and post positions drawn Saturday, Dec. 19.
Purchased for $340,000 out of last November’s Keeneland breeding stock sale, Another Broad ran fourth in last year’s du Pont for her previous connections. Though winless in seven 2020 starts, she has run third four times including the Fleur de Lis (G2) and Falls City (G2), the latter Nov. 26 in her most recent start.
Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson’s Eres Tu, third in the 2019 Rachel Alexandra (G2), has won two straight races off a 19-month layoff, the latest coming in the 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go Nov. 28 at Laurel.
Howling Pigeon Farms, Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Madaket Stables’ Needs Supervision is also seeking her first victory of 2020 after winning the Safely Kept at Laurel and the Silverbulletday in 2019. She was third in the six-furlong Primonetta Nov. 28 at Laurel, her first race in eight months.
Other stakes winners among du Pont nominees are Alittlelesstalk, Wicked Awesome, the graded-stakes placed Ice Princess and Mrs. Orb and Thankful, third last out in the Comely (G3) Nov. 27 at Aqueduct.
Juveniles will be in the spotlight in four stakes – the $100,000 Heft and $100,000 Gin Talking for fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, and $100,00 Howard County and $100,000 Anne Arundel County, each at about 1 1/16 miles.
Jaxon Traveler, undefeated winner of the Maryland Juvenile Futurity Dec. 5 at Laurel and stakes winners Eagle Orb, Kenny Had a Notion, No Cents and Singlino top 23 nominations to the Heft, while three-time stakes winner Street Lute – a neck shy of being unbeaten through five starts – tops 29 nominees to the Gin Talking.
Fourteen 2-year-olds were cross-nominated to the Howard County including impressive recent winners Hello Hot Rod, Maythehosrebwithu and Reassured from the barn of fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell. Another 15 fillies were cross-nominated to the Anne Arundel County led by stakes winner Plane Drunk, Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship runner-up Juror Number Four and Out of Sorts, second in the Smart Halo.
Sprinters 3 and up will go six furlongs in the $100,000 Willa On the Move for females and $100,000 Dave’s Friend. Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki, Fall Highweight (G3) winner Share the Ride and Sombeyay, a graded winner on turf, top 20 nominees to the Dave’s Friend.
Multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old Hello Beautiful, fellow stakes winners Bella Aurora, Madam Meena, Needs Supervision, Never Enough Time and Parisian Diva, and impressive sophomore Dontletsweetfoolya, riding a four-race win streak, are prominent among 25 Willa On the Move nominees.
Rounding out the stakes action is the $100,000 Native Dancer for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles, which saw 20 horses nominated including multiple stakes winners Harpers First Ride, winner of the 2020 Pimlico Special (G3) and Cordmaker, third in the Pimlico Special the past two years; Concern Stakes winner Air Token; Marzo, a Grade 3 winner on turf; Argentinian Group 1 winner Mirinaque; and Grade 3 winner Name Changer.
Maryland Million Sprint Winner Karan’s Notion Tests Streak Saturday
Karan’s Notion, upset winner of the Oct. 24 Maryland Million Sprint bred, owned and trained by longtime Maryland horsewoman Nancy Heil, will put his two-race win streak on the line as the 9-5 program favorite in Saturday’s featured eighth race at Laurel Park.
A gelded 3-year-old son of leading Maryland sire Great Notion, Karan’s Notion will break from Post 5 of eight with regular rider Yomar Ortiz aboard in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs.
Karan’s Notion led gate to wire to win the Sprint by a length at odds of 16-1, giving Heil her first career Maryland Million victory. He followed up with a similar front-running 1 ¾-length triumph in an open entry-level allowance Nov. 19, also going six furlongs at Laurel.
No Guts No Glory Farm and Lucky 7 Stables’ Stroll Smokin, an eight-time winner of nearly $300,000 in purse earnings, is the 7-2 second choice from Post 2. Jerry Robb is the trainer.
Following Sunday’s nine-race program, live racing returns to Laurel Park Saturday, Dec. 26 with eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses on the Christmastide Day program. There will be no live racing Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Notes: Fille d’Esprit ($6.80), a 4-year-old Great Notion filly, outran favored Trunk of Money through the stretch for a two-length victory in Friday’s eighth race, her fourth straight win and sixth in eight career starts. It was the second of back-to-back wins for trainer Jerry Robb, following Nova Boy ($6.60) in Race 7 … Both Nova Boy and Itgot Grandma ($10) in Race 9 were ridden by Carol Cedeno … There will be carryovers of $6,605.37 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) and $525.52 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 1) for Saturday’s nine-race program that begins at 12:25 p.m. Multiple tickets with all six winners in Friday’s Rainbow 6 each paid $109.56.
