Test for 3-Year-Olds Among Four $100,000 Stakes March 14

LAUREL, MD – Big City Bob, unraced since finishing third in the Champagne (G1) last fall, and the top five finishers from the Miracle Wood Stakes last month top a group of 19 3-year-olds nominated to the $100,000 Private Terms Saturday, March 14 at Laurel Park.

Contested at about 1 1/16 miles, the Private Terms is second of three Laurel preps for sophomores on the way to the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1), the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, May 16 at Pimlico Race Course.

Colts Neck Stables’ Big City Bob won the one-mile Sapling at Monmouth Park in September prior to his show finish behind top Triple Crown prospect Tiz the Law in the Champagne. Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr., the Shanghai Bobby colt has been prepping for his return at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility.

Euro Stable’s Lebda, from the barn of winter meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, was a front-running winner of the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 15, opening up a seven-length lead at the top of the stretch and holding on for a three-quarter-length triumph over Mine Not Mine. Lebda was third in a pair of juvenile stakes last year, the Iroquois (G3) and Heft, the latter Dec. 28 at Laurel.

Romanoff, Amen Corner and Dreams Untold followed Lebda and Mine Not Mine past the wire in the Miracle Wood. Heavily favored off a monster maiden win, Dreams Untold was unruly in the gate and stumbled badly at the start, then made a powerful move up to second before flattening out.

Also prominent among Private Terms nominees are Smoke Glacken Stakes winner Meru, most recently third behind Independence Hall in the Nashua (G3) in November; Montauk Traffic, a winner of two straight including the Jimmy Winkfield Feb. 8 at Aqueduct; 2019 Maryland Million Nursery winner Ournationonparade, third last out in the Hutcheson Feb. 29 at Gulfstream; and Withers (G3) winner Max Parade, who is being pointed to the Wood Memorial (G2) April 4 by New York-based trainer Linda Rice.

Supporting the Private Terms on the March 14 program are a trio of $100,000 stakes – the one-mile Beyond the Wire for 3-year-old fillies, one-mile Nellie Morse for fillies and mares 4 and older and 1 1/8-mile Harrison E. Johnson Memorial for 4-year-olds and up.

The Beyond the Wire is the second of three Laurel preps for sophomore fillies heading toward the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 15 at Pimlico.

Naughty Thoughts, Princess Cadey and She’smysunshine, the top three finishers from the seven-furlong Wide Country Feb. 15 at Laurel, top nominations to the Beyond the Wire. Rafael Lopez’s Naughty Thoughts gave trainer Jonathan Maldonado his first career stakes win in the Wide Country, which also saw Bella Aurora, run fifth as the favorite after a troubled start and return as a nominee to the Beyond the Wire.

California-based Horologist, winner of the Monmouth Oaks (G3) and third in the Cotillion (G1) last year, is among nominees to the Nellie Morse, along with multiple stakes winner Needs Supervision; Victim of Love, who defeated Needs Supervision in the What A Summer Jan. 18 and was second in the Barbara Fritchie (G3) Feb. 15, both at Laurel; and Arrifana, 3-0 at Laurel and second in the Comely (G3) Nov. 29 at Aqueduct for her first career loss in five tries.

Most popular among horsemen, the Harrison Johnson attracted 24 nominations led by Alwaysmining, a winner of back-to-back stakes at Laurel to open 2020; 2019 Greenwood Cup (G3) winner Adventist; H. Allen Jerkens winner American Tattoo from trainer Todd Pletcher; Bobby G, a 10-time winner from 17 starts at Laurel; Grade 3 winners Monongahela, second by a neck to Alwaysmining in the John B. Campbell Feb. 15, and Name Changer; 2019 Claiming Crown Jewel winner Leitone; multiple stakes winners Bonus Points and Someday Jones and Discreet Lover, who upset the 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at 45-1 but has run just once in 16 months.