Maiden Winner Ms Notion Stepping Up in Maryland Juvenile Filly

LAUREL, MD – WellSpring Stables’ impressive debut winner Executive Order, unraced in two months since facing Grade 1 company in just his second start, will get some class relief when he returns to action in Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Juvenile at Laurel Park.

The 43rd running of the Maryland Juvenile and 38th renewal of the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly, each for Maryland-bred/sired 2-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs, co-headline a nine-race program that begins at 12:25 p.m.

Bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Executive Order is a gelded son of multiple graded-stakes winner Unified that was unveiled in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-olds Aug. 31 at Saratoga that had sold or RNA’d for $50,000 or less. An $18,000 purchase out of Fasig-Tipton’s December 2022 mixed sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, he stalked early before taking the lead at the top of the stretch and sprinting clear to a 7 ¾-length triumph.

“You never can tell with 2-year-olds,” trainer Phil Serpe said. “We don’t really press on our 2-year-olds hard to get them to the races. We’re trying to develop horses in our barn. We weren’t really surprised that he won, but we were surprised that he was drawing away like that late. That’s always a good thing especially at a race meet like Saratoga, where you’re always meeting some future star.”

It was the kind of performance that earned Executive Order a shot in the one-mile Champagne (G1) Oct. 5 at Aqueduct, where he was within two lengths of the lead after four furlongs but tired to be seventh behind Chancer McPatrick, a two-time Grade 1 winner and among the leading early Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders.

“It was disappointing. We thought he was going to run much better. We’re still a little puzzled by his performance. We’re just going to move on from that race, cutting back in distance and [facing] a lighter group of horses,” Serpe said. “I think this is a better situation for him all around.”

Jose Gomez has the call on Executive Order from Post 3 in a field of nine. All horses will carry 122 pounds.

“He’s doing well,” Serpe said. “He had a nice work [Monday] and we hopefully expect him to do good things on Saturday.”

Prominent among the competition are stakes-winning stablemates It’s Hammertime and Sacred Thunder. John Hazard’s Sacred Thunder (Post 1) has won three of his last four starts and registered a one-length triumph in the open James F. Lewis III Nov. 9 at Laurel after being beaten a length when third in the Oct. 12 Maryland Million Nursery, both going six furlongs.

Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds and Non Stop Stable’s It’s Hammertime (Post 9) won each of his first three starts including the six-furlong First State Dash Sept. 11 and one-mile Rocky Run Oct. 9 at Delaware Park before losing for the first time in the Nashua Nov. 2 at Aqueduct, finishing fourth. He was entered but scratched from the Lewis a week later.

The Elkstone Group homebred Tony Eclipse also exits the Nashua, where he ran third beaten just a half-length by multiple stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Studlydoright, who is entered in Saturday’s Remsen (G2). The Not This Time colt, second after setting the pace in the Rocky Run, was 7 ½ lengths ahead of favored It’s Hammertime.

“I think he’s coming along nicely. He’s progressed well. I think he’s still really mentally immature and you can see it a little bit in his last run. I always thought he was a horse that was going to be a proper two-turn horse and go a route, and he may be in time. Seven-eighths right now is probably very good for him,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “I think he’s doing really good and he seems to show up every time. I think he’ll run well.”

Reggie Runs Rogue, owned and trained by co-breeder Justin Nixon, won each of his first two starts by 2 ¼ lengths this summer at Colonial Downs, making his Maryland debut in the off-the-turf Laurel Futurity Sept. 28. After working his way up to second entering the stretch he flattened out and wound up fourth, beaten 2 ¼ lengths.

“He’s doing great. We gave him just a little bit of time after the last stake there. He’s just a big, gangly 2-year-old and we thought he could use a little freshener,” Nixon said. “He came back in and I thought he put on some good weight and filled out a little bit, and he just looks a little more mature physically. It looks like he’s developing. He’s probably one that physically won’t peak until he’s 4, just given his build. The family seems to get a little better with age, so hopefully he gets better bigger stronger as he gets older.”

Saxton, third in the James Lewis, Barbadian Runner, Bjorn and Mission Artemis complete the field.

Maiden Winner Ms Notion Stepping Up in Maryland Juvenile Filly

Mopo Racing’s Ms Notion, a popular runaway winner of her unveiling last month, looks to add stakes credentials second time out when she faces six seasoned rivals in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly.

Trained by Phil Capuano for an ownership group led by retired TV personality Maury Povich, Ms Notion is a daughter of Great Notion bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman that fetched $52,000 as a yearling last fall. Some of Mopo’s top horses include multiple stakes winner Alwaysinahurry and fellow six-figure earners Dixie Drawl, Walk Away Joe, Jackie A and the late filly Moquist, who went 4-0 in her lone season of racing in 2021.

“That group, they’re so good. They’re all so patient. They’ve had some really nice horses and I think if things keep going well with her, she could be another really nice filly for them,” Capuano said. “Hopefully things work out this weekend and gives them something to keep their head up about going into the new year.”

Ms Notion launched her career Nov. 15 in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Laurel, where she went off the narrow favorite in a field of 10. After sitting just off the pace for a half-mile, she forged a short lead turning for home and edged clear to win by four lengths.

“She’s always shown she’s got quite a bit of talent; it was just a case of being patient enough with her just to allow her to show us what she did in her debut,” Capuano said. “She’s always been a very forward-training filly. It was just giving her the right amount of time and patience. We’re excited to have her in that race.”

Ms Notion broke outside all her foes in debut but will be facing a much different circumstance Saturday, having drawn the rail. Tais Lyapustina returns to ride.

“Really her only big caveat is she’s such a hot-tempered filly, the gate’s really been her biggest issue. The first time out having the far outside post was a bit of a blessing. This time she’s got the rail, so you kind of go from one extreme to the other. You hope that everything works out,” Capuano said. “Her first time out she had everything go her way. She broke well, was able to sit off the pace and she made her move on the turn and just kept on going. This time there’s probably going to be a little more adversity.

“There’s enough speed to her outside. She might have to get some kickback. You just don’t really know until they experience it. It’s easier beating maidens than it is winners. Now she’s going to be running against horses that have won a few times,” he added. “Caprice is a real nice filly and so is Malibu Hooch. It’s a big step up in class but it’s still a restricted race, which is good. As long as she’s doing well over the next few days, we’ll take a shot and see what happens.”

Caprice (Post 4) is a three-time stakes winner for owner-breeder Runnymoore Racing, having rebounded from her first career loss in the one-mile White Clay Creek Oct. 9 at Delaware Park to win Laurel’s six-furlong Smart Halo Nov. 9. Malibu Hooch, bred by Ronald Harris Parker and co-owned by he and trainer Todd Beattie, was beaten a neck in the Oct. 12 Maryland Million Lassie and bounced back to win an entry-level optional claiming allowance Nov. 16 – also six furlongs at Laurel – over a group that includes Juvenile Filly rivals Onyx Ten (second) and Safe Trust (third).

Onyx Ten’s stablemate, First Pearl, has run sixth in two prior stakes races, both at Delaware, and has not run since Oct. 2. Winner Circle Stables’ Ade exits a 5 ½-length maiden claiming triumph sprinting 5 ½ furlongs Nov. 8 at Laurel, her seventh start. She has also run second twice and third twice.