Cofactor Seeks Fourth Straight Win in $100,000 Gin Talking
Among Five Stakes on Dec. 28 Christmastide Day Program

LAUREL, MD – Rockingham Ranch’s Nucky, risked for a tag one start before becoming a Grade 1 winner, launches his comeback after an absence of three months between races in Saturday’s $100,000 Heft Stakes at Laurel Park.

The Heft for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both contested at seven furlongs, are among five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a nine-race Christmastide Day program. Laurel will open its doors at 11 a.m. with a first-race post time of 12:25 p.m.

In addition to live racing, Christmastide Day festivities include a stakes buffet, hot chocolate bar and hot cider cocktails. Reservations can be made by calling 301-725-0770. To view the buffet menu, click here. 

Trained by California-based Peter Miller, Nucky is a son of 2004 Horse of the Year and 2012 Hall of Famer Ghostzapper that went winless in his first three starts, two of them in maiden special weight company, before being entered with a $100,000 claiming price Aug. 21 at Del Mar. After dueling for the early lead, Nucky drew off and romped by 10 ½ lengths in 1:10.89 for six furlongs.

“We thought he was a nice horse, but we took a shot and ran him for a tag and got lucky no one took him,” Miller said. “He likes to be up close in his races. He doesn’t need the lead, but he wants to be up close.”

Stretched out to seven furlongs for the Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his subsequent start, Nucky overcame a troubled trip where he got bumped at the three-sixteenths pole and emerged with a 2 ¾-length triumph at odds of 35-1.

“It was a crazy run race where a couple horses collided, but the horse ran a great race that day,” Miller said. “I think if he runs back to that race that he’ll be tough to beat.”

Nucky hasn’t raced since finishing eighth in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah (G1) Sept. 27 at Santa Anita, but shows a steady string of works at the San Luis Rey training center for his return, most recently going six furlongs in 1:16.60 Dec. 12.

“He seems to be coming into the race real well,” Miller said. “He didn’t run well in his last race and came out with a little splint so we backed off him and fired the split and he seems to have come back fine and is training great.”

Trevor McCarthy, battling for the fall meet riding title, will be aboard Nucky from Post 8 of nine. All horses will carry 123 pounds.

The other stakes winner in the field is Wagon Wheel Farm’s homebred Hockey Puck, who sprung a 13-1 upset of the Pennsylvania Nursery Dec. 7 at Parx for trainer Erin McClellan. The bay gelding drew Post 7 with regular rider Tyler Conner.

A Pennsylvania-bred son of 2012 Jersey Shore (G3) winner Well Spelled, Hockey Puck shares another commonality with Nucky in that both horses have both raced and won at the Heft’s seven-furlong distance.

“It’s definitely a confidence booster for us knowing that he’s run at the distance and won at the distance. And I actually like that maybe he wants more than that,” McClellan said. “You’re not worried that you’re going to come up short; you’re worried whether it will be enough. It’s very reassuring to have run and won at seven furlongs and one thing I like about Laurel is the long stretch. I think that’s to his benefit.”

Laurel’s fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez entered the Euro Stable-owned pair of Grade 3-placed Lebda and the undefeated Romanoff. Lebda, purchased by Valter Ramos for $100,000 out of Joseph Besecker’s Dec. 10 dispersal and kept with Gonzalez, was third in the 1 1/16-mile Iroquois (G3) Sept. 14 and has run once since, finishing ninth in the one-mile Nashua (G3) Nov. 3 at Aqueduct.

Lebda broke his maiden second time out May 4 in his lone try at Laurel, a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight sprint, then followed up with an 11-length romp going 5 ½ furlongs Aug. 22 at Delaware Park in his first try against winners. Romanoff, a gelded son of Fast Anna, is a perfect 2-0 with front-running waiver maiden and optional allowance scores going six and seven furlongs, respectively, both at Laurel, the latter Nov. 30.

“They’re doing good,” Gonzalez said. “I’m very happy with the last breeze; both of them went very good. I have to talk to the owner about whether we’re going to run both or we’re going to run one. We have to decide what is the best way to go. The good thing is they’re both doing great.”

Monday Morning Qb, scratched as the program favorite for the Dec. 7 Maryland Juvenile Futurity, and Butch Reid-trained stablemate Admiral Eastwood; Dontmesawithme and New Commission complete the field.

Irish War Cry, a three-time graded-stakes winner of more than $1.2 million in purses; Diamond King and Alwaysmining, who each went on to earn a spot in the Preakness Stakes (G1), have won the last three editions of the Heft.

Cofactor Seeks Fourth Straight Win in $100,000 Gin Talking

Stoneway Farm’s homebred Cofactor, a professional winner of her stakes debut last month at Laurel Park, returns looking to stretch her streak to four consecutive races in the $100,000 Gin Talking.

A daughter of two-time Grade 1-winning sprinter The Factor, Cofactor drew the rail in a field of 10 2-year-old fillies and will have the services of Jorge Vargas Jr., Maryland’s leading rider of 2018, for the first time. All horses will carry 123 pounds.

Cofactor has had three works since her triumph in the Warrior’s Reward Smart Halo Nov. 16 at Laurel, including a three-furlong breeze in 38.05 seconds Dec. 21 over the Belmont Park training track that ranked as the third-fastest time of 21 horses on the day.

“She’s doing well. The track at Belmont was a little deep and cuppy and she just went an easy three-eighths,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “She came out of it good and we’re ready to go.”

Cofactor was sent off as the heavy favorite in her unveiling Aug. 10 at Monmouth Park, setting the early pace before fading to be third, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight. She came back at the same level going six furlongs Sept. 14 and was a determined neck winner while racing on the rail.

Stepped up to face winners and on the road for the first time, Cofactor responded with a similarly gutsy head triumph in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Oct. 16 at Keeneland, which served as an ideal prep for the Smart Halo. In that race, Cofactor settled in behind horses before weaving her way through traffic and opening up to win by 1 ¾ lengths as the favorite.

“It was nice to see her rate,” Breen said. “We’re just hoping to see her go on to bigger and better things. I don’t think the distance should hurt her. By the way she trains, she’ll rate, and she galloped out strong last time.

“We always thought she had talent,” he added. “She was showing up every day in the morning, which is why we were disappointed in her first start. But since then, she’s been the filly that we always thought she was. She’s a very nice filly.”

On Your Left Racing and Daniel Kjorsvik’s Princess Adira is less than a length shy of being undefeated in three starts, losing her debut by three-quarters with a huge six-wide rally and falling a neck shy second time out as the favorite, going six and 5 ½ furlongs, respectively.

Most recently, the Lacey Gaudet trainee settled just off the lead before taking over at the top of the stretch and sprinting clear to a 4 ¾-length victory in a six-furlong maiden special weight Nov. 17 at Laurel. Forest Boyce gets the call from Post 7.

“She’s doing great. She had some confidence after that last race. I think that really helped her, but she’s just maturing every day. I like the little bit of distance added with the seven furlongs. It’s going to be a tough race. It’s not going to be easy, for sure, but I think she’ll hold her own,” Gaudet said. “I think Forest will fit her nicely.”

Magic Stable’s Ankle Monitor owns two wins in four starts at Laurel, a maiden claiming triumph July 26 and a 2 ½-length optional claiming allowance victory Nov. 15 going a mile in her most recent start. The chestnut filly also has stakes experience, finishing fourth but being placed third in the Tempted Nov. 1 at Aqueduct.

“She’s doing really good,” trainer Claudio Gonzalez said. “She breezed good the other day and that’s why I decided to keep her here and run. I think the seven furlongs is going to be very good for her. I’m very happy with how she’s training.”

Also entered are Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies winner Precious, unbeaten in two starts, and runner-up Chilly Sky; Bella Aurora, third in the Anne Arundel County Stakes on turf Sept. 28 at Laurel; Fly On Angel, second in the Parx Juvenile Fillies Nov. 4; Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship show finisher Naughty Thoughts; Still Alive, third to Cofactor in the Smart Halo; and Wonder City.