G3 Winner Just Howard Makes Laurel Return Thursday
G3 Winner Just Howard Makes Laurel Return Thursday
Maryland’s 2017 Horse of the Year Draws Rail in Field of 11
Rainbow 6, Super Hi-5 Carryovers for Return of Live Racing
$75,000 Polynesian Stakes Set for Sunday, Aug. 12
LAUREL, MD – Skeedattle Associates’ Grade 3 winner Just Howard, Maryland’s Horse of the Year in 2017, will get a bit of class relief when he makes his return to Laurel Park’s world-class turf course in the ninth of 10 races Thursday.
Just Howard drew the rail in a field of 11 that includes four horses entered for main track only in the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles over the All Along turf course layout.
It will mark the first time on the grass at Laurel since Just Howard reeled off wins last summer and fall in the 1 1/16-mile Caveat Stakes against fellow Maryland-breds, the restricted Find Stakes over older horses and the Commonwealth Derby (G3).
Just Howard is three-for-four-lifetime over the Laurel turf, also finishing second by less than a length facing elders in an April 2017 maiden special weight. He ended the year with a record of 4-2-1 from 10 starts and earnings of $266,410, also named Maryland’s champion 3-year-old and turf horse.
Feargal Lynch, aboard for four of the last five starts beginning in the Commonwealth Derby, has the return call at 120 pounds.
“I want to get him in a nice spot where he’s going to be probably the favorite, and kind of get him back on track. He’s a good horse and I’ve kind of thrown him into some tough spots. I thought it was time to take advantage of an allowance condition and get him in a nice spot,” trainer Graham Motion said. “He clearly likes that track, Feargal knows him well and we got a good post, so I think that’s all very positive.”
Just Howard has gone winless in four starts since the Commonwealth Derby, ending 2017 by finishing off the board in the Twilight Derby (G2) and Hollywood Derby (G1) in southern California. He went unraced for nearly six months before returning in the Dixie (G3) May 19 at legendary Pimlico Race Course, in a race rained off the turf to a sloppy main track.
It was another seven weeks until Just Howard came back in the Arlington Handicap (G2) July 7 in Chicago, where raced up close to the pace for a half-mile but wound up fifth beaten just two lengths by Divisidero who, like Just Howard, is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.
“I thought his effort in the Dixie was very good coming off the layoff. We know he’s a better grass horse but he ran a very creditable race,” Motion said. “It’s a little harder I think running that far on the dirt than it is on the grass first time back. It’s a little more tiring.
“The other day he was just very rank at Arlington,” he added. “I think he was just too sharp. He’d had quite a bit of time between races and he just didn’t settle but he wasn’t beaten very far despite of it.”
Working with stablemate Spring Quality, upset winner of the Manhattan (G1) June 9 on the Belmont Park turf, Just Howard shows two six-furlong breezes over Fair Hill’s all-weather surface since the Arlington race, most recently in 1:13.80 Aug. 4.
“He came out of the last race fine and he’s doing well. I think he’s a better horse this year. His PPs won’t show that, but I believe he’s a better horse,” Motion said. “I’m trying to take one race at a time, but if he can perform well on Thursday then I’d love to get him back in a stake race next time. He’s got a good post so hopefully he runs his race.”
Among the top challengers are Dothat Dance, third in the Find and fifth by a half-length in the Maryland Million Turf last year; and Lael Stables’ homebred Surprise Twist, who ended nearly an eight-month layoff with a first-level allowance win on the Laurel turf June 29.
Thursday’s ninth race is the penultimate leg of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 5-10) which offers a jackpot carryover of $5,197.46. There will also be a carryover of $1,544.86 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for the opener, a maiden special weight for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Dahlia turf course.
A total of 98 horses were entered for Thursday’s card, an average of 9.8 starters per race. Six grass races drew 68 entries, an average of 11.3 horses per race.
On Friday, 92 horses were entered in 10 races, an average of 9.2 starters per race. There are seven races scheduled for the turf which attracted a total of 67 entries or 9.6 starters per race.
The Sunday, Aug. 12 card will be highlighted by the $75,000 Polynesian Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that is part of the revived Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.
