102 Total Nominations for Four Stakes Worth $375,000 Sunday, July 4

LAUREL, MD – Four horses from the May 15 Chick Lang (G3), including impressive winner Mighty Mischief and third-place finisher Hemp, are among 25 3-year-olds nominated to the $100,000 Concern Sunday, July 4 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The six-furlong Concern, named for the only Maryland-bred winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in 1994 and trained by Dickie Small, is among four stakes worth $375,000 in purses scheduled for the Independence Day holiday program.

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s homebred Mighty Mischief was making his stakes debut in the Chick Lang, on the undercard of the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1), following maiden and allowance wins at Oaklawn Park. The bay Into Mischief colt led from start to finish to extend his win streak to three with a 1 ¼-length triumph over multiple stakes-winning stablemate Jaxon Traveler.

Narrow Leaf Farm’s Hemp came with a three-wide move to be third in the Chick Lang, 2 ½ lengths behind Jaxon Traveler, following an impressive allowance win in the mud April 10 at Laurel Park. He ran fourth after breaking a step slow in the five-furlong Ben’s Cat June 13 at Pimlico, a race originally carded for the turf.

Palatial Times, fifth in the Chick Lang, came back to be second by less than a length facing older horses in a six-furlong starter optional claimer June 12 at Pimlico. Shackled Love, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms March 13 at Laurel, has not raced since running last of six in the Chick Lang.

Also prominent among Concern nominees are Beren, riding a three-stakes win streak for Parx-based trainer Robert E. ‘Butch’ Reid Jr.; Good With People, a two-time California-bred stakes winner trained by Peter Miller; 2020 Sapling winner Waist Deep; Momos, graded-stakes placed on both the turf and dirt last fall as a 2-year-old; stakes-placed Awesome Gerry, Dalton, Doubleoseven, Love My Jimmy, Roderick, Rolling Fork, Singlino, Three Two Zone; and Marvalous Mike, a winner of three straight.

Two stakes are part of the 24-race Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series – the $100,000 Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs and $100,000 Caesar’s Wish for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles, both on the main track.

The Lite the Fuse, honoring the two-time Carter (G1) and Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G2) winner, was last run in 2002 at Laurel. It was most popular among horsemen with 33 nominations led by Yaupon, record-setting winner of the 2020 Chick Lang unraced since Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 27 and also owned by the Heiligbrodts and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.

Also nominated were Jan. 30 Toboggan (G3) winner American Power, second to Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire in the June 4 True North (G3); March 6 Tom Fool (G3) winner Chateau, also runner-up to Firenze Fire in the May 8 Runhappy (G2); 2019 Fall Highweight (G3) winner Happy Farm, a two-time claiming winner this year who ran fifth in the Tom Fool; 2020 De Francis winner Laki; 2020 Fred Hooper (G3) winner Phat Man, fifth in the True North; and multiple stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo.

Among 20 nominees to the Caesar’s Wish were multiple stakes winners Miss Leslie, most recently fifth in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 14 at Pimlico, Artful Splattter and Mrs. Orb; Our Super Freak, winner of the 2019 Shine Again at Laurel who has placed in back-to-back graded-stakes including a second to champion Monomoy Girl in the Bayakoa (G3) Feb. 28; Water White, second by a length over Our Super Freak in the May 2 Ruffian (G2); 2020 Treasure Chest winner Gibberish and Landing Zone, respectively 2-3 in the June 6 Lady’s Secret at Monmouth Park; and Sosua, undefeated in three starts including a May 20 allowance win at Pimlico

The Caesar’s Wish debuted in 1978 at old Bowie Race Course and was also contested at both Pimlico and Laurel before being renamed the Beyond the Wire in 2018.

Stablemates Anna’s Bandit, an 11-time stakes winner who ran fifth in the June 13 Shine Again in her season debut, and Street Lute head 24 nominees to the Jameela, a five-furlong turf sprint for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up. A 7-year-old Great Notion mare bred, owned and trained by Jerry Robb, Anna’s Bandit is winless in three career tries on grass. Lucky 7 Stables’ Street Lute earned her seventh stakes win from 11 starts in the off-the-turf Stormy Blues, also June 13 at Pimlico.

Epic Idea, winless in two starts this year since her mild upset of the Maryland Million Ladies last fall at Laurel; five-time stakes winner Hello Beautiful, second in three lifetime turf races; Introduced, a three-time turf winner with two stakes wins on dirt; Never Enough Time, twice a stakes winner over the main track; and Wicked Hot, who followed a 12-length maiden score May 28 with a half-length allowance score over older horses June 20, both at Pimlico for trainer Graham Motion, are also nominated.

The Jameela has had all but four of its first 32 editions at Laurel Park and was last held at Pimlico in 2001.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn for all four stakes Thursday, July 1.