Gypsy Judy Debuts for Graham in Dahlia
Gypsy Judy Debuts for Graham in Dahlia
G1 Winner Hardest Core Back in Training
Dahlia Stakes Would Mark Return to Turf for Miss Bullistic
Dahlia Stakes Would Mark Return to Turf for Miss Bullistic
Look Who’s Talking Returns Friday, Lady Sabelia to Skipat
LAUREL, MD – Her connections are hoping a change of scenery will mark a reversal of fortune for James Hibbert's homebred Gypsy Judy in Saturday’s $75,000 Dahlia Stakes for females 3 and up at Laurel Park.
Following two unsuccessful tries on dirt including her seasonal debut in the Maryland Racing Media Stakes Feb. 13 at Laurel, the 4-year-old Kitalpha filly was transferred to Fair Hill-based trainer Eddie Graham, best known for his work with steeplechase horses.
“She’s doing really good. She’s liking the hills and all that. I’m happy with her,” Graham said. “I know it’s a tough race, but we’ll kind of see where we’re at with her.”
Winner of the 2015 Wide Country Stakes on dirt at Laurel, Gypsy Judy has worked once for Graham at Fair Hill, a half-mile move on Fair Hill’s all-weather track, but has also logged other mileage over the grounds.
“She is kind of enjoying my routine and we’ll see how she’s turned around or not. She kind of goes cross-country and not to the track every day, just a little change of scenery,” Graham said. “She’s in good form, so that’s why I’m giving her a go. I’m kind of just learning her right now and using this race to gauge where I’m at.”
Also back to the track for Graham is Hardest Core, the now 6-year-old gelding who gave Graham his first career graded stakes victory with an 11-1 upset of the 2014 Arlington Million (G1).
Owned by Andrew Bentley, Hardest Core breezed four furlongs in 51 seconds April 10 at Fair Hill, and is scheduled for another work on Sunday before the track’s point-to-point race.
Hardest Core had not had a published breeze since finishing sixth in the Man o’ War last May at Belmont Park, his lone start of 2015.
“I worked him at Fair Hill after that and he didn’t pull up great. He had a slight injury and I didn’t push the envelope. I just gave him off and we brought him back the first of January,” Graham said. “He’s doing good, real good. I’m very happy with him. Knock on wood, everything’s been fantastic.”
Graham estimated Hardest Core could return to the races next month, but has yet to settle on any long-range plans.
“I’m just going to try to find a nice little spot to bring him back. Maybe if there’s an open allowance or something, or a little stake, we’ll probably go there first and then something after that,” he said. “I’m thinking sometime in May. We’re right on schedule. This is going to be his third work. I worked him before that at the farm so he’s had a few more than what shows. Knock on wood he’s on the path that I want. It’s exciting that he’s coming back in good form. We’ll cross our fingers.”
Dahlia Stakes Would Mark Return to Turf for Miss Bullistic
Kathleen Willer’s multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred filly Miss Bullistic is entered to make her return to the grass in the Dahlia. The 4-year-old daughter of Bullsbay drew post 2 in a 13-horse field for the one-mile turf stakes, which highlights Laurel’s 10-race program.
Two of Miss Bullistic’s three lifetime wins have come in four starts over Laurel’s turf course, the last in the 5 ½-furlong Selima Stakes in September 2014. Seven of her nine subsequent races have been on dirt, most recently finishing fourth in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance March 18 at Laurel.
“I think she’s a little better on the grass than she is on the dirt, myself. Getting races to go for her and getting the timing right has been hard to do so far,” trainer Hamilton Smith said. “Hopefully it will start falling into place now for the rest of the year so we can monitor her racing a little better.”
The Dahlia would be only the second race beyond seven furlongs for Miss Bullistic, who endured a nightmarish trip finishing last of 11 in the Commonwealth Oaks (G3) last September at Laurel, her last try on turf.
“I think a mile would be good for her, to tell you the truth,” Smith said. “I think she’d handle the mile fine. I don’t’ think it’s too far out of line for her. She doesn’t want to go much further than that, though. A little distance I think would be better for her, seven-eighths or a mile. She should handle that better than anything else. That’s what I’m hoping for anyway.”
Miss Bullistic was winless in four 2015 starts after a juvenile campaign that saw her capture the Selima and Parx Racing’s Donna Freyer Stakes and run second in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Stakes.
“She’s doing all right. It’s a pretty tough spot. She’s training well,” Smith said. “I put her in there to see what it looked like. I’ll talk it over with the owner again and we’ll decide what the best move is.”
Look Who’s Talking Returns Friday, Lady Sabelia to Skipat
Skeedattle Associates Maryland homebred Look Who’s Talking is set to make her 3-year-old debut in Friday’s eighth race, a $42,000 optional claiming allowance going six furlongs on the main track.
It will be the first start for the Cape Blanco filly since capping her juvenile campaign with a 1 ½-length victory in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Stakes Dec. 26 at Laurel.
“We took her to the farm and kicked her out for a little bit,” trainer Robin Graham said. “We let her run around and get dirty and eat grass, and just be a horse.”
Look Who’s Talking drew post 4 and will carry 118 pounds including regular rider Forest Boyce, aboard for all six starts in 2015 that included two wins, one second and one third.
“It looks like a real tough race, but I think she’ll run well,” Graham said. “I don’t think three-quarters is her best distance at all, but what we’ll get out of it puts us way ahead of if I had to just keep breezing her.”
Look Who’s Talking was second in the Selima Stakes last fall at Laurel, run over a sloppy and sealed main track, and fifth, beaten four lengths, in the Miss Grillo (G3) at Belmont Park, her only start outside of Maryland. She bounced back with her stakes victory after running fifth to graded stakes winner Cathryn Sophia in the Dec. 5 Gin Talking Stakes.
“It was great that she could catch one as a 2-year-old because we’re confident she’s going to catch some as a 3-year-old,” Graham said. “It’s still nice to get one as a 2-year-old, especially because it was on dirt and she’s really bred for grass. That’ll be exciting.”
Graham said the first major target for Look Who’s Talking this year is the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the grass May 20, Black-Eyed Susan (G2) day at Pimlico Race Course.
Meanwhile, Graham reported that Mrs. Frank P. Wright homebred Lady Sabelia was doing well since her come-from-behind victory in the Primonetta Stakes March 26 at Laurel.
“She’s good. Everything is good,” she said. “She had to overcome a whole lot with that race because of a bunch of stuff that just not gone right during the week before. I felt confident in her. She just had to do a little bit more than she normally does and not any of that her fault.”
A 6-year-old daughter of Majestic Warrior, Lady Sabelia has a record of 8-2-3 from 14 career starts at Laurel, six of those wins in stakes including the 2015 Barbara Fritchie (G2). Yet to have a timed work since the Primonetta, and she is being pointed to the $100,000 Skipat Stakes for females 3 and up going six furlongs on the dirt as part of the 141st Preakness (G1) undercard May 21.
“We’re aiming for the Skipat and I don’t know what before that,” Graham said. “If it doesn’t work out, if there’s not something for her, she runs fine off some time off so it doesn’t matter.”
