Among Eight Stakes Worth $1.3 Million in Purses Saturday, Sept. 21

LAUREL, MD – Mike Anderson Racing’s Jais’s Solitude, beaten a head in his graded debut to end last month, stretches out in seek of his first career stakes victory in the $150,000 Bald Eagle Derby presented by B&B Commercial Interiors Saturday at Laurel Park.

The second running of the Bald Eagle Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 ½ miles over Laurel’s world-class turf course is among eight stakes worth $1.3 million in Round 1 of the September to Remember Stakes Festival.

Highlighting the 12-race program are the $250,000 Xpressbet Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) for sprinters 3 and up and the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) for 3-year-olds and up. Laurel will open its doors at 11 a.m. with a first-race post time of 12:25 p.m.

Feargal Lynch rode Todd Pletcher-trained Channel Cat to victory in last year’s Bald Eagle Derby, and the horse would go on to win the Bowling Green (G2) this summer at Saratoga. Lynch returns in this year’s race on Jais’s Solitude for trainer Eddie Kenneally.

A gelded son of 2005 Preakness (G1) winner Afleet Alex, Jais’s Solitude has been in the money in six of seven career tries on turf with two wins, the most recent going about a mile July 27 at Arlington Park. He exits a head loss to English Bee in the Virginia Derby (G3) Aug. 31 at Colonial Downs, at 1 1/8 miles his longest test to date.

“He ran really well,” Kenneally said. “There was no pace in the race at Colonial and being back a ways off a slow pace he had a lot to overcome, but he did. He overcame a lot and closed a lot of ground and just didn’t get there in time, but he ran a winning race.”

Kenneally is hoping the extra three furlongs of the Bald Eagle Derby will suit Jais’s Solitude, who will be making his sixth consecutive start over a different racetrack since spending the winter in Florida.

“We’re very happy with him and he’s trained very well since the last race,” Kenneally said. “Sometimes one would assume that he would be even better going longer, so we’re going to give it a shot and see how he gets along. He’s doing great and came out of the Virginia Derby perfectly. We’d like to think that the mile and a half would be something that he’d relish.”

Jais’s Solitude will carry Lynch and topweight of 123 pounds from Post 4 in the field of 10.

“He’s an improving horse,” Kenneally said. “He’s been on the improve all year, and we think he could be even better next year.”

Graham Motion, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., will take two shots in the Bald Eagle Derby with Alex G. Campbell Jr.’s homebred He’s No Lemon and Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Inclusive.

He’s No Lemon has been no worse than third in each of his last five starts, the past four of them at 1 3/8 miles. He was beaten a nose when second in an optional claiming allowance June 6 at Belmont, but returned to win the same condition July 18 at Saratoga in his most recent effort, both under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.

“Honestly, when he ran at Belmont the race before I thought he was a little unlucky. He just got beat on the wire and I think maybe Javier kicked himself afterwards,” Motion said. “But he really put it together last time and he’s been pretty solid since we’ve stretched him out.”

He’s No Lemon was unable to make a planned start in the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Sept. 7 at Belmont, also for 3-year-olds at 1 ½ miles, after getting sick. The Bald Eagle Derby will be his first time at the distance.

“I don’t know how far he wants to go, but I think he handles the mile and a half. He definitely handles the mile and a quarter,” Motion said. “I’ve always thought that he’s a nice horse. It worries me a little bit that he got sick, but he’s had two works since then so hopefully we’re OK.”

Inclusive is a gelded son of Sky Mesa that owns two wins from eight starts. After capturing his seasonal debut by beating his elders in a one-mile, 70-yard allowance May 25 at Delaware Park, he has run fifth in a pair of stakes and third in the Toronto Cup July 20 at Woodbine, contested at about 1 1/8 miles.

“He kind of got run off his feet a little bit last time at Monmouth, but I think he’ll like the distance,” Motion said. “I’d be surprised if he doesn’t. It seems to me that’s what he wants to do.”

Inclusive will break from the rail under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. while He’s No Lemon drew Post 7 with Trevor McCarthy.

Another Mystery and Hanalei’s Houdini both enter the Bald Eagle Derby off victories. Team Block’s Another Mystery won an Illinois-bred allowance by 2 ½ lengths going 1 1/16 miles over a yielding course Aug. 22 at Arlington, while Laurel-based Maryland-bred Hanalei’s Houdini cruised by 3 ¼ lengths in a muddy one-mile allowance Aug. 23 at Timonium for owner Collinsworth Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Hamilton Smith.

Hanalei’s Houdini has raced twice on the turf with one win, a half-length allowance score going 1 1/16 miles July 12 at Laurel with the nation’s leading apprentice jockey Julio Correa, who returns to ride from Post 2.

Changi, Channel Island, Critical Data, Thomond Park and Zonda round out the field.