Maryland Million Nursery Next for Maiden Winner In Arrears; Table Jumper Could Punch Maryland Million Ticket in Friday Feature
Maryland Million Nursery Next for Maiden Winner In Arrears; Table Jumper Could Punch Maryland Million Ticket in Friday Feature
Table Jumper Could Punch Maryland Million Ticket in Friday Feature
Flash McCaul Seeking First Stakes Win in Maryland Million Classic
Ten Races Scheduled Over World-Class Turf Course to Open Weekend
LAUREL, MD – Fresh off an impressive maiden victory last weekend, Narrow Leaf Farm’s In Arrears will make his next start in the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery, one of 11 races on the 31st Jim McKay Maryland Million program Oct. 22 at Laurel Park.
The six-furlong Nursery for 2-year-olds will mark the stakes debut for In Arrears, a gelded son of Grade 3 winner Scipion trained by Wayne Potts.
“That’s what we’re pointing him toward. He came out of his last race good. I’ll tell you, he’s a pretty cool horse,” Potts said. “He’s a decent little horse. Hopefully he’ll be the first little stake horse that I have. I’ve never had one of those, so that’s what I’m hoping he can be.”
In Arrears made his debut Sept. 11 at Laurel finishing third at odds of 53-1 before graduating with a four-length romp over a muddy and sealed track Sept. 30, sent off as the 9-5 favorite in a field of 12 after the race was rained off the turf.
“I put him in on the turf as a main track only because we were getting all the rain. I was hoping for a short field just to make sure I had enough money to get in on Maryland Million day [and] make it easy enough on him where he didn’t have to do so much, but we only ended up getting one scratch out of there,” Potts said.
“He won the race pretty easy and [jockey] Forest Boyce had a good bit left,” he added. “I’ll be honest with you, this horse hasn’t even put it all together yet. He’s still a little green, but when he does … We’re going in the right direction, for sure.”
In Arrears also has family history on his side. His full brother, Keep Momma Happy, won the 2012 Maryland Million Nursery in his career debut at odds of 23-1 for Narrow Leaf and trainer Ben Feliciano Jr. Potts trained Keep Momma Happy for his last two career starts in 2015.
“I’ve always had claimers and 2-year-olds were a new thing to me. This is the second crop of 2-year-olds that I’ve had. There’s a lot of different things you have to do, definitely a lot more patience,” Potts said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and he’s done it the right way.”
Potts said 11-year-old No Brakes may also make an appearance on the Maryland Million card in the $50,000 Starter Handicap at one mile for 3-year-olds and up who have started for a claiming tag of $12,500 or less since Oct. 17, 2015.
No Brakes has won two of his last three races, most recently rallying from last to take a seven-furlong starter allowance by a neck over Right Squall Sept. 25 at Laurel. It was his 22nd victory from 106 lifetime starts.
“He’s a fan favorite and I’d like to run him here,” Potts said. “He’s doing fantastic. He’s a classy guy, that’s all I can say for him. He handles his work on the track and in the barn he’s like a big kid. That’s all he is.”
Table Jumper Could Punch Maryland Million Ticket in Friday Feature
A strong performance from Kathleen Willier’s Table Jumper in Friday’s featured eighth race at Laurel is likely to earn the 3-year-old Jump Start filly a return trip to the Maryland Million.
Third in last year’s Maryland Million Lassie, her third career start, Table Jumper is listed as the third program choice at 9-2 in a field of seven for the $42,000 entry-level allowance set to go six furlongs on the main track.
It will be the second straight try against older horses for Table Jumper in just her second start of 2016. She was eased in a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint Sept. 17 at Laurel, her first race in 10 months, but has posted a pair of bullet works since including a half-mile in 48 seconds just five days from the race.
“She’s doing fine,” trainer Hamilton Smith said. “I don’t know what happened last time, but we’ll find out Friday when we run her what’s up with her. We’ll make a decision off of that race. If she runs bad she won’t go in the Maryland Million and if she runs big, there’s a possibility we may run her.”
Smith is also considering 2-year-old stakes winner Greatbullsoffire and stakes-placed Just Jack for the Maryland Million. Nursery candidate Greatbullsoffire, also owned by Willier, won the first two starts of his career including the Strike Your Colors Aug. 4 at Delaware Park before running third as the favorite in the Laurel Dash Sept. 10.
Just Jack, a 3-year-old Michael Harrison homebred gelding, was second in the Mister Diz on turf Aug. 20 and most recently captured a second-level optional claiming allowance going about 1 1/16 miles Oct. 2.
“[Greatbullsoffire] has one more work and as long as everything comes out all right, we’ll go in the Maryland Million,” Smith said. “Just Jack, we’ll either run him in the Turf or one of the other races there. It depends on the nominations and what they expect to get in those races. We’ll base it on what race we think is better suited for him.”
Flash McCaul Seeking First Stakes Win in Maryland Million Classic
Country Life Farm’s multiple stakes-placed Flash McCaul, winless since his 3-year-old debut in February, is being pointed to the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic by trainer Mike Trombetta.
The sophomore son of Friesan Fire is seeking his first black-type victory after running second in the Maryland Million Nursery and Maryland Juvenile Futurity at 2, and the Private Terms in March.
Flash McCaul was also fourth in the April 9 Federico Tesio, the traditional hometown prep for the Preakness Stakes (G1), and in two local starts since was seventh and third in a pair of optional claiming allowances, most recently Sept. 16. In between he was fifth in the Grover ‘Buddy’ Delp Memorial Aug. 24 at Delaware Park.
“If he trains well up to it, we’re going to give it a try,” Trombetta said. “He had one race that was a little off form and was a little out of character for him. He ran a bad race at Laurel and we never really could figure out why. Then he came back and had two good efforts after that. It seems like he’s on track and he’s doing OK.”
Trombetta has another pair of Maryland Million veterans pointing to the big day in My Magician for the $100,000 Distaff for females 3 and up at seven furlongs, and D C Dancer in the $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
Now 4, My Magician won the 2014 Maryland Million Lassie and was fourth in the Politely Stakes Oct. 1 at Laurel last time out. D C Dancer, 6, has two seconds and two thirds from six starts this year. He won the Sprint in 2014 and was third in 2015.
“That’s going to be a good race,” Trombetta said of the Sprint, also expected to draw multiple graded stakes-winning 10-year-old Ben’s Cat. “I think [My Magician] will get a little recognition. I think she deserves a chance.”
Trombetta said Country Life Farm’s Friesani, a juvenile daughter of Friesan Fire that ran fourth in her debut Oct. 3 at Parx, is possible for the Lassie, while Magician’s Vanity, fourth in last year’s Maryland Million Ladies, may return for the 1 1/8-mile turf test for females 3 and up.
Ten Races Scheduled Over World-Class Turf Course to Open Weekend
After inclement weather forced all races to be run over the main track last weekend, racing returns to Laurel’s world-class turf course with 10 grass events scheduled on Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s nine-race program features three races on the Kelso Turf Course and two on the Fort Marcy Turf Course, drawing 72 entries, an average of 14.4 starters per race. The co-feature is the seventh race, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance at 5 ½ furlongs over the Fort Marcy that includes recent allowance winner Joseph and Punch Line Stakes runner-up Available.
Of Saturday’s 10 races, three will be contested over the Fort Marcy layout and two on the Kelso, attracting a total of 57 entries, averaging 11.4 per race. Stakes winners Eyeplayeveryday and John Joseph will hook up with Grade 1 winner Chiropractor in the featured ninth race, a $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the Kelso.
First race post time is 1:10 p.m
