LAUREL, MD. 11-15-12---Nine 3-year-old fillies will sprint seven furlongs in the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park Saturday afternoon.

Daniel Smithwick has won four races with Holiday Soiree, the tepid 5-2 morning line favorite. The daughter of Harlan’s Holiday’s resume includes two unplaced finishes in graded stakes this year and a willing second in the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks. Sheldon Russell gets his first try aboard the filly, who posted a bullet work at the Churchill Downs Training Track before shipping to Maryland.

Already a winner at Laurel Park is Los Ojitos (3-1), a Nick Canani trainee who ships once again to Laurel from Belmont Park after a rail skimming allowance score here last month. Abel Castellano retains the mount on the Mr. Greeley offspring.

Munnings Sister (4-1), a winner of half of her starts, took Belmont Park’s Dream Supreme Stakes at the distance before faltering as the favorite in the Imperial Gesture for non-winners of a graded stakes. Julian Pimentel picks up the mount for trainer Barclay Tagg.

Benny Perkins has two wins and two seconds in four starts this year from Heir Stream (6-1), including a victory and a second at Laurel during the current fall meeting. Now she tries stakes company for the first time. The daughter of 2004 De Francis Dash (G1) winner Wildcat Heir had a bullet half-mile work Saturday morning, stopping the clock in 47.4 seconds.

“She has a good race at the distance against older horses and had a nice work,” said Perkins, who has 20 runners stabled at the Bowie Training Center since the Monmouth Park meet ended last month. “We had to go a little slow with her but we gave her time and she is doing well. The race looks evenly matched with a lot of late developing fillies.”

Elvis Trujillo will ride Heir Stream.

Defy Gravity (12-1) captured the Smart Halo Stakes nearly one year ago (Nov. 19, 2011) but is winless since, although nine of those eleven starts have been in stakes. Carlos Marquez has the mount for trainer Lori Testerman.

Completing the field are Greed and Fear (8-1), Sister Earth (12-1), Silver Arch (20-1) and Doe (20-1).

Laurel Park plays host to a select group of distillers and brewers on Saturday for the inaugural Brew & Bourbon Classic.  A sampling of 60 different beers and bourbons, live music and local food trucks make up the experience from noon to 5 p.m.

About Laurel Park

Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.