Dixie Cannon Fires Big in First Try Against Winners

LAUREL, MD – Leaveuwithasmile, making her third career start against six debut runners, capitalized on her experience for a popular three-quarter-length victory in Friday’s fifth race at Laurel Park.

Sent off at 7-5 for owner-trainer Jeremiah Englehart and ridden by jockey Trevor McCarthy, Leaveuwithasmile ($4.80) ran six furlongs in 1:12.60 over a fast main track to hold off late-running Princess Adira in the $40,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies.

A daughter of multiple Grade 3 winner Conveyance and granddaughter of sprint champion Speightstown, Leaveuwithasmile finished fifth after setting the pace in each of her first two races, 5 ½-furlong sprints at Saratoga Aug. 9 and 30, one each on turf and dirt.

McCarthy was content to let Leaveuwithasmile settle behind Shari’s Tune, in front through splits of 22.55 and 47.25 seconds, pressed by Dontletsweetfoolya. McCarthy swung three wide on the far turn to pass the leaders and opened a three-length advantage at the top of the stretch.

“Jeremiah gave me instructions and said to just kind of let her sit off the pace today. We broke well and we were able to just stalk second,” McCarthy said. “[Dontletsweetfoolya] kind of came up quick, so I let those two go. I let them get in a hurry and let her take her time and get herself together and she finished strong. She’s still a little green but I was really happy with her effort.”

Leaveuwithasmile drifted slightly and switched leads in mid-stretch while in hand under McCarthy as Princess Adira, a daughter of two-time Grade 2 winner Cairo Prince, came running late. Jara, by 2014 Florida Derby (G1) and 2015 Donn Handicap (G1) winner Constitution, was third.

Irish Charmer, a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Irish War Cry and Grade 3 winner Irish Strait, was scratched.

“She really liked having two targets in front of her the whole way, and when she kind of left them she was kind of tweaking her ears a little bit,” McCarthy said. “I gave her a little encouragement and she went on. She kind of got a little lost out there on her own. She’s a nice filly and she’s got a good way of going. She was all class today.”

Karmac Stable’s Dixie Cannon ($6), fresh off her maiden triumph sprinting on the turf at Delaware Park, stretched out around two turns for her first try against winners and impressed in a front-running triumph in Race 2.

The New York-bred daughter of Freud completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.94 over a firm Exceller turf course to win the $42,000 optional claiming allowance for 2-year-old fillies by five lengths.

“We’re very proud of her,” trainer Kelly Rubley said. “She seems to improve with every start, and that’s all we can ask for.”

Dixie Cannon finished fourth in her debut going 5 ½ furlongs June 28 and was third in a one-mile maiden special weight Aug. 10, both at Laurel, before her 1 ½-length score Sept. 5 at Delaware, coming from off the pace. She led from the start under jockey Julian Pimentel, setting fractions of 23.80 and 48.34 seconds, 1:13.56 and 1:36.91.

“The times were very impressive. We really like this filly, so hopefully she’ll continue to improve. We figured she’d be turf. She doesn’t really show much in the morning on the dirt, so that’s why we kind of pointed here and started here. I don’t see why we’d change now,” Rubley said. “The problem is, what do we do next. We’ll see.”

Notes: Jockeys Sheldon Russell and Julian Pimentel alternated winning Friday’s first four races. Russell took Race 1 with Emelina ($8.40) and Race 3 with Zorally ($5.60), while Pimentel scored on Dixie Cannon ($6) in Race 2 and Jo’s Bold Cat ($19.60) in Race 4. Dixie Cannon and Jo’s Bold Cat are both trained by Kelly Rubley.