Factor It In, Super Chow Among Sprinters Making Comebacks
G3 Winners Wonderwherecraigis, Classier Also in Field of 10
Jockey Karamanos, Trainer Trombetta Notch Thursday Double

LAUREL, MD – Seven stakes winners, two in graded company, and a pair of stablemates with 21 combined victories are among a loaded group of accomplished sprinters set to line up highlighting Friday’s nine-race card at Laurel Park.

The stakes-quality $70,000 open allowance feature for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the main track is carded as Race 7. First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Favored at 2-1 on the morning line is the entry of David Jacobson-owned and trained 7-year-olds Synthesis and Stage Left. Synthesis has 10 wins from 50 starts and was a closing second in the seven-furlong John A. Nerud (G2) July 1 at Belmont Park. Stage Left is 11-for-39 lifetime with a pair of stakes wins including the five-furlong Rumson Sept. 3 at Monmouth Park and was third in Belmont’s May 13 Runhappy (G3).

Breaking from outermost Post 10 is Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso’s 6-year-old Wondrwherecraigis (5-2), a stakes winner at three tracks including Belmont’s 2021 Bold Ruler (G3) and Laurel’s 2022 Fire Plug. Second in back-to-back editions of the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, he owns a career 7-4-3-0 mark at Laurel.

In his most recent start, Wondrwherecraigis forged a short lead at the top of the stretch but faded to fourth as the favorite in the six-furlong Lite the Fuse Sept. 16 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

“We were obviously a little disappointed,” Elkstone’s Stuart Grant said. “He’s ‘Craig,’ man. He’s an old war horse. He does what he wants to do. The beauty is, and we’ve all talked about it, if he decides that he’s done racing at the level that we expect him to be at then we’ll take good care of him. Until he shows us that he’ll keep running. Every once in a while he’ll throw in a clunker, but we still think he’s got some good races in him. I guess we will find out.”

Michael Scheffres’ Factor It In (4-1) will be racing for the first time since running fifth in the seven-furlong Frank Y. Whiteley April 15 at Laurel. The 7-year-old owns 12 career wins, three of them in Laurel stakes – the 2022 Challedon and Dave’s Friend and Jan. 21 Fire Plug. In back-to-back races last fall at Aqueduct, he was third in the Bold Ruler and Fall Highweight (G3), beaten less than a length combined.

“He’s doing real good. I think he’s ready for the race. I know the race is tough, but he’ll be tough, too,” trainer Carlos Mancilla said. “It looks like a stakes race. It’s real tough, but he’s ready to go so I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ I talked to my owner and the owner is happy. I talked to my brother, because he gets on the horse, and he tells me he’s ready, so we are here.”

Factor It In has breezed five times since late August at Laurel for his comeback, capped by a bullet half-mile move in 48.80 seconds Oct. 11. Claimed for $25,000 in November 2019 he has run well fresh previously, returning from five months away to win his 2021 debut and a 9 ½-month gap to capture his 2022 season opener.

“I wanted to give him some time after the last race. Last year I gave him time, too, and for me, he comes back better and better,” Mancilla said. “He loves Laurel, so we’ll see what happens. I hope everything goes right. Last time he came back and I told my owner he may need the race, but he won. I hope he does the same thing this time. This one is real tough, but hopefully this sets him up for the rest of the year.”

Also coming off a layoff are Super Chow and Sir Wellington. Lea Farms’ Super Chow (12-1) is unraced since his runner-up finish in the six-furlong Jersey Shore Aug. 15 at Monmouth Park. The lone 3-year-old in the field, he has six wins, four in stakes, and was second by a length to next-out Grade 2 winner General Jim in the Feb. 4 Swale (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Xtreme Racing Stables’ Sir Wellington (8-1) alternated firsts and seconds in four straight starts this spring and summer, placing in stakes at Oaklawn and Delaware, and most recently ran fourth after chasing the pace in the July 29 De Francis at Laurel.

Super C Racing Inc.’s Classier (10-1) won the 2021 Los Alamitos Derby (G3) for previous trainer Bob Baffert before being moved to Brittany Russell early this year. The 5-year-old was claimed for $40,000 out of a March 19 win at Laurel and won his next two off the claim for trainer Kieron Magee including an off-the-turf Henry S. Clark April 29 at Laurel. Last out he was second by a half-length to Sir Alfred James in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Sept. 30 at Laurel.

Built Wright Stables’ Sir Alfred James (6-1), an 11-time career winner, also returns in this spot. Two of his wins have come in stakes and he was respectively third and fifth in Laurel’s General George (G3) in 2022 and 2023. Longshots Backnthewoods and Blessed Arion complete the field.

Friday’s card includes a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the All Along turf course that was split into two divisions with overflow fields of 13. Trainer Chad Brown has first-time starters Voter Registration and Fantasy Performer in Race 2 as well as Our Finest Hour in Race 6, along with Watch Tower, fifth in her Sept. 2 debut at Kentucky Downs.

Race 8 is a 5 ½-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up scheduled for the Dahlia turf course where Calming Storm, beaten a nose in a similar spot Oct. 1 in his grass debut, is the 2-1 program favorite in a field of 10.

There will be a carryover Friday of $10,426.33 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) and $6,000.08 in the $1 Jackpot Super High Five (Race 6).

Notes: Jockey Horacio Karamanos and trainer Mike Trombetta teamed up for a pair of winners Thursday, Lakeside Getaway ($6.40) in Race 1 and By the Sey Shore ($8.40) in Race 6 … Irish Exit ($13.40) held off favored It’s Viper to earn his seventh career win and second straight in Race 4, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up, in 1:37.65 for one mile over a fast main track … Multiple stakes-placed favorite There Are No Words ($6.20) emerged from a five-way photo finish a nose in front of 25-1 long shot Eldest Son in co-featured Race 7, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was 1:34.84 for one mile on a firm Dahlia turf course.