It’s Hammertime returns a winner
Takethemoneyhoney dominant in second-level allowance

LAUREL, MD – Spring is in the air, the grass is green, and turf racing is back at Laurel Park beginning Friday, April 18.

There are five turf heats on the ten-race program. The first post time is 12:10 pm ET.

Unsurprisingly, the turf races drew big fields.

The opening race is a $16,000-$12,000 maiden claimer at one mile over the All Along Turf Course. Twelve horses were entered, including two on the eligible list.

The third race is a “non-winners of two” with a claiming range from $40,000 to $32,000. Thirteen horses entered the 1 1/16-mile event over the Dahlia course with the rail set at 52 feet.

Race five is the second division of the $16,000-$12,000 maiden claimer. Twelve entered, including an also eligible.

The seventh race is a first-level allowance for fillies and mares at 5 ½ furlongs on the Dahlia Turf Course. Sixteen horses entered, including three Main Track Only runners, with one on the Also Eligible list.

Dixieland Belle, a stakes-winner last year over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs, makes her seasonal and turf debut for Michael Trombetta, who led all Laurel Park trainers in 2024 with 21 turf victories. Trombetta also entered uncoupled stablemate Noquestionaboutit in the seventh race.

The co-featured ninth race, a second-level allowance with a $40,000 claiming option, is carded at 1 1/16 miles over the All Along Turf Course. Ten horses entered, including Grade 3 placed My Imagination, multiple stakes-placed performers Hay Chief and Worthington, and stakes-placed runners Cyber Ninja and Point Dume.

Last year, Laurel Park’s leading turf rider was Jaime Rodriguez, who won 39 grass races from 193 mounts.

Laurel Park presents three $100,000 stakes on Saturday, April 19, Preakness Preview Day. They are the Dahlia for fillies and mares at one mile, the Henry S. Clark for 3-year-olds and upward at one mile, and the King T. Leatherbury Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at 5 ½ furlongs.

*It’s Hammertime returns a winner

“It’s Hammertime! You can’t touch this,” exclaimed the great Dave Rodman as the Gary Capuano trained 3-year-old showed no rust returning from a 162-day layoff in Sunday’s featured eighth race, a $63,000 open allowance for 3-year-olds and six furlongs.

After winning his first three starts last year, including Delaware’s Rocky Run Stakes at one mile on Oct. 9, It’s Hammertime was considered one of the best 2-year-olds in the region. He made his final start of 2024 in Aqueduct’s Nashua Stakes on Nov. 2, where he finished fourth as the odds-on favorite.

Racing with Lasix for the first time on Sunday, It’s Hammertime pulled jockey J. G. Torrealba to prompt outside the speedy Do It For Michael through fractions of 22.78 and 46.59 seconds.

It’s Hammertime traveled sweetly turning for home, then turned back a stiff challenge from a game Reggie Runs Rogue to score by three lengths in 1:11.46 over the good track.

Reggie Runs Rogue was 2 ¼ lengths better than third-place finisher Barbadian Runner. Do It for Michael and Saxton completed the order of finish. Artillery Gunnar and Bright Charger scratched.

It’s Hammertime, sidelined over the winter due to a minor shin issue, returned $3 as the heavy favorite.

“He ran great,” Capuano said. “Torrealba said when that horse came to him in the stretch, he took off. He did get a little tired. I see that he was blowing pretty good so he got a lot out of this. He probably wasn’t 100% ready, but he was probably 90”.

Capuano marvels at It’s Hammertime’s cruising speed. “He breaks fast, he’s got some natural speed, and he’s just been great, other than the race in New York.”

In the Nashua, Capuano experimented by rating It’s Hammertime off the pace. “Even today, down the backstretch, it looked like he got a little rank. At some point, you have to give him his head and let him relax on his own.”

Bred in Maryland by ZWP Stable and Non Stop Stable, Non Stop owns It’s Hammertime in partnership with Eagle Up Stables and London Reid Thoroughbreds. He is a half-brother to stakes-winning dirt router Shackled Love out of a stakes-winning dirt miler.

Capuano plans on running It’s Hammertime in Pimlico’s $150,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs on the Preakness undercard.

*Takethemoneyhoney dominant in second-level allowance

Trainer Mike Moore’s decision to scratch from Saturday’s Heavenly Cause Stakes proved prescient when his Takethemoneyhoney dominated a field of fillies and mares in the seventh race, a $53,000 second-level allowance with a $40,000 claiming option at one mile.

Breaking from the far outside post in the nine-horse field, Takethemoneyhoney displayed her usual speed, prompting Majestic Creed through an opening quarter-mile in 23.78 seconds.

Takethemoneyhoney disdainfully dispatched her pace rival after a half-mile time of 46.91, opened a commanding lead under a confident Eliseo Ruiz after six furlongs in 1:12.03, then stayed strong through the long stretch to prevail by 5 1/4 lengths over Gold Digging Broad.

Stop the Cap was another 8 ¼ lengths behind in third. Then came Northern Glow, Lovely Charm, Malibu Moonshine, Don’t Tell Kelly, Majestic Creed and Ginger Girl. Bailintin scratched.

Takethemoneyhoney, the overwhelming favorite despite skipping an allowance condition, stopped the teletimer in 1:38.31. She returned $3 to win.

Takethemoneyhoney, a 4-year-old filly by Golden Lad, was foaled in Maryland and is a homebred owned by Kasey K Stable, Michael Day, and Final Turn.

She only raced once last year, destroying a maiden special weight field at Parx by 13 ½ lengths on July 10.

“She showed she could run in the morning,” Moore said earlier this week. “I certainly didn’t think she’d run like that. I thought she might be a little short for seven-eighths. Then, she had some problems.”

Takethemoneyhoney didn’t return to the races until February 22, where she overcame a protracted pace battle to win a state-sired allowance at six furlongs.

“She was real good that day, too,” Moore added. “She dueled throughout the turn and then pulled away pretty nicely.”

Takethemoneyhoney tasted defeat for the first time by the narrowest of margins when nosed out by Catherine Wheel in an open first-level allowance racing one mile at Aqueduct on March 15. Catherine Wheel returned to run third in the Heavenly Cause.

“She had to deal with a lot,” Moore admitted. “A lot of pressure the whole time, and that horse came and got her right at the end. It was a tough loss.”

Takethemoneyhoney is out of the stakes-winning mare Goodonehoney by Great Notion. Goodonehoney is a full sister to Twisted Ride, who won four stakes for these connections.