He Hate Me Invades Laurel Park for De Francis Dash

Under the direction of trainer Stanley Hough, many Sagamore Farm horses are trained at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Yet the Maryland-rooted farm is still keeping a focus on its home state with an entry Sept. 21 at Laurel Park, where He Hate Me runs in the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes (G3).

A 4-year-old gelded son of Algorithms  out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Quiet Holiday, He Hate Me seeks his first stakes victory since the 2017 Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park. A two-time allowance-level winner in 2019, he returns following a runner-up finish to De Francis rival Bon Raison in Saratoga Race Course's Aug. 9 Tale of the Cat Stakes.

Overall, he has a 4-3-2 record from 11 starts, earning $256,620 for Sagamore Farm, the historic Glyndon, Md., racing and breeding operation founded in 1925 and owned by Alfred G. Vanderbilt from 1933-86. Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, purchased the farm in 2007.

"We're thrilled to be able to run in this race," Hough said. "It's what you work for, especially working with Sagamore. Whatever we can do in Maryland is great."

Purchased for $90,000 by Sagamore Farm at The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky select yearling sale, from the consignment of Stuart Morris in 2016, He Hate Me appears at the top of his game after a dry spell during his 3-year-old season. Besides his second in the Tale of the Cat, in which he set a pressured pace before losing by three-quarters of a length, he won a third-level allowance July 19 at Saratoga, blitzing six furlongs in 1:08.69.

"He was a nice 2-year-old that showed a lot of promise," Hough said. "He had to have knee surgery and came back and had another little problem. But now as a 4-year-old, he seems to be coming around again, so I think he's come into form pretty well. He's a very honest horse. I think he'll be a nice 5-year-old. I only plan to run him a time or two more this year and then give him a little break and look forward to next year."

Manny Franco, who typically rides at Belmont in September, will be aboard.

At six furlongs, the De Francis is a test of speed, and He Hate Me is not alone in being quick from the gate. Seven others are lined up against him, a few of whom come off races in New York. Wonderful Light won an Aug. 30 allowance at Saratoga after taking an Aug. 2 allowance-level race at Laurel; Killybegs Captain was third in the Forego Stakes (G1) after a fourth in the Tale of the Cat; and New York Central was last of seven in the July 6 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) at Belmont.

New York Central fared much better a race earlier when he won the six-furlong Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course in a stakes-record 1:08.74 for owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing.

"He's had a little freshening after his last race, and he's done well," WinStar president and CEO Elliott Walden said.

Bon Raison finished fifth in the Forego after winning the Tale of the Cat, and then was a closing second in the Sept. 2 Bensalem Stakes at Parx Racing.

The 28th running of the De Francis highlights eight stakes worth $1.3 million Saturday at Laurel, six of them on grass, topped by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup Stakes (G3). Besides the De Francis, the only other dirt stakes is the $100,000 Weathervane Stakes for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs.

Eleven fillies are in the Weathervane, though a couple of horses, Lady T N T and Take Charge Angel, could alternatively run in different races Saturday. Lady T N T is cross-entered in the $300,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3), and Take Charge Angel is entered in the $125,000 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The Weathervane marks the return of Needs Supervision, unraced since a fifth in the Feb. 16 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Prior to that defeat, she rattled off three consecutive victories, including the Jan. 19 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Jeremiah O'Dwyer trains her for owners Howling Pigeon Farms, Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Madaket Stables.

"This has been our target race," O'Dwyer said. "She's been training here and can run right from our back door." 

Entries: Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. (G3)

Laurel Park, Saturday, September 21, 2019, Race 8

• Grade III
• 6f
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Wonderful Light (KY)	Angel Cruz	120	Michelle Nevin	8/1
2	2Killybegs Captain (KY)	Eric Cancel	120	John P. Terranova II	9/2
3	3Altissimo (OH)	Christian P. Pilares	120	Richard Zielinski	6/1
4	4Bon Raison (KY)	Joey R. Martinez	120	Peter Tournas	5/1
5	5Sparticle (FL)	Emilio Flores	120	Carl O'Callaghan	12/1
6	6He Hate Me (FL)	Manuel Franco	120	Stanley M. Hough	3/1
7	7New York Central (KY)	Feargal Lynch	120	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
8	8Old Time Revival (FL)	Victor R. Carrasco	120	Kenneth Decker	20/1

Entries: Weathervane S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, September 21, 2019, Race 11

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1M C Hamster (KY)	Horacio Karamanos	120	Michael Ann Ewing	30/1
2	2Lady T N T (KY)	Julian Pimentel	120	Joe Sharp	6/1
3	3Meadow Dance (KY)	Sheldon Russell	120	Brad H. Cox	3/1
4	4Bunting (MD)	Victor R. Carrasco	120	Rodney Jenkins	8/1
5	5Jennemily (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	120	Carlos F. Martin	10/1
6	6Needs Supervision (KY)	Feargal Lynch	122	Jeremiah O'Dwyer	6/1
7	7Foggy Dreams (KY)	Brian Pedroza	120	Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon	30/1
8	8Take Charge Angel (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	120	Ben Colebrook	5/2
9	9Talkthetalk (KY)	Alex Cintron	120	Jane Cibelli	15/1
10	10Decoupage (KY)	Jacqueline A. Davis	120	Flint W. Stites	20/1
11	11Adventurous Lady (KY)	UNKNOWN	120	Norm W. Casse	12/1