Alwaysmining Seeks Return to Form in Native Dancer

Last December, Runnymede Racing's Alwaysmining was just establishing the form that saw him become a multiple stakes winner and earn himself a berth in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

A year later, the Maryland-bred gelding goes after his first victory since having had his six-race win streak snapped in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown in the $100,000 Native Dancer Dec. 28 at Laurel Park.

The 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer for 3-year-olds and up is among five $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program that includes the Dave's Friend for 3-year-olds and up and Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older, both at six furlongs.

Alwaysmining won the 2018 Maryland Juvenile Futurity and Heft Stakes to cap his juvenile season and opened this year with a sweep of Laurel's 3-year-old stakes—the Miracle Wood, Private Terms, and Federico Tesio—the latter earning him an automatic berth in the Preakness, where he wound up 11th after looming a threat at the top of the stretch.

From there, Alwaysmining placed third in the June 8 Easy Goer at Belmont Park and ninth in the July 13 Indiana Derby (G3) before getting some time off at the owner's farm in Pennsylvania and being pointed to a late fall campaign.

"He looks great. I'm very happy with how he's come off of his break, and he came back from the sprint race in great shape," trainer Kelly Rubley said. "He had a nice breeze this weekend and we're looking forward to Saturday."

Alwaysmining returned from nearly five months between races Dec. 7 in the six-furlong Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for state-bred/sired horses at Laurel, where he pressed the pace and was passed late to finish fifth, beaten two lengths. Finishing ahead of him were fellow stakes winners Lewisfield, Still Having Fun, Clubman, and Taco Supream.

"He came out of the race in great shape. We used that race as a little bit of a prep for the Native Dancer," Rubley said. "I thought he ran a great race. He was only beaten two lengths. I don't think six furlongs has ever been his distance, but it was a good spot to get a little prep in."

Alwaysmining, based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., has won seven of 10 starts at Laurel. Breaking from far outside post 7 with Julian Pimentel aboard for the third straight race, he will carry the highweight of 123 pounds.

"I think the sprint race will put us somewhat forwardly placed in this race and hopefully we'll hold off the closers," Rubley said. "We're hoping to get back to that (winning) form."

Entries: Native Dancer S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, December 28, 2019, Race 6

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:51 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Someday Jones (PA)	Trevor McCarthy	122	John C. Servis	5/2
2	2Major Cabbie (LA)	Sheldon Russell	120	Peter Miller	3/1
3	3Monongahela (PA)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	124	Jason Servis	8/5
4	4Stadium (KY)	Edwin Gonzalez	120	Timothy C. Kreiser	20/1
5	5Bonus Points (MD)	Feargal Lynch	122	Michael J. Trombetta	10/1
6	6Honor the Fleet (KY)	Alex Cintron	120	Louis Albertrani	12/1
7	7Alwaysmining (MD)	Julian Pimentel	123	Kelly Rubley	8/1