Isotherm Seeks Rebound in Dave's Friend at Laurel Park

Matt Schera's Isotherm, a two-time graded-stakes winner in turf routes, will start in a dirt sprint for only the third time in his career in the $100,000 Dave's Friend Dec. 28 at Laurel Park.

The six-furlong Dave's Friend for 3-year-olds and up is one of five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on the nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Bred in Kentucky, the 6-year-old Isotherm will be making his 28th career start in the Dave's Friend and third since joining the barn of trainer James "Chuck" Lawrence II. Though 16 of his first 19 races came on turf, Isotherm has made seven of his last eight on dirt, including a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Swatara Stakes Nov. 27 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course last time out, when he was ridden by Victor Carrasco.

In his debut for Lawrence, based at the Fair Hill Training Center near Elkton, Md., Isotherm was fifth in the Nov. 3 Autumn Stakes (G2) over Woodbine's all-weather surface, also contested at 1 1/16 miles, where he ran into traffic along the inside while making his run.

"In the race at Penn, Victor tapped him on the shoulder and he kind of took off with him and Victor lost his iron on the front end, so I've kind of thrown that race out," Lawrence said. "He actually ran a pretty nice race up in Canada; he just got shut off the last part of it.

"He's had some adversity in both his starts for me," he added. "Matt said he's always wanted to try him in a sprint. This is right here in our backyard and it's going to be a short field so we thought we'd take a shot."

Isotherm drew far outside post 8 in the Dave's Friend, where he will carry 120 pounds with jockey Forest Boyce aboard. He is 15-1 on the morning line.

Stakes winner Home Run Maker, racing for the first time since June 1, is the 122-pound highweight.

In his career Isotherm has raced less than a mile three previous times, running fourth at six furlongs in his 2015 unveiling over Saratoga's main track. He also was second in the 2016 Dania Beach Stakes (G3T) going 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park and most recently third in the 6 1/2-furlong San Simeon Stakes (G3T) in April 2018 at Santa Anita.

Winner of the 2015 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T) in his third career start and 2017 San Marcos Stakes (G2T), both for previous trainer George Weaver, Isotherm is following in the footsteps of stablemate Paret, co-owned by Schera with Orangella Racing Stable and trained by Lawrence.

Paret was third sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs in the Rainbow Heir Stakes Sept. 28 at Monmouth Park, part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series, then stretched back out to 1 1/2 miles for second in the Point of Entry Stakes Oct. 13 at Belmont Park at odds of 22-1.

"We had good luck (cutting back) before with Paret," Lawrence said. "It's more of just because he hasn't done it in a while to try it and see. He acts like he's got some speed. I think he'd be a closing sprinter. It's a small field (so) it might be a good opportunity to take a chance and try it."