Manor House Heads to Fair Grounds After Laurel Score

Manor House, a 12 1/4-length debut maiden winner at Laurel Park Dec. 12, will soon head south for a 3-year-old campaign to begin the new year.

Trainer Mike Stidham said Dec. 13 that the 2-year-old Upstart  colt exited the race in good condition and would travel to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where he will be nominated to the Jan. 16 Lecomte Stakes (G3). The colt has been stabled at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

Stidham said Manor House ran to expectations Saturday after recording several bullet works at Fair Hill. He went to the front under Victor Carrasco with fractions of :24.10, :47.50, and 1:12.10 before leaving his rivals behind to complete a one-turn mile in 1:38.31.

"He showed good speed and kept going at the end. We feel good about it right now in terms of handling two turns," the trainer said.

Bred in Florida by David Berman, Manor House is out of the Dixie Union mare Cascina, the dam of four winners from five foals. Cascina's top earner is Bella Vincenza (by Biondetti), who won the 2018 Added Elegance Stakes at Gulfstream Park over seven furlongs. She won eight of 31 starts and $246,043.

Upstart, North America's sixth-leading first-crop sire, stands at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky. His fee for 2021 is $10,000. 

Manor House is owned by Maurice and Samantha Regan's Newtown Anner Stud Farm, for whom Stidham has campaigned stakes winners Saguaro Row and Tasting the Stars, the former in partnership with Mark Breen.

"We've had several for them over the last several years, and this is another nice, very talented, young horse," Stidham said.