Graded Winner Harpers First Ride Tops Native Dancer

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, winner of the historic Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) over Preakness Stakes (G1) weekend in October, will get one more chance to add to what has been a spectacular season in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.

The 53rd running of the 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer, first held at old Bowie Race Course in 1966, is among four stakes for 3-year-olds and older on a Dec. 26 program featuring eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses, led by the $150,000 Allaire du Pont Stakes (G3).

BLOODHORSE: Eres Tu Goes For Third Straight Win in Allaire du Pont

A gelded 4-year-old son of Paynter , Harpers First Ride has won six of 10 starts with two seconds, one third, and more than $435,000 in purse earnings in 2020. Three of those wins have come in stakes—the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special Oct. 2 at Pimlico Race Course and the Sept. 5 Deputed Testamony Stakes and Nov. 28 Richard W. Small Stakes, each going 1 1/16 miles at Laurel.

Sporting a record of 9-2-1 from 16 races with $513,055 in earnings, Harpers First Ride has won three of his past four races, the exception being a runner-up finish to Monday Morning Qb in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Classic Oct. 24 at Laurel, beaten 3 1/4 lengths. He bounced back with a three-length triumph in the Richard Small Stakes.

"He had a perfect trip the last time. The time before he was on the outside the whole race and the last time it was much better," trainer Claudio Gonzalez said. "For me, the distance is not a problem. He's the kind of horse that can run all day.

"I cannot say anything bad about him. He does everything right. He's more mature. Even when he breezes, if you ask him a little, he goes, and if you relax with him, he relaxes. You can see it in the races. When he runs if you push him he can take the lead or he can come from behind. The horse is just a nice horse."

Harpers First Ride will face a familiar foe in Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, a fellow multiple stakes winner that he beat in the Deputed Testamony, Richard Small, and Pimlico Special, the latter a race where Cordmaker has run third two consecutive years, beaten three lengths combined. Winless in seven tries this year, the 5-year-old son of Curlin  is one of three horses in the field to have banked more than a half-million dollars, the third being Trin-Brook Stables' grade 3-placed Forewarned.

Air Token, owned and trained by Jose Corrales, takes a three-race win streak into the Native Dancer, the most recent coming Dec. 13 in a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer at Laurel against older horses. The 3-year-old Golden Lad  gelding's only previous try at 1 1/8 miles came on the grass when he ran second in the Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap Oct. 24 after taking a 5 1/2-length lead into the stretch.

"I think the horse will be fine. He's been running the distance and he's also run the short distances," Corrales said. "I think the horse is going to perform OK. He's got enough air for that. I think the first race that he ran on the grass he opened up too much and he just got caught."

Included in Air Token's win streak is a victory in the seven-furlong Concern Stakes Nov. 28 at Laurel by a neck over Francatelli. He came off the pace to win that race as well as a restricted allowance against his elders one start prior, but last out won in front-running fashion. Air Token has four wins, two seconds, and a third from nine starts since being claimed by Corrales for $10,000 out of an Aug. 1 win at Laurel. 

Hall Pass, Saratoga Jack, and V. I. P. Ticket round out the field.

Laki, Whereshetoldmetogo Set for Rematch

Also on the card, Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes (G3) winner Laki and Whereshetoldmetogo, separated by a nose in their last meeting four weeks ago, will line up against each other for the third time in four starts in the $100,000 Dave's Friend Stakes.

Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki got fanned six wide in the six-furlong Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes and had the length of the stretch but couldn't get by Whereshetoldmetogo Nov. 28 at Laurel. The effort came six weeks after Laki held off onrushing Eastern Bay to win the Oct. 3 De Francis by the same margin, his sixth career stakes win and first in graded company.

"I prefer to give Laki a little more time between starts because he puts so much into his efforts. I almost feel like I'm not being fair to him if I don't give him the time," trainer Damon Dilodovico said. "We got quality time from the Dash to his last start, so I was very happy with that, and he performed. That's the thing. He came out of the race well, so we figured we'd give it a shot."

The Dash avenged Laki's runner-up finish by 1 1/4 lengths to Eastern Bay in the Sept. 5 Polynesian Stakes at Laurel, a race in which Whereshetoldmetogo ran fourth. In addition to his $703,662 earner, Dilodovico will also send out Big Bertha Stable and Storm Stable's Taco Supream, upset winner of the 2019 Maryland Million Sprint Handicap. Sixth in the Polynesian, Taco Supream was a popular optional claiming allowance winner going six furlongs Dec. 3 at Laurel.

Also entered are Sombeyay, a grade 3 winner on turf and dirt making his second start for trainer Peter Miller; Share the Ride, winner of the Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) Nov. 29 at Aqueduct Racetrack; multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old Lebda, trying older horses for the first time; Charge to Victory; 13-time career winner Penguin Power; and Onemoregreattime.

Dontletsweetfoolya Aims to Extend Win Streak

In a race for females Saturday, Five Hellions Farm's late-developing 3-year-old filly Dontletsweetfoolya, who became a stakes winner in her previous start, will get a chance to extend her winning streak to five races in the $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes.

Dontletsweetfoolya and regular rider Jevian Toledo, aboard for each race of the streak, could be on the engine again having drawn the rail in a field of nine. It will be the second race in less than a month for Dontletsweetfoolya, who came back in a similar time frame to win a second-level optional claiming allowance Oct. 1 at Pimlico, her lone race away from Laurel.

"She's doing great. She came out of the last stake very well," trainer Lacey Gaudet said. "She's done well coming back on a quick turnaround so we decided while she's doing well right now we'll run her right back."

Saturday's card at Laurel, of which only the ninth-race finale is not a stakes race, begins at 12:25 p.m. ET.

Entries: Willa On the Move S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, December 26, 2020, Race 5

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:23 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dontletsweetfoolya (KY)	Jevian Toledo	122	Lacey Gaudet	2/1
2	2Parisian Diva (WV)	J. D. Acosta	121	Stacey R. Viands	10/1
3	3Shyza (KY)	Carol Cedeno	120	John C. Servis	12/1
4	4Elegant de Domino (KY)	Angel Cruz	121	Billy Hardin	30/1
5	5Malibu Mischief (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	121	Rudy R. Rodriguez	9/2
6	6Hibiscus Punch (KY)	Sheldon Russell	121	Justin J. Nixon	20/1
7	7Never Enough Time (MD)	Julian Pimentel	125	Michael J. Trombetta	5/1
8	8Suggestive Honor (ARG)	Jorge Ruiz	121	Marco P. Salazar	20/1
9	9Club Car (KY)	Victor R. Carrasco	121	Ben Colebrook	5/2

Entries: Dave's Friend S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, December 26, 2020, Race 6

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:53 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sombeyay (KY)	Jevian Toledo	123	Peter Miller	10/1
2	2Share the Ride (KY)	Victor R. Carrasco	123	Miguel Penaloza	9/5
3	3Taco Supream (MD)	Trevor McCarthy	121	Damon R. Dilodovico	6/1
4	4Lebda (KY)	Alex Cintron	124	Claudio A. Gonzalez	20/1
5	5Charge to Victory (KY)	Jorge Ruiz	121	Carlos A. Mancilla	15/1
6	6Whereshetoldmetogo (MD)	Sheldon Russell	123	Brittany Russell	7/2
7	7Penguin Power (WV)	Angel Cruz	121	Jeff C. Runco	15/1
8	8Laki (MD)	Horacio Karamanos	123	Damon R. Dilodovico	4/1
9	9Onemoregreattime (MD)	Johan Rosado	121	Jeremiah O'Dwyer	12/1

Entries: Native Dancer S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, December 26, 2020, Race 7

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:23 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cordmaker (MD)	Victor R. Carrasco	121	Rodney Jenkins	7/2
2	2Hall Pass (MD)	Trevor McCarthy	121	Hamilton A. Smith	8/1
3	3Air Token (MD)	Horacio Karamanos	120	Jose Corrales	10/1
4	4Harpers First Ride (MD)	Angel Cruz	125	Claudio A. Gonzalez	3/5
5	5Saratoga Jack (PA)	J. D. Acosta	121	Miguel Vera	20/1
6	6Forewarned (OH)	Roimes Chirinos	123	Uriah St. Lewis	12/1
7	7V. I. P. Ticket (MD)	Sheldon Russell	121	Jeremiah O'Dwyer	15/1