Harpers First Ride Wins Fourth Stakes in Native Dancer

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride put the finishing touches on an outstanding season by dismissing a bid from fellow multiple stakes winner Cordmaker at the top of the stretch and rolling home a 3 1/4-length winner in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.

Favored at 1-5 over his six rivals, Harpers First Ride ($2.40) registered his seventh win from 11 starts this year and fourth stakes win, none bigger than the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) Oct. 2 at Pimlico Race Course. The winning time was 1:48.56 over a fast main track.

Jockey Angel Cruz, riding for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, positioned Harpers First Ride behind pacesetting Saratoga Jack through a quarter-mile in :24.61, with Cordmaker and Hall Pass battling side by side behind the top two. Harpers First Ride was in front after a half in :48.39 and went six furlongs in 1:11.53 when Cordmaker came calling. They straightened for home together but Cordmaker was unable to sustain his drive and got passed by Forewarned for second.

"Claudio told me to get a good position and just sit behind the speed. The speed's on the outside so (I) just (tried to) get him to relax and go on from there," Cruz said. "At the top of the stretch I had so much horse, when I asked Harper he responded very well. When Cordmaker came by me I just sat patient and waited a little bit and when I asked him he responded for me. He's just a game horse. He fights to the end."

Harpers First Ride was bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Polyester. From 17 races, he has a 10-2-1 record and earnings of $573,055.

Whereshetoldmetogo Best in Dave's Friend

Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber, and Black Cloud Racing Stable's Whereshetoldmetogo came with a determined run through the stretch on the far outside and edged clear to a three-quarter-length triumph in the $100,000 Dave's Friend Stakes.

It was the third consecutive win and second straight in a stakes for Whereshetoldmetogo ($6), racing for the fourth time since joining Laurel trainer Brittany Russell. The 5-year-old El Padrino gelding ran six furlongs in a sharp 1:08.55 over a fast main track.

Jockey Jevian Toledo, subbing for regular rider Sheldon Russell, was unhurried in the early going as Charge to Victory ran a quarter-mile in :22.13 before being overtaken by Penguin Power after a half in :44.63. Put in the clear leaving the backstretch, Whereshetoldmetogo began rolling on the outside around the turn and was set down for a drive once straightened for home.

"Brittany told me not to rush him out of there and just leave him alone wherever he's comfortable," Toledo said. "I just let him break and settle and when I felt he was trying to move I made my move, and he gave me everything he had. He's a really nice horse."

Taco Supream put in a strong effort to be second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Penguin Power. Laki, favored at 4-5, was another two lengths back in fourth.

Whereshetoldmetogo was bred in Maryland by David Wade out of the Domestic Dispute mare Undisputed Legend. A $7,000 purchase by Black Cloud Racing from Northview Stallion Station's consignment to the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, Whereshetoldmetogo has earned $541,291 from a 9-5-2 record in 24 starts.

'Sweet' Streak Reaches Five in Willa On the Move

Five Hellions Farm's Dontletsweetfoolya extended her win streak to five races, putting away main rival Malibu Mischief at the top of the stretch and sprinting clear to her second straight stakes victory in the $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes.

Dontletsweetfoolya ($4.20), favored at even money in a field of eight, hit the wire 2 1/4 lengths in front in 1:09.47 for six furlongs. It was the closest a horse had come to beating the daughter of Stay Thirsty  during her streak, where she had won by an average of 6 1/2 lengths.

"Ever since we drew the one-hole we were kind of dreading it, especially with the weather coming in. The track guys did a fantastic job with working this rail all day," winning trainer Lacey Gaudet said. "We've had rain and cold weather and this rail is beautiful so it did give us a little more confidence when we led her over here. (There was) a lot of speed; being on the inside we knew she was going to be pressed pretty hard and she just keeps coming back at them."

Jevian Toledo, aboard for the entirety of the streak, hustled Dontletsweetfoolya from their rail post and was quickly joined by Malibu Mischief, a New York shipper that had won her six straight races. Malibu Mischief pressed Dontletsweetfoolya through fractions of :22.40, :44.81, and :56.75 but was no match once they straightened for home, when Dontletsweetfoolya drew off to her fifth win in eight career starts.

"I didn't tell Jevian anything. He rides this filly with confidence and he knows her very well," Gaudet said. "He got to the paddock and I gave him a fist bump and said, 'It's up to you now.' That's kind of what we've done the last few races with her, and he gets her home."

Hisbiscus Punch edged Malibu Mischief by a half-length for second with Club Car a neck back in fourth.

Dontletsweetfoolya was bred by BHMFR in Kentucky out of the Catienus mare Stunning Electra. Consigned by Scott Mallory as a weanling to the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Lawrence Hobson first purchased her for $1,500. She then sold for $160,000 to agent Emerald Sales at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age when consigned by Hemingway Racing and Training Stables. She has earned $202,790.

No Cents Hits Paydirt Again in Heft

Isabelle de Tomaso and Hope Jones' New Jersey homebred No Cents survived both a resurgent effort from fellow stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion along the rail and a lengthy inquiry to extend his win streak to four races in the $100,000 Heft Stakes.

It was the second straight stakes victory for No Cents ($3.40) following his 1 1/4-length triumph in the James F. Lewis III Stkaes Nov. 14. Ridden by Alex Cintron, the juvenile son of Goldencents  completed seven furlongs in 1:23.79 over a fast main track.

Kenny Had a Notion ran the opening quarter-mile in :22.78 before Singlino went a half in :45.45. Cintron kept No Cents in the clear three wide and went after the leaders at the top of the lane, grinding away to take a short lead inside the eighth pole, only to have Kenny Had a Notion battle gamely inside but fall a neck short.

Jevian Toledo, the rider of third-place finisher Singlino, lodged an objection against Cintron and No Cents for drifting in and impeding his path near the eighth pole, but the complaint was dismissed after an extended review.

Based at Laurel with trainer Cal Lynch, No Cents has earned $209,500 from five starts. He is out of the Petionville mare Faker.

Street Lute Narrow Winner of Gin Talking

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute ended a near-perfect rookie season the way it began—in the winner's circle—leading from start to finish and holding off a frantic late bid from longshot Fraudulent Charge for a nose triumph in the $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes.

Ridden for the third straight race by Xavier Perez for trainer Jerry Robb, Street Lute ($2.80) ran seven furlongs in 1:23.39. She earned her fifth win from six starts, third black-type score, and third straight, all at Laurel.

Street Lute broke on top and raced through fractions of :23.55 and :46.21 under mild pressure. Out of Sorts made a sweeping move to get into contention on the far turn but couldn't keep up as Street Lute began to separate from the field.

Fraudulent Charge made a spirited bid on the outside and nearly pulled off the upset at 9-1 in just her second career start. Out of Sorts was third.

Street Lute, bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman, out of the Midnight Lute  mare Alottalute. John Robb purchased her for $10,500 from consignor Becky Davis at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale. With five wins in six starts, she has earned $290,220.

Shackqueenking Rules in Howard County

Pocket 3's Racing's Shackqueenking, favored in his first try against stakes company, dueled with stakes-tested Ain't Da Beer Cold through the stretch and got his nose down on the wire to win the $100,000 Howard County Stakes

Ridden by Victor Rosales for trainer Gary Capuano, Shackqueenking ($6.40) completed about 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.36 for his second win from four starts, all since Nov. 1.

"I've run him pretty quick four times now in a short period of time but he seems to relish it. I have to train him the morning of the race because he just gets wild, but he's not bad," Capuano said. "He's just a good-feeling horse. Victor does a good job with him and it all worked out well. He ran game. It was tight."

Ain't Da Beer Cold was hustled to the front and held it through splits of :24.13, :48.06, and 1:12.17. Shackqueenking rated just off the leader heading to the stretch when they hooked up, with Ain't Da Beer Cold appearing to take a short lead inside the sixteenth pole before Shackqueenking surged again.

"I was really happy. The six horse (Ain't Da Beer Cold) broke and looked like he really wanted the lead. He sent him there and victor did a good job. He got him out of there but once that horse committed to go, he was able to just relax and track on the outside. He really had a good trip," Capuano said.

"I wasn't sure (he won) because he had gone by that horse and that horse came back and looked like he had the jump on him," he added. "The last couple jumps we just nosed him out. It was good horse race. You don't want to be on the losing end of that so I'm happy."

Erawan was 3 1/2 lengths behind Ain't Da Beer Cold in third.

Bred in Kentucky by Ledgelands and Andrew Ritter, Shackqueenking is by Shackleford and out of the Lawyer Ron mare Jury's Out. Agent Gary Capuano purchased her for $20,000 from Ledgelands at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She has two wins and two seconds from four starts and has earned $100,020.

Miss Leslie Steps Up in Anne Arundel County

BB Horses' Miss Leslie, trying two turns for the first time in her stakes debut, emerged from a three-way photo finish a head in front of favored shipper The Grass Is Blue to capture the $100,000 Anne Arundel County Stakes.

Miss Leslie ($7), with Roimes Chirinos up, had never gone beyond six furlongs in her first four starts and was racing for the second time since being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Claudio Gonzalez Nov. 13. The win was the third straight overall for the daughter of Paynter .

Miss Leslie settled in fifth as Malibu Beauty led the way with splits of :24.24 for a quarter-mile and :48.43 for the half. Chirinos swung Miss Leslie outside leaving the backstretch and had The Grass Is Blue on her right hip as they descended on Buckey's Charm, who raced greenly on the lead. The three hit the wire together with Miss Leslie in between horses.

Buckey's Charm was second, a head in front of The Grass Is Blue. It was 2 3/4 lengths back to Malibu Beauty in fourth. The winning time was 1:44.97.

"We were talking about it in the paddock and she broke pretty good. I saved the most ground I could, and she was relaxed," Chirinos said. "She wasn't scared at all. She was just fighting to take the lead and she fought pretty good."

Miss Leslie was bred in Kentucky by Maxis Stable out of the Mingun mare Zeenut. She has earned $108,630 from a 3-1-1 record in five starts.

Video: Heft S. (BT)

Video: Gin Talking S. (BT)

Video: Anne Arundel County S. (BT)

Video: Howard County S. (BT)

Video: Willa On the Move S. (BT)

Video: Dave's Friend S. (BT)

Video: Native Dancer S. (BT)