Kenny Had a Notion Digs Deep to Win Spectacular Bid

Louis Ulman and H. Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion, a juvenile stakes winner on both turf and dirt, dueled from start to finish with a stubborn Maythehorsebwithu before prevailing by a neck Jan. 16 in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at Laurel Park.

The inaugural seven-furlong Spectacular Bid for 3-year-olds and return of the $100,000 Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs were among six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on a Saturday program that launched Maryland's 2021 stakes calendar.

Ridden by Jorge Ruiz for trainer Dale Capuano, Kenny Had a Notion ($8) led all the way to snap a two-race losing streak with his third career stakes win. The winning time was 1:23.98 over a fast main track.

"He's been showing a lot more speed the last few races. I think a lot has to do with him maturing and getting himself together," Capuano said. "We're very pleased with him."

Kenny Had a Notion was pressed by Maythehorsebwithu from the outset, the two running in tandem through a quarter-mile in :23.14 and a half in :46.47, briefly joined in the chase by Shackqueenking. The top pair began to edge away once straightened for home and set the stage for a battle through the lane with Kenny Had a Notion, racing along the rail, refusing to budge under relentless pressure.

Maythehorsebwithu, who beat Kenny Had a Notion when second in the First State Dash Stakes over a sloppy track last fall, was two lengths ahead of Shackqueenking in second. Tiz Mandate finished another length back in fourth, trailed by Erawan, Nobody Knew, Scotch Rock's, and Wicked Prankster.

Kenny Had a Notion won the 5 1/2-furlong Jamestown Stakes on the Laurel turf in October and now has also won at six and seven furlongs on the main track. He ran sixth after displacing his palate in the Nov. 14 James F. Lewis III Stakes, underwent a procedure to correct the problem, and came back two weeks later to be second beaten a neck in the Dec. 26 Heft Stakes.

"He's run well at six and seven (furlongs), so I think we'll stretch him out at some point," Capuano said. "He's game. He seems to carry his speed at seven, so it's exciting. We'll see how far he takes us."

Kenny Had a Notion was bred in Virginia by Althea Richards out of the During mare Darting, and was a $20,000 purchase by Capuano from Scott Mallory's consignment to the 2019 Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale, Fasig-Tipton's yearling sale in Timonium, Md. He improved his career record to four wins and a second from seven starts, with earnings of $211,125.

Street Lute Registers Four Straight

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, cutting back to six furlongs for the first time in two months, ran her win streak to four races, all in stakes, with a dominant five-length triumph in the $100,000 Xtra Heat.

A neck shy of being undefeated in seven career starts, Street Lute ($2.80) ran six furlongs in 1:10.31 over a fast main track under regular rider Xavier Perez in her 3-year-old season opener.

"The horses, they all improve after they win and she's done nothing but win, so she expects to win," winning trainer John 'Jerry' Robb said. "I think that helps."

Perez and Street Lute were outrun for the early lead by Trip to Freedom, the Maryland Million Lassie show finisher who went the first quarter-mile in :22.51. Street Lute, racing in the clear two wide, eased up to take over the top spot following a half in :45.64 and kept rolling, opening up by five lengths heading for home.

"It's easy to say now, but I kept looking for the fractions to make sure (Perez) was going easy, and apparently he was," Robb said. "I was confident coming into today but after watching the races today and all the closers were winning every race, I was a little nervous from that."

Miss Leslie, winner of the Anne Arundel County Stakes going 1 1/16 miles in her previous start, ran second to snap her three-race win streak. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to 33-1 shot Breeze Off the Bay, who edged Whiskey and Rye by a neck for third. It Can, Plane Drunk, Trip to Freedom, and Incomparable completed the order of finish.

Street Lute overcame an eye injury and subsequent surgery to win her debut, delayed to September at Delaware Park. The Street Magician  filly won the Small Wonder Stakes in her second start and got caught at the wire in the Maryland Million Lassie before reeling off consecutive wins in the Smart Halo, Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, and Gin Talking Stakes.

Bred in Maryland by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman out of the Midnight Lute  mare Alottalute, Street Lute was a $10,500 purchase by Robb from Becky Davis' consignment to the 2019 Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale. She improved her record to six wins and a second from seven starts, with earnings of $350,220.

Wendell Fong Gives Lynch First Winner

Gold Square's Wendell Fong came with a steady run on the far outside to run down grade 3 winner Share the Ride approaching the wire and give trainer Natalia Lynch her first career victory in the $100,000 Fire Plug Stakes.

Wendell Fong ($15.20) ran six furlongs in 1:10.01 over a main track rated good to earn his second career stakes victory. Lynch had gone winless in her first 16 starts as a trainer dating back to last summer.

"It was me and my mom and my son watching it at home and we were screaming and crying. It was amazing," Lynch said by phone. "I think it's been holding off until this horse. I really think it was. He just means more to me than the world. To have it with him, I'll never forget it."

With Lynch staying home, trainer Brittany Russell saddled the horse. Russell was one of several trainers Lynch worked for before going out on her own.

image url="//cms-images.bloodhorse.com/i/bloodhorse-images/2021/01/e52521d4b76a459582bdc6e8b17c353c.jpg?preset=medium" alt="Wendell Fong wins the Fire Plug Stakes Saturday, January 16, 2021 at Laurel Park" credit="Jim Duley/Maryland Jockey Club"]Wendell Fong (outside) wins the Fire Plug Stakes[/image]   

Lynch, 26 is a native of Maryland who began galloping horses while attending Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County. She has a long association with Wendell Fong going back to when she was working as an assistant to trainer Jeremiah Englehart, overseeing his Laurel string. Lynch helped prepare the now 5-year-old son of Flat Out  for his debut, which he won in the final month of 2018, as well as his lone prior stakes victory in the 2019 Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont Park.

After getting a class break in his last two starts, Wendell Fong returned to stakes company and rewarded Lynch's devotion and dedication.

"I had spoken to Talie last night and she pretty much said to just sort of leave him alone, sort of don't send him and don't take him back," jockey Sheldon Russell said. "He's a professional horse. Drawing from the inside I didn't really have any options but to stay quiet, and to be fair I actually clipped heels so he took a little stumble and I was probably a little further back than I wanted to be. What a cool horse to ride. He was ready today. Great job to Talie and her team. I'm very happy to get Talie her first win as a trainer."

Breaking from the rail inside his six rivals, Wendell Fong clipped heels with 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki shortly out of the gate and trailed the field as Maryland Million Sprint winner Karan's Notion and multiple stakes winner Lebda alternated through fractions of :22.17 and :45.24. Wendell Fong began gaining ground on the turn and was set down once straightened for home, getting up by a neck in the final jump.

"It just felt like they were going really fast early on and he just got so comfortable down the backside. At about the three-eighths pole I was just showing him a little bit of daylight on the outside and he started picking them up," Russell said. "At the top of the stretch he just jumped on the bridle and was really trying. He was well-prepared today. Great job to Talie and her team."

Share the Ride was second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Lebda. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to 2-1 favorite Laki in fourth, followed by Karan's Notion, Arthur's Hope, and Penguin Power. Wendell Fong had not won since the Gold Fever.

Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz out of the Forestry mare Augusta Queen, Wendell Fong was a $160,000 purchase by Al Gold/Gold Square from Shawhan Place's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He improved his record to 4-1-1 from 13 starts, with earnings of $226,870.

Hello Beautiful Returns to Winning Ways

Hello Beautiful picked up where she left off in 2020 while punching her ticket for a return to graded stakes competition with a front-running victory in Saturday's $100,000 What A Summer Stakes.

Trainer Brittany Russell and the connections are hoping the Golden Lad  filly will next run in the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3), contested at seven furlongs Feb. 13 at Laurel.

"To be fair, I think she's better going seven-eighths," jockey Sheldon Russell said. "So, she has options. She showed us last time I rode her that she can rate. Hopefully she can keep progressing and we can have some fun with her this year."

It was the fifth career stakes score for Hello Beautiful ($2.40), who is campaigned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stable, and Magic City Stables. The winning time was 1:10.67 over a main track rated good.

Breaking from post 3 in a field of eight as the 1-5 favorite, Hello Beautiful was quickly on the lead and kept busy through a quarter-mile in :22.22 and a half in :45.54 by 10-time winner Malibu Mischief, who moved within a half-length on the turn as their rivals lagged behind.

Hello Beautiful opened up again with little urging from Russell to take a four-length advantage into the stretch. She was never threatened and finished geared down as 10-1 shot Club Car closed for second, 8 1/2 lengths ahead of 23-1 shot Bridlewood Cat in third. They were followed by Escapade, Malibu Mischief, Tarawa, New York Groove, and Cause I'm Edgy.

Hello Beautiful improved to 7-10 lifetime at Laurel, including stakes wins at 2 in the Maryland Million Lassie and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, and at 3 in the Maryland Million Distaff and Safely Kept, the latter two to cap her 2020 campaign.

Now 7-for-13 lifetime with earnings approaching $400,000, Hello Beautiful was bred in Maryland by Hillwood Stables out of the Tiznow mare Hello Now. She was a $6,500 purchase by Brittany Russell from Dark Hollow Farm's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed Sale in 2018.

Tattooed a Stakes Winner at Last in Jennings

Kenneth Holt, Theodore Montuori, and Palumbo Racing Stable's 6-year-old gelding Tattooed, making his 32nd career start, became a stakes winner for the first time with a rallying neck triumph over Galerio in the $75,000 Jennings Stakes.

Ridden by Angel Cruz for trainer Tim Keefe in the Jennings, a mile test for 4-year-olds and up, Tattooed ($23.80) ran the distance in 1:37.46 over a main track rated good for his sixth career victory, all at Laurel. He has run in the past three editions of the Maryland Million Classic, finishing third last fall.

"The key is really patient owners. They've been great and let me do what I do best and that's be patient with an older horse like this just to try to get him to develop and come into his own at his own time," Keefe said. "They never push me to run him. They let me run him when he's ready."

Multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining, racing for the first time since last July, was sharp from the break and eager for the lead, going a quarter-mile in :24.13 and a half in :47.10, with Galerio ranging up in the clear three wide to challenge. Tattooed, meanwhile, settled in mid-pack before getting untracked once straightened for home, weaving through traffic to find open space and get up late.

"He's not a particularly easy horse to ride. Angel had ridden him earlier in his career," Keefe said. "He's got a quarter of a mile run, and that's it. Running to the second wire going a mile, if you start too early he's not going to finish. He did a great job doing that. He's a game horse. The way Angel rode him, weaving in and out of traffic, he just kept on coming and got there at the end so we're very fortunate."

Galerio was second, two lengths ahead of multiple stakes winner Cordmaker. Hanalei's Houdini, Hall Pass, My Friends Beer, Air Token, Oxide, and defending champion Alwaysmining completed the order of finish.

It was the fifth Jennings win for Keefe, who won four consecutive editions with Eighttofasttocatch (2011-14).

Tattooed was bred in Maryland by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Holt, Montuori, and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Palumbo out of the Oratory mare Tough Talkin Lady. He improved his record to 6-10-4, with earnings of $347,869.

Gale Blows Away Rivals in Geisha

Robert LaPenta, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Bridledwood Farm's Gale, back on her favorite track following a troubled graded and stakes debut in New York last fall, rolled to a front-running 2 3/4-length triumph in the $75,000 Geisha Stakes.

Though based in New York with trainer Jonathan Thomas, the 4-year-old daughter of Tonalist  ($3) made her first three starts at Laurel, the first two on turf, with wins on both grass and dirt before stepping up and stretching out in the 1 1/8-mile Comely Stakes (G3) Nov. 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack. She was bumped and stumbled at the start, rushed up into contention, and faded to be fifth.

Favored at 1-2 in the Geisha, a mile test for Maryland-bred females, 4-year-olds and up, Gale broke a bit flat-footed but quickly got settled under Sheldon Russell and worked her way to forge a short lead over stakes winner Artful Splatter after a quarter-mile in :23.87. Gale began to separate from the field through splits of :46.43 and 1:12.11 and had plenty of room to hold off a late stretch bid from Kiss the Girl to win in 1:39.24.

Kiss the Girl was 7 1/4 lengths ahead of Coconut Cake. They were followed by S W Briar Rose, Artful Splatter, and She'smysunshine.

Bred in Maryland by R. S. Evans out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Windy Forecast, Gale was a $450,000 purchase by Bridlewood and Eclipse from Eddie Woods' consignment to The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected sale of 2-year-olds in training, in 2019.

Unraced at 2, she graduated second time out in a 1 1/16-mile waiver maiden claimer over Laurel's turf course last October and went gate-to-wire in a restricted one-mile allowance on the dirt—both over older horses—winning by 20 combined lengths. She improved her record to three wins and a second from five starts, with earnings of $102,412.

Video: Geisha S. (BT)

Video: Fire Plug S. (BT)

Video: Jennings S. (BT)

Video: What A Summer S. (BT)

Video: Xtra Heat S. (BT)

Video: Spectacular Bid S. (BT)