Two-Year-Olds Look for Boost in Laurel Futurity, Selima

Nearly six weeks after graduating in his second start, Hendrickson  will make the step up into stakes company Oct. 1 for the 96th running of the $150,000 Laurel Futurity on the turf at Laurel Park.

Hendrickson returns to the turf after breaking his maiden by 2 1/2 lengths going a mile on the all-weather surface Aug. 22 at Presque Isle Downs. 

The effort was a marked improvement from his debut, when Hendrickson got outrun early and finished last of eight in a July 15 maiden special weight sprinting five furlongs on the Monmouth Park turf.

Also entered is Dataman , a son of Tapit that ran fifth in his debut sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the Saratoga Race Course turf July 22 before coming back to graduate by 1 1/4 lengths Aug. 22 going a mile on the grass at Colonial Downs.

Also coming off an impressive maiden triumph is Dandy Handyman , a gelded son of 2016 Wood Memorial (G1) winner Outwork   that came flying from far back to win at first asking going a mile Sept. 7 at Colonial Downs. Trailing by as many as 11 lengths after a half-mile, he got up in the final jump to beat heavily favored Take Me to Jimmy  at odds of 22-1.

  

Also in the field are Quincy Cafe , Roan Burgundy , Free Soul , Otago , Congruent , and Fire Baron . Freedom Road , Fun Lovin Criminal , Splendor Beauty , and We Dont Need Roads  are entered for main track only.

Thomas Duo Target Selima

After watching horses such as Sharing and Consumer Spending use the race as a path to the Breeders' Cup and become graded stakes winners, trainer Jonathan Thomas is hoping the same will prove true for either or both of Born Dapper  and Delight  in Saturday's $150,000 Selima Stakes.

"There's no doubt that this race is a good stepping stone," said Thomas, who trains both Delight and Born Dapper for Augustin Stable. "If you happen to be competitive in this race, the timing to the Breeders' Cup is very, very good. And when it's good, Laurel's turf course is as good as anywhere."

Delight, by Mendelssohn  , has raced three times having run third in each of her first two tries starting with a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight April 29 at Keeneland. She was given plenty of time before being stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for her Aug. 7 return at Saratoga, and was freshened again exiting a 2 1/4-length triumph Aug. 27 at Delaware Park.

Born Dapper, a homebred daughter of 2012 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags   that also exits a maiden special weight victory, hers coming by one length going a mile Aug. 13 at Monmouth Park. She was second in debut May 28 on the all-weather surface at Woodbine prior to running third over its turf course July 2, and was also involved in a 1 1/16-mile race July 24 at Saratoga that was ultimately declared a no contest following a tractor malfunction.

"She's just been a real solid filly," Thomas said. "She's shown in her three starts and she's bred and has the look of a filly that will appreciate the stretch out. They both have been kind of preparing for this race together and, honestly, Born Dapper has been training every bit as good as Delight."

Trainer Chad Brown will be chasing a third straight Selima win with Klaravich Stables' Private Credit , an Into Mischief   filly that ran third in her Aug. 4 unveiling at Saratoga and came back with a front-running 4 1/4-length score going a mile Sept. 2 at Monmouth Park. 

What an Honor , Lifelovenlaughter , Anotherdaygoneby , Bee Mountain , Cha Cha Tap , Lady Azteca , Majesty's Freedom , and The Classy One  round out the field.

Entries: Laurel Futurity

Laurel Park, Saturday, October 01, 2022, Race 5

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 2 yo
• 2:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Quincy Cafe (KY)	Johan Rosado	122	Lacey Gaudet	12/1
2	2Dataman (KY)	Victor R. Carrasco	122	H. Graham Motion	6/1
3	3Dandy Handyman (KY)	Kevin Gomez	122	Keri Brion	5/1
4	4Fire Baron (KY)	Horacio Karamanos	117	Michael J. Maker	7/2
5	5Fun Lovin Criminal (KY)	Carlos Eduardo Lopez	122	Claudio A. Gonzalez	8/1
6	6Congruent (KY)	Feargal Lynch	122	Antonio Sano	5/1
7	7Hendrickson (KY)	Jorge Ruiz	122	H. Graham Motion	6/1
8	8Otago (FL)	Jevian Toledo	122	Kelsey Danner	15/1
9	9We Dont Need Roads (MD)	Angel Cruz	122	Anthony Pecoraro	12/1
10	10Freedom Road (KY)	Isaac Castillo	122	Gregory D. Sacco	3/1
11	11Splendor Beauty (KY)	J. D. Acosta	122	Claudio A. Gonzalez	7/2
12	12Free Soul (FL)	J. D. Acosta	122	Carlos Munoz	12/1
13	13Roan Burgundy (PA)	Sheldon Russell	122	Brittany T. Russell	4/1

Entries: Selima S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, October 01, 2022, Race 7

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 3:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lifelovenlaughter (MD)	Horacio Karamanos	122	Michael J. Trombetta	10/1
2	2The Classy One (NJ)	Sheldon Russell	122	Kelly J. Breen	6/1
3	3Anotherdaygoneby (KY)	Jeiron Barbosa	122	Brian M. Brooks	20/1
4	4Lady Azteca (KY)	J. D. Acosta	122	Bernardo G. Lopez	15/1
5	5Born Dapper (KY)	UNKNOWN	122	Jonathan Thomas	9/2
6	6Private Credit (KY)	Feargal Lynch	122	Chad C. Brown	7/2
7	7Cha Cha Tap (KY)	Jean C. Alvelo	122	Milan Milosevic	20/1
8	8Bee Mountain (VA)	UNKNOWN	117	A. Ferris Allen, III	20/1
9	9Majesty's Freedom (KY)	Xavier Perez	122	John J. Robb	15/1
10	10Delight (FL)	Jevian Toledo	122	Jonathan Thomas	3/1
11	11What an Honor (KY)	Victor R. Carrasco	122	Michael J. Maker	7/2