Jump Sucker Stable's Blacktype could be the bridge from the Commonwealth Turf Cup and the renamed Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) to be run Sept. 30 at Laurel Park.
Blacktype, a French-bred son of Dunkerque trained by Christophe Clement, prevailed by a half length in last year's Commonwealth Turf. He returns to Laurel to try to become the first repeat winner of the grade 2 one-mile turf race.
The $200,000 Baltimore/Washington International is the headliner for Laurel Park's "Class on the Grass" event. The 12-race program includes eight turf stakes, three of them graded, with $850,000 in purse money. There are two graded stakes for 3-year-olds, the $200,000 Commonwealth Derby (G3T) and $150,000 Commonwealth Oaks (G3T).
The three graded stakes formerly were conducted at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., which has not offered racing since 2013. The Virginia Equine Alliance and Virginia HBPA are presenting the two grade 3 races.
The Baltimore/Washington International drew a field of eight that includes grade 1 winner Ring Weekend, multiple grade 2 winner Tower of Texas, and a pair handled by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown: Projectedand Catapult.
Blacktype, who drew post seven, won his most recent start, a 1 1/16 miles optional claimer on Sept 9. at Belmont Park. It was his first victory of the season highlighted by a third-place finish in the Longines Dixie Stakes (G2T). Prior to his Commonwealth Turf Cup victory in 2016, Blacktype won the Oceanport Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park. Horacio Karamanos, who won the 2013 Commonwealth Turf on London Lane, will ride Blacktype.
Ring Weekend, co-owned by St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds, is a well-traveled, accomplished veteran who leads the Baltimore/Washington International field with more than $1.5 million in earnings. He picked up his grade 1 victory in the 2015 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita Park. Trainer Graham Motion saw some positives in his most recent race, a fourth in the Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) on a yielding turf course at Saratoga Race Course on Sept. 4.
"I think he's probably not quite the horse he was, though his numbers are still very solid with this group of horses," Motion said. "He's a little bit more laid back perhaps than he was, which shows in his races. He tends not to get so involved early in the races. I actually thought his last race at Saratoga was strong enough against what's the stronger group of horses that we have on the East Coast."
In the Commonwealth Oaks, Stuart Janney III will try to win with a homebred for a third straight year. He won the 1 1/8-mile turf race in 2015 with Onus and last year with My Impression. Janney will go for the hat trick Saturday with In the Lee, a daughter of Tapit out of Janney's graded stakes-winning mare Quiet Harbor.
"I worry that if I think about it too much it won't come to pass," said Janney of the possibility of winning the 1 1/8th mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies. "But it would be great. I care a lot about Maryland racing and everyone has been doing a great job there. I was toured all around the facility recently and it's great what they're doing. (Commonwealth) is a great day and it's a fun race to win."
Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who will try to saddle his third consecutive Oaks winner for Janney, In the Lee is from a very special family that can be traced back to 2001, when Seth Hancock purchased the A.P. Indy mare Meghan's Joy for Janney in foal to Deputy Minister at the Keeneland November sale. Meghan's Joy has produced five graded stakes winners for Janney: Ironicus , Hunting, Norumbega, On Leave, and Quiet Harbor; as well as the multiple stakes winner Seal Cove.
"It's been a good family," Janney said. "Meghan's been a terrific broodmare and she's been bred to some very good stallions."
In the Commonwealth Derby, Motion will send out Just Howard off a three-race win streak. The son of English Channel will make his graded stakes debut in the 1 1/8-mile turf test.
Just Howard is a Maryland-bred with deep roots in the state. He is named after his breeder, the late Howard Bender, is owned by Skeedattle Associates, the long-standing partnership of three friends from Clarksville, Md. and is trained by Motion, who is based at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md.
Motion said that adding blinkers in May isn't the only reason why Just Howard broke his maiden in his sixth try and then won two Laurel stakes on turf.
"That's probably a part of it," Motion said. "I do think he's a horse that just kind of matured. He hasn't done much wrong, this horse. He's a pretty cool horse."
Laurel Park, Saturday, September 30, 2017, Race 7Entries: Commonwealth Oaks presented by the Virginia Equine Alliance and the Virginia HBPA (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Proud Reunion (KY)
Ashley Castrenze
120
Thomas F. Proctor
10/1
2
2Fly By (KY)
Jevian Toledo
116
Leah Gyarmati
15/1
3
3Rymska (FR)
Feargal Lynch
116
Chad C. Brown
2/1
4
4Canny (KY)
Sheldon Russell
116
Michael Stidham
20/1
5
5I'm Betty G (MD)
Julian Pimentel
116
Michael J. Maker
12/1
6
6Charged (KY)
Daniel Centeno
116
Michael Stidham
15/1
7
7Taperge (KY)
Nik Juarez
116
Chad C. Brown
5/2
8
8Chubby Star (MD)
Jose Lezcano
116
Horacio DePaz
6/1
9
9Flower Fashion (FR)
Horacio Karamanos
116
Christophe Clement
8/1
10
10In the Lee (KY)
Forest Boyce
116
Claude R. McGaughey III
12/1
Laurel Park, Saturday, September 30, 2017, Race 8Entries: Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup S. (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Glorious Empire (IRE)
Sheldon Russell
118
Carlos F. Martin
12/1
2
2Projected (GB)
Nik Juarez
118
Chad C. Brown
9/5
3
3Tower of Texas (ON)
Jesse M. Campbell
118
Roger L. Attfield
6/1
4
4Catapult (KY)
Feargal Lynch
118
Chad C. Brown
7/2
5
5Ring Weekend (KY)
Edgar S. Prado
118
H. Graham Motion
9/2
6
6Xmas Sky (KY)
Jevian Toledo
118
Elizabeth M. Merryman
30/1
7
7Blacktype (FR)
Horacio Karamanos
118
Christophe Clement
9/2
8
8Special Ops (KY)
Daniel Centeno
118
Michael J. Maker
15/1
Laurel Park, Saturday, September 30, 2017, Race 11Entries: Commonwealth Derby presented by the Virginia Equine Alliance and the Virginia HBPA (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Final Copy (ON)
Jesse M. Campbell
116
Roger L. Attfield
6/1
2
2Master Plan (KY)
Sheldon Russell
116
Todd A. Pletcher
15/1
3
3Just Howard (MD)
Feargal Lynch
116
H. Graham Motion
10/1
4
4Voodoo Song (NY)
Jose Lezcano
120
Linda Rice
8/5
5
5Profiteer (KY)
Edgar S. Prado
116
Claude R. McGaughey III
5/2
6
6Dover Cliffs (KY)
Horacio Karamanos
116
Christophe Clement
6/1
7
7Bronson (KY)
Daniel Centeno
116
Michael J. Maker
8/1
8
8Threeohtwocassie (PA)
Victor Lebron
116
Anthony Pecoraro
20/1