Dads Caps to Maryland for De Francis Dash

A runner-up in his past two starts, New York-based Dads Caps will try to secure his first win since taking the Carter Handicap (gr. I) in April when the 4-year-old Discreet Cat   colt faces up to nine rivals in the $350,000 Frank J. De Francis Dash Nov. 15 at Laurel Park.

While the Carter at Aqueduct Racetrack is the lone win this season for Vincent Scuderi homebred Dads Caps, he has registered three runner-up finishes in graded races: the Toboggan Stakes (gr. III), Tom Fool Handicap (gr. III) and, most recently, the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. 

"He looks like he is coming into the race in good shape," Rodriguez said. "We were hoping to space him out a little bit after Saratoga (where he was second in the listed Troy Stakes) but we gave him a shot and he ran well in the Vosburgh. Since we got him, he hasn't done much wrong. Every time we run him, he shows up.

"There is a lot of speed in this race. I am going to let Julian (Pimentel) decide what to do and get him in a good spot. Hopefully he'll be good enough."

Pimentel is named to ride Dads Caps, the 5-2 morning line favorite, and Ben's Cat. Maryland favorite Ben's Cat may opt to pursue the 23rd stakes win of his career elsewhere as he also is being considered for the Fabulous Strike Stakes at Penn National Race Course.

"I was reluctant to enter and am not sure we will run because there are some really tough horses in here," said trainer King Leatherbury. "I have the option of running him in the Fabulous Strike at Penn National in a couple weeks. He has done some good things on the dirt but there are too many good horses in here who are faster. The race came up really tough and it is supposed to. There are only so many big races for sprinters." 

Frawing the rail is Happy My Way, who has finished first or second in five of six races this year, including a score in the Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Pimlico Race Course on the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) undercard. Joe Bravo will ride the son of Wilko  , who will look to bounce back from an off-the-board finish in the Vosburgh.

"I think you can draw a line through the Vosburgh," trainer Joseph Orseno said. "He is coming into this race in great shape and we are looking forward to it. We have had this on our schedule for a long time. I tried to get him to do other things earlier in his career because of his pedigree but this year I decided to make him a sprinter and he has responded. He got really good for us."

Bern Identity will look to add more success at Laurel. The Bernstein colt won three stakes races during a 35-day period this summer for trainer Kelly Breen, including the Dave's Friend Stakes at Laurel Sept. 6, before placing third in the Stoll Keenon Phoenix Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland last month. 

Saturday's "Fall Festival of Racing" card also features five $100,000 stakes races. Total purses for the nine-race program amount to $981,000, making it the fourth biggest on the Maryland racing calendar this year. HRTV will have on-track coverage for the entire race card, with Caton Bredar providing the latest, up-to-date information throughout the day, including paddock reports, analysis and interviews with key personalities.

Some of the horses to watch on Saturday include Smart Halo Stakes starter Overprepared, who won her maiden debut last month for trainer Todd Pletcher; stakes-winning 2-year-olds Cinco Charlie and Golden Years in the James Lews Stakes; graded stakes winner In Trouble in a field of 14 3-year-olds in the City Of Laurel Stakes, and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) runner-up Vero Amore in a full field of 3-year-old fillies in the Safely Kept Stakes.