Sprint Stakes Double at Laurel Park on Saturday

Laurel Park will host a total of four black-type tilts on Saturday, and my focus will be on the pair of one-turn stakes events on the big day of racing. 

Race 8 Wager

$5 double 1,2,4 with 4,7 ($30)

Race 8 – Barbara Fritchie S. 

Eight fillies and mares will jaunt seven-eighths on the main strip in the first piece of the play. Two-time Grade-1 placed stakes heroine #1 Dry Powder will commence her season in her local debut for trainer Chad Summers. The Gun Runner four-year-old was unplaced in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) in her sophomore finale but lands in a very reasonable spot for her return. The Kentucky-bred will be formidable with her best under Perez. 

#2 Hold Your Breath is the inside pace of the race and could get brave if she clears early for John Servis. The McKinzie filly proved her class with a facile score in the Garland of Roses S. at Aqueduct two back, and she will show vast improvement off of her subpar venture last time out. #4 Takethemoneyhoney is a nose and a head from being unbeaten from eight career runs, with five of those coming over this surface. The Michael Moore pupil will be a major threat with her best showing with regular pilot Ruiz in the silks. 

Race 9 – General George S. 

The boys will take their turn at seven furlongs on the dirt in this heat, with seven signed on for the dash. My top pick in the especially well-matched cast is #7 Slam Notion for trainer Robert Bailes. The four-year-old son of Great Notion has won his past four races on the main oval; he is three-for-three at the distance, and the Maryland-bred comes in fresh for this with a fine post on the outside of the group, too. Jevian Toledo will pilot the stalker.

It’s difficult for me to ignore #4 Quint’s Brew, who won this race by 5 1/2 commanding lengths last year as the 4-5 favorite. The Edward Allard-trained son of Mosler sports a nifty 9-5-4-0 in his lifetime and could also be peaking while he makes his third run off the long layoff. Hazlewood retains the ride and will have the five-year-old rolling inside the final furlong.