September 9 racing highlights: Lexington Street returns

TODAY’S ACTION

• Tracks in action: Laurel Park, Penn National, Charles Town

Friday afternoon marks the opening of the Laurel Park fall-winter meet and the feature race on the program is a six-furlong allowance on the main track that includes a pair of prior Maryland Million winners who will be using Friday’s allowance test as a prep for the latest edition of the Million card slated for Saturday, October 22. In fact, the two distaffers will likely be pointing for the same event.

Last fall, Lexington Street delivered one of the best performances of the Maryland Million card when she captured the six-furlong Lassie by nearly six lengths while getting the distance in 1:11.13, only slightly slower than what older males Jacks in the Deck and Ben’s Cat posted in the Sprint. A daughter of Street Sense trained by Gary Capuano for owner-breeder Marathon Farms, Lexington Street arrives with three wins in six starts and earnings of roughly $138,000, but she has not scored since taking the Lassie last fall.

Also in Friday’s allowance, a likely prep for the Maryland Million Distaff, is My Magician, coincidentally heroine of the 2014 edition of the Maryland Million Lassie. A daughter of Street Sense trained by Michael Trombetta for owner R. Larry Johnson, My Magician is winless in three starts this year and eight overall since taking the Lassie, but she owns a 2-1-4 slate and $127,000 bankroll from 12 starts and will likely be pointing for the Distaff here next month.

Friday evening the penultimate race on the Charles Town card is a one-turn allowance dash for three-year-olds and up that have never won two races. But West Virginia-breds Cat Come Home and Sherwood Forest both arrive with a trio of victories since their prior wins against restricted West Virginia-bred runners do not countt against them in this condition.

Cat Come Home, a sophomore son of Fiber Sonde owned, bred and trained by John McKee, has already won three of eight starts this year and arrives with a solid 3-5-2 slate and $70,000 bankroll from 11 career outings. Sherwood Forest has won only once in five tries this year and sports a solid 3-7-4 slate and $80,000 bankroll from 19 starts this year for trainer David Walters and owner Fairview Farms [Ellen Walters]. Both appear to be pointing for the West Virginia Breeders Classics card here on October 8, although likely in different events that night.