154 NOMINATED TO UPCOMING LAUREL STAKES

Two dozen graded-stakes and multiple stakes winners are among 154 nominations made to Laurel Park’s Fall Festival of Racing, a collection of six stakes worth $600,000 in purses to be contested Saturday, Nov. 28.

Sophomores will sprint seven furlongs in the $100,000 Safely Kept for fillies and $100,000 Concern, the latter drawing 25 nominees led by Monday Morning Qb, last out winner of the Maryland Million Classic Oct. 24 whose other victory in three tries at Laurel came in last winter’s seven-furlong Heft Stakes. Monday Morning Qb also ran second to the undefeated Happy Saver, subsequent winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), in Laurel’s Sept.7 Federico Tesio.

Lebda, third in the Heft before winning the Miracle Wood and Private Terms at Laurel over the winter; stakes winners Big City Bob, third in the 2019 Champagne (G1) and Federico Tesio, Bright Dawn, Francatelli and Karan’s Notion are also nominated. Karan’s Notion upset the Maryland Million Sprint and came back to capture an optional claiming allowance Thursday at Laurel.

The Safely Kept was popular among horsemen with 29 nominations including Charles Town Oaks (G3) winner Fly On Angel; 2019 Demoiselle (G2) winner Lake Avenue, unraced since May 1; Delaware Oaks (G3) winner Project Whiskey; multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful, who romped last out in the Maryland Million Distaff; Reagan’s Edge, second twice and fourth in three consecutive graded stakes, beaten a total of 3 ¼ lengths; Lady Rocket, undefeated in two starts for trainer Brad Cox; and Coconut Cake and Dontletsweetfoolya, each riding three-race win streaks and yet to face stakes company. Coconut Cake was scratched the morning of the Maryland Million Distaff.

Hello Beautiful, Lady Rocket and Dontletsweetfoolya are also among 22 nominees to the $100,000 Primonetta for fillies and mares 3 and up going six furlongs, joined by multiple stakes winners Las Setas, Never Enough Time and Needs Supervision, the latter unraced since March 14; 2019 Gin Talking winner Bella Aurora; and Lady Rocket’s Cox-trained stablemate Cinnabunny, a winner of two straight and four of her last six.

Laki, last out winner of the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course; fellow graded-stakes winners Majestic Dunhill, Sombeyay and Still Having Fun; and stakes winners Arthur’s Hope, Completed Pass, Eastern Bay, Hollis, Honor the Fleet, Lewisfield, Taco Supream, Wendell Fong, Whereshetoldmetogo and Zenden are prominent among 29 nominees to the $100,000 Frank Whiteley Jr. for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs. Lewisfield’s stablemate Penguin Power, a 13-time winner from 17 starts, Francatelli and Karan’s Notion are also nominated.

Twenty-eight nominations were made to the $100,000 Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up going about 1 1/16 miles led by Harpers First Ride, a winner of back-to-back stakes including the historic Pimlico Special (G3) Oct. 2; 2019 Iselin (G3) winner Monongahela; 2018 Monmouth Cup (G3) winner Name Changer; 2020 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) runner-up Multiplier; Mexican Triple Crown winner Kukulkan, winner of the 2018 Clasico del Caribe and 2019 Copa Confraternidad at Gulfstream Park.

Also nominated are Bal Harbour, placed in nine graded-stakes from his last 10 starts including the 2019 Woodward (G1) at Saratoga; multiple stakes winner Cordmaker, third in the Pimlico Special the past two years; stakes winners Forewarned, Honor the Fleet, Taco Supream and Top Line Growth, who suffered his first loss in five tries at Laurel in the Maryland Million Classic Oct. 24.

Fillies and mares 3 and up will go about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go, which drew 21 nominations including Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Bonny South, the Alabama (G1) runner-up who hasn’t raced sine finishing second as the favorite in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Oct. 3 at Pimlico; multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter, Las Setas and Needs Supervision, graded-stakes placed Gold Standard, Lucky Stride and Sweet Sami D; and Landing Zone, a winner of four straight for Maryland’s leading trainer, Claudio Gonzalez.

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