MOQUIST LOOKS TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS

Moquist
Moquist improved to three-for-three with an allowance win at Oct. 16 Laurel Park. Photo Jim McCue.

Mopo Racing’s undefeated 3-year-old filly Moquist will put her perfect record on the line as she preps for next month’s stakes debut in Friday’s salty, stakes-quality feature at Laurel Park.

Moquist is the 8-5 program favorite in Race 4, a third-level allowance/optional claiming event for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting seven furlongs that drew a field of six, including multiple stakes winners Dontletsweetfoolya (5-2) and Needs Supervision (7-2), both coming off layoffs.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Trainer Dale Capuano is pointing the daughter of 2016 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist to the $100,000 Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, also at seven furlongs, Nov. 27 at Laurel.

“The races, we know, are going to get tougher as she goes on so we’ll see what happens. This should be a good prep for her to go into the stake, so the timing is good,” Capuano said. “We’re looking forward to it. Hopefully she’ll continue to run well. Most of them don’t win every time.”

Moquist drew Post 2, inside both Dontletsweetfoolya (Post 4) and Needs Supervision (Post 5). She has won each of her races in front-running fashion by a combined 8 ¾ lengths, all against older horses, the most recent a 3 ½-length triumph over a fast, sealed track Oct. 16 at Laurel.

“She doesn’t have to be in front. Luckily, she normally breaks well,” Capuano said. “When you break well and you have speed like she does, it’s an advantage. Hopefully she breaks well and gets a good trip, and we’ll see if she can step it up another notch.

“She’s been doing well, so when they’re good I like to run ’em,” he added. “She needs more experience, because when she runs in that stake and runs against stakes horses, they’re going to have a lot more experience than she has. They get a lot more racing than working, so I see no reason why she shouldn’t run.”

Jorge Ruiz rides back for the third straight race.

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