Laurel Park’s leading trainer Brittany Russell had sent out four horses to nondescript finishes Sunday afternoon, none better than fourth.

Fortunately for her, she still had one club in the bag.

Complexity Jane, the three-year-old Complexity filly she trains for Michael Golden’s Golden Lion Racing, saved the day with a dominant, 3 ¼-length win against older rivals in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. It was the second stakes win of Complexity Jane’s career; she also won the Weber City Miss over the strip in April.

Overall Complexity Jane has four wins from six career starts, and the winner’s share pushed her bankroll past $210,000.

Complexity Jane paid $7.80 to win as the 2.90-1 second choice in the field of seven. The exacta, with 7-1 Doctor Abbie underneath, returned $32.30 for a one-dollar wager.

After her win in the Weber City Miss, things had gone somewhat sideways for Complexity Jane. She tossed rider Sheldon Russell and was a gate scratch before the Hilltop Stakes in May at Pimlico. Then she finished eighth in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks and a distant fifth in the Tyson Gilpin at Colonial Downs.

Today, for the first time, she went postward wearing blinkers.

“I wasn’t seeing this theory of the blinkers,” Sheldon Russell said. “When I said that to Brittany, she told me that she had had them on him for a while [in the mornings]… We were hoping that it would help be like a comfort for her, rather than trying to show more speed.”

When the gates opened, Di’s Surprise, making her first start since April, was quickest to the punch under jockey Yedsit Hazlewood, although “quickest” is a relative term: the opening quarter-mile was a glacial 24.99 seconds, and the half went in 49.54.

Russell, meanwhile, had Complexity Jane poised perfectly, just to the outside of the leader and, remarkably enough, a couple lengths clear of the others.

“I always say, if we can’t sit outside of one horse, we don’t deserve to be winning,” Sheldon Russell said. “So my plan was always to let the five go.”

Complexity Jane had a head in front after a half-mile, and it was a half-length after three quarters in 1:14.03, with Di’s Surprise her nearest pursuer. And still, none of the others was mounting a challenge.

“When you go that slow, you have those closers making that early move, and that’s what I was dreading, you know what I mean?” Sheldon Russell said. “Because I don’t think she’s one that spurts away. I think she’s got a grinding run.”

Complexity Jane entered the stretch in full flight, pulling away to the final 3 ¼-length margin. Doctor Abbie, sixth of seven early, rallied into second, while Backstretch, who was last after three quarters, grabbed third. DI’s Surprise faded to fourth, while post time favorite Sheilah’s Warcloud finished fourth.

Beautiful Blome and Navani completed the order of finish.

“I couldn’t be happier for Mike [Golden],” Sheldon Russell said. “He’s a good friend of ours. He’s put some nice horses in the barn, and he deserved this one.”