LRL: Competitive group to meet in Weather Vane
Local hopefuls tackle talented shippers
The Biz
September 18, 2026
Stakes-tested Sneaky Good heads a competitive field of eight 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $100,000 Weather Vane Stakes at Laurel Park.
The six-furlong Weather Vane is race nine on a 10-race card beginning at noon.
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Sneaky Good, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, won both starts at two, including Tampa Bay Downs’s Sandpiper Stakes. The Brad Cox trainee has since placed in three graded stakes and most recently rallied for fourth after stumbling at the start of the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Saratoga.
Jaime Rodriguez rides the Into Mischief filly from post four.
French Friction, trained by Mark Casse, could be the controlling speed from the rail. The City of Light filly won her first two starts by a combined 11 ¾ lengths before facing tougher graded company. She returned from a three-month break to finish second in a high-level turf allowance at Ellis Park. Sheldon Russell rides the 7-2 chance.
Local runners Slewperstitus and Just Philtored renew a rivalry that began last season. Slewperstitus, the 5-2 second choice, won the Maryland Million Lassie and has finished in the top three in all 11 career starts. The Robbie Bailes trainee enters from a runner-up effort in a second-level allowance at Colonial Downs.
Just Philtored won three stakes at two, including the Maryland Juvenile Filly Stakes, but is winless in four starts this year. She finished fourth against older horses in a restricted turf handicap at Colonial last out.
“I’ve always gone back and forth, trying to figure out whether she’s better on the turf or on the dirt,” trainer Michael Trombetta said. “But now that I’ve had a few more opportunities on each, I’m pretty much leaning toward the idea that she’s maybe just a tick more competitive on the dirt than on the turf.”
Jorge Ruiz rides Just Philtored, 10-1, from post two.
For the Ladies brings a three-race winning streak into the Weather Vane. Claimed for $25,000 in July, the Upstart filly provided trainer Pedro Nazario his first stakes victory as a conditioner when she rallied to win Timonium’s Shine Again Stakes three weeks ago.
“There was a lot of speed in the race, so we tried to relax her and make a run, and it worked out perfectly,” Nazario said.
Raul Mena retains the mount on the 15-1 shot.
Embrace the Moment also exits a Timonium victory, having led throughout a second-level allowance August 30. The Greg Compton trainee drew post eight and is 4-1.
“She’s a big, leggy filly,” Compton said. “She covers a lot of ground and has a huge stride.”
Stakes-placed Late Night Text and Celtic Harp complete the field.
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