Among Three Stakes, Two on Turf, Worth $300,000 Saturday, Sept. 14
BALTIMORE – Hillwood Stable’s Maryland-bred and based multiple graded-stakes winner Post Time, exiting back-to-back Grade 1 placings at Saratoga, tops 27 horses nominated to the $100,000 Polynesian Saturday, Sept. 14 at Laurel Park.
The one-mile Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up is joined by a pair of $100,000 stakes scheduled for the grass, the 1 1/8-mile All Along and 5 ½-furlong Sensible Lady Turf Dash each for fillies and mares 3 and older, to kick off the calendar year-ending fall meet stakes schedule.
Post Time, trained by Brittany Russell, is undefeated in six career starts at Laurel including stakes wins in the 2022 Maryland Juvenile, 2023 City of Laurel, Jan. 28 Jennings and Feb. 17 General George (G3). The 4-year-old son of Frosted was named Maryland’s champion 2-year-old of 2022.
Four consecutive starts in New York have followed the General George for Post Time, winning the Carter (G2) and finishing second in the Westchester (G3) at Aqueduct before running second in the Met Mile (G1) June 8 and third in the Whitney (G1) Aug. 3 at Saratoga, the latter his two-turn debut.
Double B Racing Stables’ 6-year-old Repo Rocks is also a two-time graded-stakes winner, capturing last year’s seven-furlong Toboggan (G3) and one-mile Westchester at Aqueduct for Laurel’s 2024 summer meet-leading trainer Jamie Ness. The 10-time winner exits a popular allowance triumph against fellow Virginia-breds Aug. 22 at Colonial Downs.
Also prominent among nominees are multiple stakes winners Ain’t Da Beer Cold, Coastal Mission, Gordian Knot, Ninetyprcentmaddie and Seven’s Eleven, the latter second to Post Time in the General George; Ricco, winner of Laurel’s Aug. 18 off-the-turf Find; March 16 Not For Love winner Take a Hint; and Freedom Road, riding a five-race win streak.
European group stakes winners Atomic Blonde and For Flying and graded-stakes winners Neecie Marie and Parnac head 31 horses nominated to the All Along. German-bred Atomic Blonde won Italy’s 2022 Premio Verziere Memorial Aldo Cirla Tr Arqana (G3), has placed in four North American graded-stakes and won the May 25 Keertana at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old mare is trained by Christophe Clement, whose nominees also include twice Grade 3-placed La Mehana and 2023 Flower Bowl (G2) winner Parnac, who is winless in three starts this year among them a runner-up finish to McKulick in the Aug. 1 Glens Falls (G2) at Saratoga.
Fair Hill, Md.-based trainer Graham Motion is also represented by several nominees, among them Brazilian-bred For Flying, winner of the 2023 Diana (G1) in her native country that is 2-0 since coming to the U.S. this year; Five Towns, winner of Laurel’s April 20 Dahlia that has subsequently placed in Pimlico’s Gallorette (G3) and Woodbine’s Canadian (G2); No Show Sammy Jo, riding a three-race win streak; and Laurel’s Aug. 19 All Brandy runner-up Thegirlfromireland.
Neecie Marie captured Aqueduct’s May 11 Beaugay (G3) going 1 1/16 miles, was second in the 1 3/16-mile New York (G1) June 7 at Saratoga and comes out of a third in the Aug. 11 Beverly D. (G2) at Colonial Downs. Stakes winners Canisy, Generous Lover, Gold Digging Broad, Kissedbyanangel and Malibu Beauty are also nominated.
Most popular among horsemen is the Sensible Lady Turf Dash with 41 nominees including Clement-trained Dontlookbackatall, whose multiple stakes wins are topped by the 5 ½-furlong Caress (G3) July 25 on the Saratoga turf. Last out the 4-year-old filly ran second in the Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs.
Among other nominees are multiple stakes winners Beauty of the Sea, Late Frost and Toupie, who captured Laurel’s 5 ½-furlong Stormy Blues June 16; Alla Breve, winner of the six-furlong Jameela July 14 on the Laurel turf; and fellow stakes winners All That Magic, Anaita, Bosserati, Loon Cry, Love Appeals and Mystic Seaport.
Laurel Park is scheduled to open its 56-day fall meet Saturday, Sept. 7. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday, Sept. 8 for all three stakes.