4-Year-Old Arrogate Colt Fires Bullet in Final Work Saturday
Eight September Stakes Worth $900,000 to Open Fall Meet
Barbosa Rides Four Straight Winners to Cap Saturday Card

BALTIMORE – Colts Neck Stables’ Subrogate, undefeated in three starts as a 4-year-old, put in a final breeze Saturday ahead of his next scheduled start in the listed $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park.

The six-furlong De Francis for 3-year-olds and up, named for the late former president and chairman of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course, headlines a Sunday, July 28 program featuring four stakes worth $450,000 in purses.

Subrogate went four furlongs in an easy 52 seconds, fastest of eight horses, at owner Richard Santulli’s Colts Neck facility in northeast New Jersey. It was the second work this month for the son of 2023 Hall of Famer Arrogate since an eye-catching optional claiming allowance victory June 29 at Aqueduct.

“He’s steady. He’s an Arrogate and he has a big, long stride. We know he can go fast,” trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. said. “That’s not an issue. It’s just a matter of keeping him sound, keeping him happy.

“He’s been running. If you put company next to him he’ll give you the fight, but right now we’re just trying to maintain him,” he added. “We’ve got enough races under his belt where it’s just kind of keeping him in maintenance mode and getting them all through this heat wave we just had.”

In his only other prior stakes attempt, Subrogate ran fourth in last summer’s Pegasus at Monmouth Park. The connections chose the De Francis ahead of the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1), also sprinting six furlongs, July 27 at Saratoga.

“All systems go for the De Francis. He worked well today and he’s doing well. We’ve just got to keep him together until Sunday,” Duarte said. “Instead of going in a Grade 1, we’re going to opt for the more conservative route. We’re excited.”

Purchased for $250,000 as a yearling in September 2021, Subrogate has four wins and one second in seven career starts with $242,100 in purse earnings. Other horses under consideration for the De Francis include Grade 3 winner Dean Delivers and multiple stakes winners Ninetyprcentmaddie, Prince of Jericho and Seven’s Eleven.

First run in 1990, the De Francis boasts an illustrious roster of winners including Housebuster – who beat fellow Hall of Famer Safely Kept in 1991 – and sprint champion counterparts Cherokee Run, Smoke Glacken, Thor’s Echo and Benny the Bull.

Switzerland won the 2018 De Francis and went on to become a multiple group-stakes winner in Dubai including the 2022 Golden Shaheen (G1). Millionaire Lite the Fuse – bred, owned and trained by the late Dick Dutrow – is the only two-time De Francis winner (1995-96).

Eight September Stakes Worth $900,000 to Open Fall Meet

Led by the storied Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds and Selima for 2-year-old fillies, Laurel Park will offer eight stakes worth $900,000 in purses in September to kick off its calendar-year ending fall meet.

The fall meet is expected to open Saturday, Sept. 7 with the first three stakes coming a week later. The $100,000 Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up going one mile and a pair of $100,000 grass stakes for fillies and mares 3 and older, the six-furlong Sensible Lady Turf Dash and 1 1/8-mile All Along, are scheduled for Sept. 14.

Females will be in the spotlight again Sunday, Sept. 22 with the $100,000 Twixt for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile and $100,000 Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs.

Co-headlining the Saturday, Sept. 28 program are the $150,000 Laurel Futurity and $150,000 Selima, both scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass. They are joined by the $100,000 Japan Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 ½ miles, also on turf.

The Laurel Futurity has a rich history dating back to 1921 inaugural winner Morvich, who would go on to win the 1922 Kentucky Derby. The Futurity has also been won by Triple Crown champions Affirmed, Citation, Count Fleet and Secretariat along with such horses as Barbaro, Honest Pleasure, In Reality, Quadrangle, Riva Ridge, Spectacular Bid and Tapit.

First run in 1926, the Selima is named for the great English race mare who was imported to the U.S. in the 1750s by Benjamin Tasker Jr., manager of the famed Belair Farm in Prince George’s County. Among its winners are Hall of Famers Busher, Shuvee, La Prevoyante and Mom’s Command and subsequent 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) winner Sharing.

Barbosa Rides Four Straight Winners to Cap Saturday Card

Jockey Jeiron Barbosa, competing for leading rider at Laurel Park’s summer meet, followed Jaime Rodriguez’s hat trick by completing Saturday’s card with four consecutive wins and taking sole possession of second place in the standings.

Rodriguez improved his meet-leading total to 28 wins with victories aboard Kadri ($3.60) in Race 2, Blame the Tux ($3.20) in Race 4 and Flat Discount ($6.60) in Race 5 respectively for trainers Jamie Ness, Carla Morgan and Matthew Binning.

From there it was all Barbosa, who scored on Barbadian Runner ($35.20) in Race 6, Atlas Strong ($21.20) in Race 7, Kitten’s Appeal ($5) in Race 8 and Italian Symphony ($8) in Race 9. The winning trainers, in order, were Henry Walters, Tim Woolley, Bruce Levine and Jane Cibelli.

“I felt like I could win three today,” Barbosa said. “When I won the first two it surprised me because they were longshots. I thought I had a good chance for the others. It’s really amazing. I’m very happy.”

Barbosa, who entered Saturday’s program tied with J.G. Torrealba at 15 wins apiece, now sits second with 19. Torrealba did not have a winner Saturday.

On July 12 the 21-year-old Barbosa, a 2022 Eclipse Award finalist for champion apprentice jockey, won five of nine races at Laurel. Represented by agent Tom Stift, he owns two meet titles apiece at Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course.

“I’ve been working every day to try and win a lot of races, so I’m very happy and thankful,” Barbosa said.

Notes: Sunday’s 10-race card is headlined by the $100,000 Big Dreyfus for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Dahlia turf course in Race 9 and $75,000 Miss Disco for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs in Race 8. First race post time is 12:25 p.m. … Jockey Xavier Perez doubled Saturday aboard Little Lance ($28.40) in Race 1 and Viennese Waltz ($7.80) in Race 3 … Two Tone Farms’ Kitten’s Appeal ($5), a 5-year-old homebred mare based in New York with trainer Bruce Levine, registered her second straight win in the Race 8 feature, a second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs. The winning time was 1:12.41 over a fast main track.