Multiple GS Winning Millionaire Facing State-Breds for First Time

BALTIMORE – There is little that Three Diamonds Farm’s multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Field Pass hasn’t done over five seasons of racing, but the well-traveled 6-year-old veteran will be trying something new when he returns to Maryland for Saturday’s $75,000 Find at Laurel Park.

The 42nd running of the Find for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the Fort Marcy turf course, co-headlines a 10-race program with the $75,000 All Brandy for fillies and mares 3 and older.

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

Trained by Mike Maker throughout his 34-race career, Field Pass has run at 15 racetracks in seven U.S. states and Canada with nine wins, all at different venues. Bred in Maryland by Mark Brown Grier and purchased for $37,000 as a yearling at Timonium in 2018, he will be facing state-breds for the first time in the Find.

Field Pass has raced just twice this year, finishing eighth in the Feb. 4 Tampa Bay (G3) and a July 20 optional claiming allowance at Saratoga, both going 1 1/16 miles. His most recent win came via disqualification in the Texas Turf Classic last July at Lone Star after finishing second by a neck as the favorite.

Since then, Field Pass’ best finishes have been fourths in the 2022 Mint Million (G3) at Kentucky Downs and Knickerbocker (G3) at Aqueduct, beaten 4 ¼ combined lengths.

“He hasn’t been running up to par in the last several races,” Maker said. “So, hopefully going up against state-breds will help him find his way back to the winner’s circle.”

Field Pass has run three times previously in Maryland. At Laurel he finished fourth as the favorite in the 2019 Laurel Futurity, beaten one length for it all, and third in the Henry S. Clark to open his 2022 campaign. The winner of that race, Chez Pierre, would go on to take the Maker’s Mark Mile (G3) in April.

An eight-time stakes winner, Field Pass captured the 2021 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course, the fourth of his five graded-stakes victories. Others have come in the 2020 Jeff Ruby (G3), Transylvania (G3) and Ontario Derby (G3) and 2021 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2).

“He’s the kind that’s never had to take his track with him. He’s won from the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in-between,” Maker said. “We’re looking forward to seeing how he does here.”

Overall, Field Pass owns nine wins, three seconds and five thirds with nearly $1.2 million in purse earnings. Maryland’s leading apprentice, Axel Concepcion, will ride from Post 4 at topweight of 126 pounds in a field of 11 that includes Galerio, entered for main track only.

“He’s been a special horse for us for a long time,” Maker said. “We’re very proud of him and everything that he’s done over the years. He’s had a great career.”

Maryland’s leading trainer, Brittany Russell, who is battling with Jamie Ness for Laurel’s summer meet title heading into its final weekend, entered The Addison Pour and Wish Me Home, both 4-year-olds owned by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group.

“They both still have the two-other-than condition, but they’re both Maryland-breds and they’re doing great so it’s a good race to take a swing like that,” Russell said.

Russell claimed Wish Me Home, by Midshipman, for $40,000 out of a June 4 race at Pimlico where he finished second by a head but was placed first following the disqualification of next-out winner Chelonian. In his first start for the new connections, Wish Me Home was a front-running 1 ¾-length open allowance winner July 15 at Laurel; both races came on the grass at the Find distance.

“Stuart called me and said, ‘Claim this horse.’ It was pretty point blank. I’m glad I listened to him,” Russell said. “He seems like a good claim. He’s all racehorse. He’s a tryer. I felt like that last one was a really, really good race. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that race from him, so it was exciting to see especially off the claim.”

Carlos Lopez is named on Wish Me Home from Post 8.

The Addison Pour is a homebred son of Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tonalist that began his career on the dirt, winning two of five starts before going to the bench last June. He returned in February and lost twice before rallying to win each of his first two starts after being moved to the grass this spring, both going two turns at Laurel.

“As a 3-year-old he did a lot of good running on the dirt [but] I kept getting a lot of feedback to try this horse on the grass. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed with him [so] we gave him a break,” Russell said. “He’s a big horse and he really filled out and matured. He came back and was training well, and he just really wasn’t running well on the dirt. It felt like the right time to try the grass.”

The Addison Pour, in for a claiming price of $25,000, cruised to a 5 ¼-length victory May 5 going 1 1/8 miles in his turf debut and followed up by rallying from next-to-last in a field of nine to edge Crabs N Beer by a neck in a restricted 1 1/16-mile allowance June 17. Crabs N Beer also returns in the Find.

“Naturally when he won, we ran him for that tag but at the same time I was a little concerned that maybe he had gone the wrong way, so we needed to sort of pick his head up and get some confidence and I think between the grass and that it did a lot,” Russell said. “I think he ran really well last time. I like him. I think he’s doing great and he’s definitely a better grass horse.”

Russell’s husband, Sheldon Russell, returns to ride from Post 3 after being up for each of The Addison Pour’s two grass wins. Arnaldo Bocachica was up in the most recent start, a one-mile optional claiming allowance July 14 at Laurel where he made a late bid to be third, beaten 2 ½ lengths.

“I think Bocachica rode him really well last time. It was unfortunate because Sheldon got sick and he couldn’t ride that day,” Russell said. “He’ll have Sheldon back up and that’s key, too. He really, really knows him and you can see how well they’ve done together, so I think that’ll be helpful.”

Wicked Prankster, owned and trained by Sam Davis, is winless with two thirds in four starts this year after ending 2022 with back-to-back victories including a gate-to-wire triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Turf. He exits the same July 14 race as The Addison Pour, where he led the way for a half-mile before fading to seventh.

Mint Meadows Farm and Donald Metzger’s B Determined will stretch out after winning and finishing second by a nose in a pair of restricted turf sprints at Laurel. A head winner of the 2021 Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap, the 6-year-old gelding was third, beaten a half-length, in last year’s Find and owns two seconds and two thirds in six lifetime tries at the distance.

Sky’s Not Falling, winner of the 2022 Maryland Million Turf Sprint that was most recently third in the 1 1/8-mile Prince George’s County July 15 at Laurel; Tappin Cat, a stakes winner on dirt that was third in his turf debut going 7 ½ furlongs July 13 at Delaware Park; My Boy Paddy and Tom Hagen complete the field.

The Find is named for the Sagamore Farm homebred that raced through age 11, starting 110 times with 22 wins, 27 seconds and 27 thirds and purse earnings of $803,615. He won or placed in 51 stakes, retired in 1961 as Maryland’s all-time leading money winner and the second-richest gelding in history.