Unbeaten Son of Hailey’s Flip Making Stakes Debut in Star de Naskra
Quint’s Brew Also Seeking to Stay Perfect in Maryland-Bred/Sired Sprint
Stakes-Quality Allowance Tops Card as Summer Meet Resumes Friday

BALTIMORE – Hailey’s Flip provided Daniel Crowley with some of his greatest moments in more than two decades of owning horses. Now, five years after being retired, the 10-year-old mare is doing it again.

New to the breeding game, Crowley has come up with a pair of winners courtesy of Hailey’s Flip’s first two foals – full siblings Haileysfirstnotion and Great Quality – each in partnership with trainer Gary Capuano’s Non Stop Stable.

Both horses are by Great Notion, Maryland’s leading sire six consecutive years that stands at Northview Stallion Station. The 2-year-old Great Quality captured his debut June 15 at Delaware Park while 3-year-old Haileysfirstnotion, unraced as a juvenile, is off to a 2-0 start and entered to make his stakes debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Star de Naskra at Laurel Park.

“It’s my first whack at it, and it couldn’t be any better right now. It is special with Hailey’s Flip, because she’s such a special filly, a special mare, for us,” Crowley said. “They’ve still got a long way to go, but they’re off to a nice start. Knock on wood and fingers crossed, they’re undefeated.”

Purchased for just $17,000, Hailey’s Flip is the richest of three six-figure earners campaigned by Crowley, having banked $381,227 in 29 starts with seven wins, four seconds and eight thirds from 2016-19. Also based at Laurel and trained by Capuano, the daughter of Archarcharch won the 2017 Tax Free Shopping Distaff at Delaware – Crowley’s lone stakes victory – and placed in four other stakes including Laurel’s 2017 Miss Disco and the 2019 Skipat at historic Pimlico Race Course.

“They look like twins,” Crowley said of mother and son. Haileysfirstnotion didn’t make his first start until April 27 at Laurel, dueling for the early lead before pulling away to a 3 ¼-length victory while facing older horses in the six-furlong maiden special weight.

Next up was an open 5 ½-furlong allowance May 18 at Delaware, where Haileysfirstnotion prompted the pace before taking over after a half-mile and going on to win by 3 ¾ lengths over a muddy and sealed main track.

“With a young horse like that, once they win and he’s won a couple now, it’s a little tough to find the right spot to put them,” Crowley said. “The amount of races available starts slimming up a little bit, so we’re glad to be in this spot.”

Haileysfirstnotion drew Post 5 in a field of eight Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds for the seven-furlong Star de Naskra, named in honor of the 1979 champion sprinter bred in Maryland by owner Carlyle Lancaster. Jockey Jaime Rodriguez, leading Laurel’s summer meet with 15 wins, gets the call.

“It’s a horse race,” Crowley said. “The water’s getting a lot deeper now with this than where he was in his first two. We’re just hoping he runs well and maybe improves a little bit.”

Haileysfirstnotion won’t be the only undefeated horse looking to win his stakes debut in the Star de Naskra. Paul Berube, Karen Linnell and Heather Hunter’s homebred Quint’s Brew sports an identical record after back-to-back wins at Laurel for trainer Mike Gorham.

“We didn’t really start him until late,” Gorham said. “I got him late as a 2-year-old and then we got him started at 3. He’s big, so we definitely gave him more time to kind of fill into himself and he grew up. He’s a big, strong horse now and hopefully he can get on a good roll.”

Quint’s Brew graduated by three lengths in his March 2 unveiling sprinting six furlongs over a sloppy and sealed main track, returning to register a front-running 3 ¼-length optional claiming allowance triumph going one mile April 5. Both races came under jockey Raul Mena, who returns to ride from Post 7.

“That should be good, for sure, get him out of there running and just see where he is. I’m really not concerned if he’s on the lead or not on the lead. Wherever he gets comfortable is fine with me,” Gorham said. “I don’t think he really has to be on the lead but he has speed, so it’s great where he can get a position out of there. And the jock always has told me that when he gets the lead, he kind of gets to loafing a little bit.

“He always likes something to run at, so if someone does outrun him I don’t have a problem with that. I just think he’s an all-around good horse so he can pretty much adapt to the situation,” he added. “He’s easy to train [and] he’s not hard on himself. I think that helps him in the long run.”

Stakes-Quality Allowance Tops Card as Summer Meet Resumes Friday

Laurel Park’s summer meet resumes Friday with a nine-race program featuring a stakes-quality allowance for sprinters 3 and up on the main track and five races scheduled for its world-class turf course.

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

Grass races drew a total of 53 entries (10.6 per race) including five for main track only. Race 3 is a third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 5 ½ furlongs on the Dahlia turf course layout where Winfromwithin is the 2-1 program favorite racing first time for trainer Lacey Gaudet. The 6-year-old won the one-mile Red Bank in 2022 at Monmouth Park and is twice graded-stakes placed.

Fillies and mares ages 3, 4 and 5 will go 1 1/16 miles in the Race 9 finale scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the All Along turf course. The field of nine includes Augustin Stables homebred For Arrogate, an unraced daughter of champions Arrogate and Forever Together, and the Brittany Russell-trained pair of Uncle Mo first-timer Oncourtcommentator and Akayla, adding blinkers after going winless in six tries for previous trainer Chad Brown.

Race 8 is a third-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs over the main track that attracted seven horses including stakes winners Golden Candy, Karan’s Notion, Alwaysinahurry, Classier and Exculpatory as well as last out winner Point Dume, runner-up in the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 24. Favored at 8-5 on the morning line is Spun and Won, racing first time off a $62,500 claim for New York-based trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. Both Golden Candy and Classier are in for the $55,000 tag.

There will be carryovers of $1,325.31 in the $1 Jackpot Super High Five (Race 6) and $685.10 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) wagers.