Fans Can Watch and Wager on Saturday’s Saudi Cup

BALTIMORE – A field of six 3-year-old fillies led by 9-5 program favorite Candy Light, beaten a nose in her prior start, will gather in a one-mile maiden special weight as live racing returns to Laurel Park Thursday.

The feature is carded second on an eight-race program that begins at 12:25 p.m. Fortune Racing’s Candy Light was purchased for $200,000 as a 2-year-old in training last June and made her first two starts sprinting on the turf, finishing second by a head in her late October unveiling.

Trainer Graham Motion switched the daughter of Candy Ride to the main track in her juvenile finale, a one-mile maiden special weight Dec. 31 at Laurel, where she got shuffled back early and made up ground late on the outside but came up short to Qualy, most recently fourth in the Feb. 19 Wide Country.

R. Larry Johnson’s Virginia homebred Continentalcongres (9-2) has finished third and second in a pair of maiden special weights to start the year, both at Aqueduct, after going winless in five tries last year including a second in the Jamestown sprinting five furlongs on the Colonial Downs turf.

Queen Cadence, second in successive starts for trainer Claudio Gonzalez, drew the rail, while on the far outside is The Elkstone Group homebred Doomscroller, a closing fourth in a six-furlong maiden claimer Jan. 21 at Laurel.

Eight races are also on tap Friday. The feature comes in Race 7, an allowance for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 4 and up going about 1 1/16 miles where Robert D. Bone’s Mit Mazel is favored at 8-5 on the morning line as she stretches back out to a distance where she has three wins and two seconds in six tries.

Highlighting Saturday’s nine-race program are an open one-mile allowance for 4-year-olds and up in Race 6 that drew 13 horses including Visual Artist, seeking a third straight win for trainer Jamie Ness, and 2021 Miracle Wood runner-up Tiz Mandate; and a one-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies in Race 8 which has 2021 Smart Halo show finisher Click to Confirm and Jackie the Joker, fourth in the Jan. 29 Xtra Heat, among the group.

Also on Saturday, the Maryland Jockey Club will offer wagering on the third running of the Saudi World Cup from King Abdulaziz Racetrack.

Laurel will open its doors at 11 a.m. Fans can watch and wager on the Saudi Derby (Race 6) set to go off at 11:10, the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (Race 7) at 11:50 and the Saudi Cup (Race 8) at 12:40 p.m.