6YO Mare Making Title Defense, Trainer Chasing Three-Peat

BALTIMORE – Spun Glass and Mike Trombetta will be chasing history when the 6-year-old R. Larry Johnson homebred and her trainer make their title defense in Saturday’s $75,000 Jameela at Laurel Park.

The 35th running of the Jameela for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and older, scheduled for six furlongs on the Fort Marcy turf course, is one of three stakes on a 10-race Independence Day weekend program along with the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-old sprinters on the main track and $100,000 Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and up, also three-quarters on the Fort Marcy.

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

The Jameela, Concern and Laurel Dash are the first of 11 stakes worth $1.075 million in purses during the month of July at Laurel, where the 33-day summer meet began June 9 and runs through August 20.

Trombetta, second in wins and purse earnings at Laurel’s ongoing summer meet, is attempting to become the first trainer to win the Jameela three times, having also captured the 2021 edition with Ellanation. Spun Glass last year made Trombetta, Carlos Garcia and Cam Gambolati the only back-to-back winners. Dale Capuano, Jerry Robb and Hamilton Smith also own a pair of Jameela wins.

Spun Glass can join Gambolati-trained Madame Giry (2013-14) as the only horses to win the Jameela two straight years. Spun Glass, by Hard Spun, was sixth in the 2021 Jameela when it was contested at historic Pimlico Race Course.

“She’s done well,” Trombetta said. “We had her in South Florida for a bit this winter and she tries every time. Hopefully this is a field that she can do some good against.”

Spun Glass spoiled Ellanation’s repeat bid in last year’s Jameela, rallying for a half-length victory, and followed up with a three-quarter-length score in the 5 ½-furlong Camptown at Colonial Downs. The Jameela was run at five furlongs in 2021 and 5 ½ furlongs in 2022.

This year Spun Glass has raced three times, progressing with each start. She was fifth by 3 ¼ lengths in the five-furlong Lightning City Feb. 18 at Tampa Bay Downs, fourth by 1 ¾ lengths in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance April 14 at Aqueduct and third by 1 ½ lengths in the five-furlong The Very One May 19 at Pimlico. Train to Artemus won both the Lightning City and The Very One.

“It was a good effort last time. The five-eighths was probably a little short, to be honest,” Trombetta said. “This should be perfect for her. She’s a tryer.”

Jaime Rodriguez has the call on Spun Glass from Post 9 in an overflow field of 13 that includes main-track-only entrant Brzina.

Trombetta also entered another Johnson homebred in the 5-year-old Hollywood Walk, by Animal Kingdom, who drew Post 8 with Johan Rosado up. Third in the six-furlong Politely last fall on Laurel’s main track, Hollywood Walk exits a runner-up finish to multiple stakes winner Can the Queen in a five-furlong turf sprint May 28 at Pimlico in her season debut.

“She’s 3 turning 4 and she’s getting better as time goes on,” Trombetta said. “I think she’ll benefit from having the one race off the layoff. I’d wouldn’t be surprised if she runs very well.”

Owned and trained by Joanne Shankle, Can the Queen returns to stakes company in the Jameela after back-to-back optional claiming allowances sprinting five furlongs. The 7-year-old mare was a front-running 1 ¼-length winner over Spun Glass on Pimlico grass May 28, then was fourth June 23 at Delaware Park in a race rained off the turf to a wet-fast main track.

Can the Queen launched her season in Pimlico’s The Very One, her first start in seven months, encountering trouble at the start and in the stretch in finishing sixth, beaten 4 ½ lengths.

“She had a tough trip in the stake at Pimlico and then came back and ran a big race in the allowance. The last time it came off the turf, which she prefers,” Shankle said. “She’s doing good. She’s been her normal self.”

This will be the third straight year for Can the Queen in the Jameela, finishing fourth by 2 ¼ lengths in 2021 and seventh by 4 ¼ lengths last year. All three of her stakes wins have come going five furlongs at Pimlico, in the 2021 and 2022 Sensible Lady and 2022 The Very One. She was also beaten a half-length when second after being stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the 2022 All Brandy.

“She’s going into this race really good. It’s a Maryland-bred race, so hopefully it’s a little easier on her,” Shankle said. “She’s very nice to be around. She’s got a good personality. She’s great.”

Shankle had yet to name a rider for Can the Queen, who drew Post 5.

“I looked at the field. There’s a bunch of horses that she’s already run against, so it’s nothing unfamiliar,” she said. “We’re confident in her.”

Also returning from last year’s Jameela is Louis Ulman and Stephen Parker’s Whiteknuckleflyer, who finished fourth, beaten two heads for second in the blanket finish. Stakes-placed on dirt as a 2-year-old, the Uncle Lino filly was sixth following a wide trip in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance May 19 on the Pimlico turf, her first start since Oct. 23.

Fifth behind Can the Queen in her season opener May 28 at Pimlico, N R S Stable, James Chambers and Avalon Farm’s Coconut Cake tries again in the Jameela. The 6-year-old Bandbox mare was stakes-placed twice each on dirt and turf before breaking through with a determined head victory in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Ladies last fall. She made one more start in 2022, running third in the 1 1/16-mile Forever Together at Aqueduct before getting the winter off.

Also entered are Summer Odds, fourth by 1 ¼ lengths at odds of 35-1 in the seven-furlong Conniver March 18 on Laurel’s main track and winless in four prior turf starts; Money’s Worth, favored in both her starts since being moved to the turf by trainer Graham Motion, running second and third by a total of 2 ¼ lengths; Gift of Gab, a last-out turf sprint winner June 10 at Laurel; 2022 Fort Indiantown Gap winner My Thoughts; Next Episode and also-eligibles Dulce Kiara and Sweet Gracie.

Meaning ‘beautiful’ in Arabic, Jameela won 16 stakes including the Maskette (G1), Ladies (G1) and Delaware (G1) handicaps before being retired following the 1982 season as the first Maryland-bred to surpass $1 million in lifetime earnings. She had two foals, the first being 1988 champion sprinter Gulch, before passing away from colic in 1985. She was elected to the Maryland-bred Hall of Fame in 2013.