Multiple Stakes Winner Laki Resumes Training Following Short Break
Rainbow 6 Carryover, Trombetta’s Quest Continues Thursday at Laurel

BALTIMORE – Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso’s Wondrwherecraigis is back home at Laurel Park after giving trainer Brittany Russell her first career graded-stakes victory.

His front-running triumph in the seven-furlong Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont Park came the day before Russell’s planned C-section to deliver her second child with husband Sheldon Russell, one of Maryland’s leading jockeys currently sidelined following foot surgery.

Wondrwherecraigis also provided the connections with a measure of redemption after finishing first in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Sept. 18 at Laurel but disqualified to second for interference. The Russells watched the Bold Ruler from their Maryland home while assistant trainer Amanda Olds saddled the horse in New York.

“It really was a team effort. It was huge,” Olds said. “After the last race in Maryland, that was a massive bummer when he got taken down. But this kind of lifted the spirits a little, and we needed that. Especially with Brittany having a baby and everything else going on, it’s a big weight off the shoulders. We won it for the owners, we won it for the team. It’s good. It keeps the team mentality up. This is why we do it, to have wins like that.”

Olds said a proud Wondrwherecraigis exited the Bold Ruler in good shape.

“He came out of the race great, looks great, we can’t be happier with him,” she said. “He was touting himself pretty good, believe me. We were like, ‘OK, let’s come back down to ground level, buddy.’ After the race he looked great, cooled out great, just not a spot on him. He’s just such a classy horse. Having a horse like that, it makes it so fun. They just want to win.”

Olds praised Russell’s patience and perseverance with Wondrwherecraigis, a son of Munnings that went unraced at 2 and made four starts in 2020, running third in the Gold Mover at Belmont and fourth in the Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga last summer before getting the rest of the year off.

Wondrwherecraigis didn’t race again until a three-length comeback triumph May 14 over Preakness (G1) weekend at historic Pimlico Race Course. He won another optional claiming allowance July 18 at Pimlico and the Aug. 13 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga prior to the De Francis.

“She had sent this horse to me when I worked for [trainer] Brad [Cox] and I remember she had just gotten him and he wasn’t the greatest mover. It’s a year’s difference and this horse is like a whole different horse this year,” Olds said. “She’s put a year’s work into him and he’s fantastic. He’s happy. His rider at Laurel, Nick, does a great job with him. I’m just really happy for her. There’s not really words for it. Brittany is such a good person. Sheldon is such a good person. It’s people like that that you want to succeed. They follow the rules to a ‘T.’ And, they’re great to their help, which is huge.”

To that end, and with Russell’s blessing, Olds finds herself in California this week with Mr. Amore Stable’s multiple Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire, who is scheduled to make his final start in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).

“I gallop Firenze, so I’m actually at Del Mar,” Olds said. “She said, ‘You can’t pass that up, Amanda. You have to go with him. It’s his last race.’ So, she let me fly out for the week.”

Upcoming spots for Wondrwherecraigis could include the Fall Highweight (G3) Nov. 28 at Aqueduct and Dave’s Friend Dec. 26 at Laurel, both sprinting six furlongs. There is also the Cigar Mile (G1) Dec. 4 at Aqueduct, although he has never raced beyond seven furlongs in 10 career starts.

Olds said the Russells and their newborn son, Rye, are all doing well. They are also parents to daughter, Edy, who turned 2 in August.

“He’s a big, beautiful, healthy boy, and she’s doing good,” she said.

Multiple Stakes Winner Laki Resumes Training Following Short Break

Hillside Equestrian Meadows’ multiple stakes winner Laki, given a short break following his sixth-place finish as defending champion in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Sept. 18, has resumed training at Laurel Park.

Trainer Damon Dilodovico was happy with how the 8-year-old Cuba gelding returned from his vacation.

“We just wanted to give him a little break. I think we’ll do a little bit more after December,” he said. “He looks good. He’s maintained his weight and has a much richer color in his coat. I think he’ll benefit from it.”

Laki’s lone win in eight starts this year came in the April 24 Frank Y. Whiteley at Laurel, extending his streak to five consecutive years with at least one stakes victory. He also ran second to Yaupon in the July 4 Lite the Fuse at Pimlico and third in Laurel’s Feb. 20 General George (G3).

Overall, the Maryland-bred Laki has 11 wins and $833,162 in purse earnings from 38 lifetime starts. He also leads the 3-year-olds and up, dirt sprint division of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series with 21 points, seeing his third consecutive championship. He also finished first in 2018 and 2019, while the 2020 series was shelved amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The final MATCH Series race in the dirt sprint division comes Dec. 26 at Laurel in the $100,000 Dave’s Friend going six furlongs. Laki is also eligible for the $75,000 Howard Bender for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs Nov. 26 at Laurel.

“I didn’t expect to get into the Maryland Million, so I figured I had some time to kick around for a little bit,” Dilodovico said. “There’s an allowance race coming up and then there’s the Maryland-bred race at the end of the month.

“Really, my target is the race after Christmas. It’s possible he could [train] straight into there, but I’d like to get a start into him,” he added. “The allowance race would be perfect. Then, I’d get six weeks off to the Christmas race. I’d be happy with that.”

Rainbow 6 Carryover, Trombetta’s Quest Continues Thursday at Laurel

There will be a carryover of $3,001 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 when live racing returns to Laurel Park with a nine-race program Thursday.

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

Thursday’s Race 3 is a six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds that drew a field of seven led by 4-5 program favorite Askin for a Baskin, a gelded son of Distorted Humor who fetched $500,000 as a yearling in September 2019 at Keeneland and is trained by Jeremiah Englehart. He has raced five times, all against older horses in New York, with two seconds.

The Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9 and opens with a six-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up where Claudio Gonzalez-trained 3-year-old Great Notion gelding He’s a Shooter is the even-money morning line favorite to extend his win streak to four races.

Race 5 is a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the Kelso turf course featuring Sept. 25 Alphabet Soup Handicap winner You Must Chill, Christophe Clement-trained Zarkallani, and Passion Play, winner of the Bert Allen and Edward Evans against fellow Virginia-breds in his only two starts this year.

Juvenile fillies will sprint 5 ½ furlongs in Race 7, an entry-level optional claiming allowance with stakes-placed Laoban’s Legacy and Click to Confirm, undefeated through two starts, breaking side-by-side in Post 5 and 6, respectively. Race 8 is an optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles where Mr. Mox, fifth in the Oct. 23 Maryland Million Nursery, is the 9-5 program favorite from Post 1.

Three of Friday’s nine races are scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course including the Race 8 feature, a third-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs. The field of 10 includes July 24 Sensible Lady Turf Dash winner Can the Queen and stakes-placed Dendrobia, Mucha Mezquina, Paisley Singing and Quiet Company. Multiple stakes winner Dontletsweetfoolya is entered for main track only.

Trainer Mike Trombetta enters Thursday’s card one win away from 2,000 for his career. His only runners come at Laurel – Tidal Waters in Race 1, U S Constitution in Race 5 and Mr Jefferson and Bold Leader in Race 8.

On Friday, Trombetta has three horses entered in two races at Laurel as well as Biz Biz Buzz in the Atlantic Shores at Belmont Park and Can’t Buy Love in the Cellars Shiraz at Gulfstream Park.