LAUREL, MD. 03-27-08---Morning line favorite Divine Park is likely to skip Saturday’s $80,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Handicap at Laurel Park in favor of a race at Aqueduct on Friday. The first leg of the Magna 5 has attracted six runners who will race 1-1/8 miles over the main track.
Divine Plan (8-5) is 3-for-5 lifetime with a graded victory in the 2007 Withers Stakes. After that victory the Kiaran McLaughlin missed most of his three-year-old campaign with an injury before returning with off the board finishes in the Grade I Malibu and Grade II General George Handicap.
McLaughlin assistant Artie Magnuson said, “We’re going to decide on Friday morning. Something freaky could happen, Aqueduct could cancel, so we want to keep our options open.”
With Divine Park’s expected defection, the other five runners, including three from an optional/allowance test here on March 6, are certain to benefit. Kaufy Big Shot (3-1) beat Saratoga Lullaby (7-2) and Forty Crowns (6-1) racing 1-1/16th miles that day.
Kaufy Big Shot has compiled a 4-4-3 record in thirteen starts at Laurel for trainer Gary Capuano. He carried apprentice Craig Gibbs to a late charging victory last time and the hard trying youngster retains the mount. This is his first stakes race for the five-year-old gelding.
Saratoga Lullaby was nailed at the finish line when he met Kaufy Big Shot. The John Rigattieri trainee has hit the board 16 times in 27 starts but is winless in 10 stakes tries. Dyn Panell will ride the four-year old colt.
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Forty Crowns
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
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Two time stakes winner Forty Crowns electrified the Maryland Million Day crowd with a front running victory in the Maryland Million Turf but he has lost his last three starts. The Eddie Gaudet trainee was bothered in his race against Kaufy Big Shot and looks to regroup with jockey Luis Garcia, who drove him to victory in the Maryland Million Turf. The son of Not For Love also took the 2006 Northern Dancer Stakes here at the distance.
Eddie C. (6-1) has won a pair of races at Laurel since arriving in the Chris Grove barn earlier this year, including a nine and a half length score at the distance.
Completing the field is Arcata (8-1), who has won three of his past four starts for trainer Graham Motion, including two first place finishes at Laurel against allowance company. His most recent win was over allowance runners at Philly Park. Jeremy Rose, his rider in all four recent efforts, will be up again.
-MJC-