LAUREL, MD. 11-03-11---Concealed Identity upset eventual Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice in the Federico Tesio Stakes and earned a spot in the $1 million Preakness Stakes (G1), where he finished tenth. But it wasn’t until trainer Eddie Gaudet put on his 3-year-old on the turf course did the son of Smarty Jones reach his full potential.

“He looked happy,” Gaudet said.

Gaudet said today he planned on retiring from training at the end of the year with wife Linda and daughter Lacey taking over the Bowie Training Center barn. The 81-year-old finished third among Maryland trainers, behind King Leatherbury and Dale Capuano, for three straight years in the mid-1990’s and has 1,729 victories in a career that began in 1959.

“It is just time,” said Gaudet, who won the 1971 Black-Eyed Susan with At Arms Length and the 1991 General George Handicap (G2) with Star Touch.

Concealed Identity is the even money favorite to win the grassy, $60,000 Find Handicap for Maryland-breds Saturday afternoon at Laurel Park. Owned by Linda Gaudet and Morris Bailey,  the gelding was winless in three post-Preakness starts until the October 5 turf test at Laurel.  The result was an easy 6-1/2 length score under jockey Sheldon Russell.

“He has really grown up since the Preakness and was able to relax in his last start,” Russell said. “I love the way he was able to rate off the pace and seemed to be happy not to have the dirt kicked in his face. Linda and Eddie always wanted to try him on the turf and he ran a super race.”

Team Gaudet plans on running Concealed Identity on the grass this winter.

“Tampa is the most realistic place with Louisiana as a possibility,” Lacey Gaudet said. “He is a very smart horse who loves training and winning. When he was getting beat you would come into the barn the next morning and he would know. He would back off his feed but when he won last month he had his head buried in his feed. Hopefully we’ll get to travel some with him. This could be a new life.”

Monument Hill (7-2) is 3-4-3 in ten starts on the grass. George Weaver has named Julian Pimentel to ride the son of Royal Academy, whose best stakes performance was a third place finish in the Battlefield Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Dream Louise (12-1) finished third in the Maryland Million Ladies and second in the Lady Baltimore in her most recent starts at Laurel,.  The 4-year-old, who is the only filly in the race, will carry Ryan Fogelsonger for trainer Edwin Merryman.

Day Flight (15-1) finished second in the Maryland Million Turf at odds of 24-1 in just his second start of the year. Travis Dunkelberger has the mount aboard the son of Seeking Daylight for trainer Rodney Jenkins.

Sir Rabbit (20-1) has two wins and seven in the money finishes in 10 starts this year but is facing stakes company for the first time. Horacio Karamanos has the riding assignment for trainer Jessica Campitelli.

Lucky Will (30-1) was sixth in last year’s Find Handicap behind Ben’s Cat. Apprentice Sarah Rook has the call on the 7-year-old gelding conditioned by Ted Maher.

Not Abroad (6-1), Indian Dance (8-1), Regal Solo (15-1) and Albrecht (20-1) are likely to run only if the race comes off the turf and is contested on the main track.
 

THREE-WAY PHOTO IN THURSDAY’S 5TH RACE NETS $3,600 TRIFECTA

The Laurel Park turf course produced solid prices Thursday afternoon.

In the 5th race, 20-1 shot Angel I B edged Clever Dame (25-1) and Queenameina (7-2) in a three-way photo. The 2-3-10 trifecta paid 3,623.20. Grant Whitacre rode the winner for trainer Butch Cave. The 7-year-old mare took the lead at the top of the stretch and survived, beating Clever Dame by a nose. Queenameina was another nose back.

Two races later, High Cry with jockey Abel Castellano won an allowance race where the 10 cent superfecta paid $10,437.59. Trained by Jamie Ness, the son of Street Cry (IRE) won for the first time since late April at Tampa Bay Downs.

During the fall meeting, which began September 9, only 20 betting favorites have reached the wire first in 79 grass races. The average win mutuel is $15.91.
 

POST TIME CHANGE

Beginning Saturday, first post at Laurel Park switches from 1:10 p.m. to 12:35 p.m. for the balance of the calendar year, with the exception of Thanksgiving day. The Thursday, November 24 card will begin at 11:05 a.m.