Competitive field of seven fillies and mares race 1 1/16 miles for $100,000
Joanne Shankle and Tais Lyapustina team for two winners on Friday

LAUREL, MD—“How much time do you have?” trainer Ferris Allen asked when a reporter wondered if Navani, Allen’s entrant in Sunday’s $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park, had any behavioral quirks.

“She’s an extremely persnickety filly,” said Allen, a Maryland mainstay who began his career in 1976, and now boasts 2,332 lifetime victories. “She’s very standoffish and a very tedious filly to train. She has a lot of little idiosyncrasies that come and go. You think you’ve got her figured out, and they show up again. She’s not going to let you take her for granted on any day.”

Navani is one of seven fillies and mares slated to race 1 1/16 miles in the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. Allen claimed the Hoppertunity filly for $30,000 at Colonial Downs last year on behalf of Virginia Breeze Racing.

“She’s an over-attractive filly for what you would expect with her pedigree,” Allen said. “When I looked at her on her way to the paddock, she made me double down on my thought of wanting her. She’s a pretty special-looking filly. She had already shown some versatility. At the time, she was about equal on grass and dirt. She really fit the Virginia-certified program and the Maryland-bred program very well.”

Navani has won three races for Allen and finished a good second in her most recent appearance, a second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 26.

“She ran probably her best number in that race,” Allen noted. “She had run about that same race one other time if you go back on her form, so she’s coming off a lifetime best, but she’s had ample time between races. We’re very happy with how she’s been training.”

Horacio Karamanos pilots Navani from post four.

Sheilahs Warcloud was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite by Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa. The Madefromlucky filly seeks her first stakes victory after placing in four stakes events. She returned from an April layoff to finish fourth in last month’s Maryland Million Distaff at seven furlongs.

“I thought it was a pretty tall ask for her to come off a layoff and face that group,” said Nixon. “I was pretty pleased with it.”

This will be Sheilahs Warcloud’s debut race around two turns, but Nixon noted that the 4-year-old filly won her only prior route attempt, a one-turn mile at Laurel early last year, and isn’t too concerned about the additional yardage.

Mychel Sanchez rides Sheilahs Warcloud from post three.

Golden Lion Racing’s Complexity Jane captured the Weber City Miss Stakes over this course and distance in April, but finished off the board in two subsequent starts against tough stakes competition out of town. This will be the 3-year-old filly’s first start since finishing fifth of eight in Colonial’s Tyson Gilpin Stakes on Aug. 9, and her first race with blinkers.

“She’s doing great,” said trainer Brittany Russell. “I’ve entered her a lot. I’ve tried to get her into an allowance race, but we haven’t been able to get her in. She’s been working right along. I like the spot. She’s been training really well with the blinkers on.”

Sheldon Russell rides Complexity Jane from post seven.

Di’s Surprise hasn’t raced since placing fifth in the Dahlia Stakes over turf on April 19, but trainer Hugh McMahon has good numbers with horses returning from similar layoffs.

“The burden on us for this race is having her fit to go two turns against horses that have already been racing,” McMahon admitted. “She had a minor injury.”

McMahon likes to give his horses long, steady breezes rather than short, fast workouts. Di’s Surprise’s last three morning drills came at a mile.

“I feel pretty good about her fitness,” McMahon said. “[The mile works] are kind on them. I like to go two turns because they go to their left lead around the turn, and then they go to their right lead. They’re doing that throughout. We go 14 [seconds] to the pole, and then the last three-eighths we split them into a breeze and try to do 12’s at the end, and try to get some wind in their lungs.”

The 4-year-old daughter of Preservationist won her most recent dirt outing, a second-level allowance at seven furlongs on Jan. 24.

Stakes-winner Beautiful Blome, multiple stakes-placed performer Doctor Abbie, and Backstretch Rose also entered the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes.

The Thirty Eight Go Go is named for the two-time Maryland-bred champion bred and trained by Hall of Famer King Leatherbury. Thirty Eight Go Go captured eight stakes, including the Grade 2 Gardenia, Grade 3 Tempted, and Maryland Million Lassie in 1987. She also won three consecutive editions of the Geisha Stakes.

*Around the track:

Trainer Joanne Shankle and jockey Tais Lyapustina combined for two favored winners on the Friday program. In race two, they sent out Pinotsligirl ($4.80) to a five-length victory, then came back in the ninth with Bold Diversion ($6)…Friday’s late “Value Pick 5” returned $23,472.45 on a 50-cent wager…Live racing resumes on Veterans Day Saturday with a 10-race program that includes the $100,000 James F. Lewis Stakes for 2-year-olds and the $100,000 Smart Halo Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The first post time is 12:00 p.m. ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate. Active-duty military and veterans will receive 50% off food and beverages at all concession stands throughout the day with proof of military identification…The FREE “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available every racing day. See picks, a full-card analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and lots more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of analysts. Saturday’s Guide can be found here: click here to view…Reserve your spot for our weekly “Bubbly Brunch Sundays”. Kick back with friends over delicious brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas in our vibrant Stone Bar Restaurant and Bar. Sunday Brunch begins at 11:00 am ET…Don’t miss a second of the action with the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to catch pan and head-on replays.