Petingas Twin nips Prince of Jericho in Dave’s Friend Stakes
Grammy Girl in a Willa On the Move thriller

LAUREL, MD—Usually the plucky underdog that outperforms expectations, Barbadian Runner was the hunted in Saturday’s $100,000 Richard W. Small Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward racing 1 1/8 miles at Laurel Park.

Based on a superb overall body of work, and the fact that he bested Grade 2 winner Post Time in last month’s Maryland Million Classic, Barbadian Runner was sent away the 2-5 favorite and didn’t disappoint the Laurel faithful, drawing off to prevail by 4 ¼ lengths under jockey Forest Boyce.

“He’s fantastic,” Boyce said about Barbadian Runner, who won for the seventh time from 19 starts. “You’ve got to love him. They were trying to bully him a little down the backside. He might be little, but he tries so hard every time.”

Barbadian Runner settled outside and off the pace as Hittheroadjak surprisingly secured the lead from speedy Secret Zipper. Rail-drawn Hittheroadjak reeled off fractions of 23.72, 47.53, and 1:12.79, put away Secret Zipper midway on the second turn, but couldn’t contain Barbadian Runner’s stretch bid.

Barbadian Runner, the 124-pound top weight despite being the only 3-year-old in the field, completed the distance in 1:53.40 over the muddy, sealed track and returned $2.80 to win. Phantom Speed rallied for second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Hittheroadjak. Formal Affair, Secret Zipper, and Hardspun Reason were next.

Phantom Speed’s jockey, Sheldon Russell, claimed foul against Boyce for interference entering the second turn, but the stewards allowed the results to stand.

A gelded son of Barbados bred in Maryland by Shamrock Farm, Barbadian Runner was purchased by AJ Will Win Stables for $5,000 as a yearling.

The Cinderella story has now banked $790,630.

“We were just hoping to get a decent Maryland-bred that would be competitive at any level,” said winning trainer Henry Walters. “You don’t expect a whole lot when you have modest money you’re spending.”

Baltimore-born Richard ‘Dickie’ Small served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War as a Green Beret before becoming a trainer. He won at least one stakes race in Maryland every year but one between 1974 and 2014.

Among the top horses he campaigned were Broad Brush, a four-time Grade 1-winning millionaire. Small also trained Broad Brush’s son, Concern, who captured the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1994. The Broad Brush Stakes was renamed in honor of Small following the beloved horseman’s death from cancer in 2014.

Small was a mentor during Boyce’s formative years as a rider.

“It felt good to win this because he was my man,” said the soft-spoken Boyce. “I’m really fortunate to have had good people help me along the way. It’s extra special because it was this race.”

Barbadian Runner is considered a throwback horse, as he’s raced without a break of more than 45 days since his career debut, a fourth-place finish on June 30, 2024. Barbadian Runner has triumphed at distances ranging from 5 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles on fast and dry tracks. The Richard W. Small Stakes was his third consecutive victory.

“He might get a little vacation,” Walters concluded. “It’s coming shortly. I don’t know if I’ll run him one more time somewhere. I don’t have any plans, but he’s definitely going to get the winter off.”

The Richard W. Small shared top billing on the nine-race program with the $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs and the $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs.

*Petingas Twin nips Prince of Jericho in Dave’s Friend Stakes

Petingas Twin earned his first stakes victory by gamely running down Prince of Jericho in the Dave’s Friend.

The 4-year-old son of Take Charge Indy was claimed by owner James Wolf and trainer Anthony Farrior for $20,000 out of his career debut in 2023.

“I have to give the owner all the credit on this one,” Farrior said. “He likes the Take Charge Indys. First-time starter. I think it was a ten-way shake. We were lucky we got him.”

Petingas Twin seemingly found his stride last year, winning three consecutive starts, including a 10-length romp in an allowance race at Delaware on June 7. His form soon plateaued, however, and Farrior decided to geld him earlier this summer.

“He runs a lot better in the turns,” Farrior explained. “We thought by gelding him, he would be smoother in behind. In the mornings, he’s actually got more aggressive since we cut him. He would tie up when he was a stud, so he’s doing a lot better now with that.”

Petingas Twin showed off that aggressive nature in his Dave’s Friend preparation.

“I was working him with [multiple stakes-placed] Faster Gator, and he ran off backwards, and the kid fell off,” Farrior said earlier this week. “It was not good, so we had to wait a couple of days to work him.”

Petingas Twin, the 2-1 favorite, tracked the pace from in between horses as Twisted Ride, Showstopper Copper, and Prince of Jericho wrestled through splits of 22.45 and 46.53 seconds.

Teenage jockey Yedsit Hazlewood, who waived the apprentice allowance in this stakes event, eased Petingas Twin three wide and into the clear entering the turn, and they mounted a strong challenge at the quarter pole.

Multiple stakes-winner Prince of Jericho, making his first start since finishing third in the General George Stakes on Feb. 15, emerged from the pace scrum with the lead, and he battled hard to the wire, only to be outfinished by a scant nose in 1:12.08.

Subrogate placed third, 1 ¾ lengths behind Prince of Jericho. Then came Twisted Ride, Dean Delivers, and Showstopper Copper. Uncle Cat, Maximus Meridius, and Sunny Breeze scratched.

Farrior was effusive in praising Hazlewood, who won two races on Saturday’s card, and is now 11 victories ahead of Jorge Ruiz in the race for the meet riding title.

“The owner liked Hazlewood,” Farrior said. “He’s a smart kid. If he doesn’t win the Eclipse, well, I don’t see why not after this one.”

Bred in Kentucky by Mesingw Farm, Petingas Twin sold for $52,000 as a yearling. His third dam, Summer Colony, was a Grade 1-winning millionaire.

Petingas Twin has won 6 of 20 starts, earning $288,086.

*Grammy Girl in a Willa On the Move thriller

The stakes action kicked off in the Willa On the Move, and Grammy Girl gave it her all to overcome favored Takethemoneyhoney’s stretch advantage to score by a head in 1:18.56.

It was a tale of two form cycles, and Grammy Girl’s recency edge might have made all the difference.

Grammy Girl last raced nine days ago, finishing a strong second in a first-level allowance at Aqueduct. Conversely, Takethemoneyhoney hadn’t started since wiring the field in Monmouth’s Serena’s Song Stakes on May 11.

Ridden by Mychel Sanchez for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., Grammy Girl was given a vigorous warmup before the race, and gained pocket position from her inside post as Miss Harriett snatched the early lead.

Miss Harriett zipped right along, laying down fractions of 22.25 and 46.00 seconds. Takethemoneyhoney eventually made her presence felt with a three-wide bid on the turn, and Sanchez skimmed the fence aboard Grammy Girl.

Takethemoneyhoney tried hard in the lane, but Grammy Girl would not be denied. The public’s second choice returned $6.80 to win.

Miss Harriett faded to third, 7 ¼ lengths behind the runner-up. St. Benedicts Prep and Bailintin completed the order of finish. Onyx Ten, Sultry Lass, Wisconsin Gal, Spencerian, Gallop d’Hermes, Passage East, and Alani scratched.

“I wanted to make sure my horse was nice and sharp, which she was,” Sanchez said. “I tried to get a really good break, which we did, too. It was perfect, sharp. I was pretty confident where I was the whole time around, and I was just lucky enough to get to the rail. I got through the hole, and it was a pretty fun race after that.”

Grammy Girl, a 4-year-old daughter of Mastery, was bred in Kentucky by Steven and Brandi Nicholson. A $25,000 yearling purchase, she began her career with trainer Horacio De Paz before being transferred to Joseph’s care this summer.

Grammy Girl’s dam, Song Girl, by Songandaprayer, is a winning half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Classic Empire.

“She was coming back quick, but she has a good pedigree on the dam’s side, and we wanted to see if we could get a stakes win, and she pulled it off,” Joseph said by phone after the race. “We got her in good form, and we couldn’t get her to run in Florida. “We sent her back to New York, and she really turned the corner again.”

Grammy Girl races for Red Storm Stable, Miller Racing, and Flower Power Stables, and has won 5 of 18, earning $286,050.

*Around the track:

Live racing resumes on Sunday with a nine-race program. The first post time is 12 p.m. ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate…The FREE “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available every racing day. Sunday’s Guide is now online: 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…Join us at Laurel Park on Thanksgiving Day for an all-inclusive buffet, and receive a FREE apple or pumpkin pie with the purchase of a racing program. Click here to learn more. …Never miss a second of the action with the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to catch full pan and head-on replays.