Post Time a heavy favorite in Deputed Testamony
Millionaire Mystic Lake ships in for Alma North
Trikari looks to rebound in Prince George’s County
Tartabull, first foal out of Anna’s Bandit, debuts in Race 5

 LAUREL, MD – Stonehedge LLC’s Dean Delivers defends his title on Saturday at Laurel Park in the $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs.

The De Francis Dash is one of four stakes on the 12-race program. The special first post time is 12:05 pm ET, and Laurel Park offers two “Value Pick 5” wagers with a low 12% takeout rate.

Dean Delivers wired the field as the betting favorite in last year’s De Francis Dash for trainer Ned Allard and jockey Jaime Rodriguez. The 6-year-old gelding won four stakes last year after being transferred to Allard’s care and placed third in the Grade 3 Vosburgh at Aqueduct.

He finished third, beaten 1 ½ lengths in his seasonal debut, Monmouth’s Mr. Prospector on May 26.

“He’s doing super,” Allard said. “He just got beat a little bit in the Mr. Prospector, and it’s tough to come back and win a stake first out off a long break. I think he benefited by that, and I think he’ll be really tough.”

Although Dean Delivers went right to the front last year, Allard doesn’t believe his charge needs the lead to be successful.

Colts Neck Stables’s Subrogate earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure when winning a high-level allowance last summer, then went to the sidelines following a sixth-place finish in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on July 27.

“He had a quarter crack in his foot,” said trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. “It was a little bit more severe than your regular quarter crack. He needed time to grow the foot out. We were debating to take him to Florida [for the winter], but those extra two, three months [off] probably were going to do him better.”

Subrogate also made his 2025 debut in the Mr. Prospector, finishing second following a ground-saving trip after breaking from the rail.

“Tough post,” Duarte said. “He kept digging. He’s a nice horse to have around, that’s for sure. I think a track like Laurel will suit him well, and we’re ready to go on Saturday.”

Duarte believes that Subrogate will be close to the lead.

Eleven-time winner Super Chow is nearing millionaire status, and he has done good work in Maryland. He grabbed a first-level allowance at Pimlico as a 2-year-old and returned to Old Hilltop last year to wire the field in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint.

Although the 5-year-old finished fourth in the Mr. Prospector, he has already won two stakes this year, including Monmouth’s off-turf Get Serious on June 15. Jorge Delgado trains for Lea Farms.

Lewis Family Racing Stable’s Celtic Contender is one of the top Maryland-bred sprinters around, having prevailed in last year’s Maryland Million Sprint. Although winless from three starts this year, the 4-year-old Irish War Cry colt placed second in the General George on February 15 and ran third in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint last month.

Blanco Stable’s Caramel Chip, second in Tampa Bay’s Pelican Stakes earlier this year, finished second when entered for a $175,000 claiming tag at Churchill Downs on May 16. The third-place finisher of that race, Durante, returned to upset the Grade 3 Aristides there 15 days later.

Trainer Anthony Farrior entered two for the De Francis Dash. Richard Burnsworth’s stakes-placed Faster Gator is a 3-year-old trying older foes for the first time after finishing seventh in Pimlico’s Chick Lang on May 17. James Wolf’s Petingas Twin is a four-time winner. He placed fourth in his seasonal debut, a high-level allowance on June 6.

 Happy Is a Choice cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Kelly’s Landing at Churchill, and will compete there, per trainer John Ortiz.

*Post Time a likely heavy favorite in Deputed Testamony

Maryland-bred Horse of the Year Post Time, unbeaten from eight prior starts at Laurel Park, looms a short-priced favorite in the $125,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles.

 Owned by Mrs. Ellen Charles’s Hillwood Stable, Post Time won two graded stakes last year, and placed in three Grade 1 events including the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

A facile 13 ¼-length winner of his 2025 debut in a high-level allowance at Laurel on May 3, the 5-year-old son of Frosted then ran a good third four weeks later behind Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in Churchill’s Grade 3 Blame Stakes.

 Trainer Brittany Russell’s stable star has never been off the board in his 17-start career with ten wins and $1,288,600 in lifetime earnings.

 Lawrence Rebbecchi Jr.’s Offaly Cool, a multiple stakes-winner exiting a victory in a high-level allowance at Parx, has hit the board in 15 of 18 starts.

Multiple stakes-winner Speedyness, multiple stakes-placed Curlin’s Malibu and maiden Tell ‘Em I’m Comin also entered. Stakes-winner Movisitor cross-entered in Friday’s Alphabet Soup Stakes on turf at Penn National.

*Millionaire Mystic Lake ships in for Alma North

Multiple Grade 2 stakes-winner Mystic Lake could be the one to catch and beat in the $125,000 Alma North Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs.   

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms, Mystic Lake returns to Maryland for the first time since posting a gate-to-wire victory in last year’s Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico.             

A 4-year-old filly by Mo Town, Mystic Lake has banked over a million dollars and received a good confidence booster when taking the Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star last month.

Allard and Stonehedge counter with Fiona’s Magic, a Grade 2 winner making her first start since finishing last of 14 in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks.

“That filly had some issues that just required a good six months off,” Allard said. “She’s training super. I think she’s fit enough.”

Easy Red, stakes-placed as a 2-year-old, has won three of her last four starts for owner Donald Dizney LLC. She captured a second-level allowance at Keeneland in her most recent race on April 13.

“She’s good right now,” said trainer Eddie Kenneally. “That was a pretty decent field she beat at Keeneland. The extended period between races will only benefit her. This is a nice step from allowance company to blacktype company.”

St. Benedicts Prep, one of three supplemental nominations to the Alma North, performed admirably in two prior starts at Laurel Park for trainer Linda Rice. She finished second, beaten a nose, in the What a Summer on January 18, then ran third in the Barbara Fritchie on March 2. Grade 3 placed during the spring, St. Benedicts Prep drops in class after finishing last of seven in the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses at Saratoga on June 6.

Hardesty Stables and Michael Day’s Alani, unbeaten from two local starts, looks to rebound after finishing fourth in Delaware’s Rehoboth Stakes on May 31. Stakes-placed performers Admiral Hopper and Happy Clouds also are expected. Jeanne Marie cross-entered in Friday’s Lyphard Stakes on turf at Penn National.

*Trikari looks to rebound in Prince George’s County

Multiple Grade 2 winner Trikari looks to rebound from a ninth-place finish as the favorite in Pimlico’s Grade 3 Dinner Party on May 17 when he starts in the $125,000 Prince George’s County Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Conditioned by Graham Motion for Amerman Racing, Trikari likely didn’t care for the wet turf course at Pimlico.

“I wish I had scratched him,” Motion said about the Dinner Party. “I was worried about the turf after I ran a couple earlier in the day, and they didn’t handle it. I think it was beyond soft. It was ground that we don’t ever run on.”

One month before the Dinner Party, 4-year-old Trikari made his 2025 debut with a good third-place finish in Keeneland’s Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile.

“I needed to find a race to get him back on track,” Motion added. “The [Maker’s Mark] was respectable, the last race was a disaster,” Motion said. “He trains very well, so I have every confidence that he can get back to himself.”

Live Oak Plantation’s Crystal Quest, a multiple stakes-winner at Tampa Bay Downs, finished fifth in the Dinner Party. Trainer Michael Trombetta and jockey Jorge Ruiz teamed up to win last week’s Jameela Stakes with Lifelovenlaughter.

Joseph Allen’s Siege of Boston, thrice Grade 3-placed for trainer James Toner, makes his 2025 debut after finishing fifth in Gulfstream’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale on December 21.

Amo Racing USA’s Kingmax, second in the 2023 edition of the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale, races for the first time since finishing fourth, beaten a half-length in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida on March 2, 2024. The 6-year-old has worked steadily since early May at Monmouth Park under the care of trainer Jorge Delgado.

Woodslane Farm’s Wolfie’s Dynaghost, a Grade 2 winner on Tapeta in 2023, makes his second start following a lengthy layoff after finishing fifth in a 7 ½ furlong prep on turf four weeks ago. He looks like one of the primary pace players.

Summer Cause, stakes-placed on dirt, won his turf debut last time out at Tampa Bay. Omni King steps up in class after being disqualified from first and placed third in a first-level allowance at Delaware on June 4.

Passioned runs Main Track Only.

*Tartabull debuts in fifth race

Tartabull, the first foal out of the popular Anna’s Bandit, makes his career debut in the fifth race, a state-bred or -sired maiden special weight for 2-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs.

Trained by Chad Summers for owner Al Gold’s Gold Square LLC, the Tapit colt, a $310,000 yearling purchase, drew the inside post position under jockey Xavier Perez.

Anna’s Bandit won 17 of 39 races for John and Gina Robb’s No Guts No Glory Farm. A multiple stakes winner with $806,655 in earnings, Anna’s Bandit won her career debut as a 2-year-old at Laurel Park in 2016.

“It’s not easy to win races, and all she did was win,” Summers said about Anna’s Bandit. “She was a rock star.”    

Perez usually rides first call for trainer John Robb, who has two juveniles entered against Tartabull, but this is an exceptional circumstance as Perez piloted Anna’s Bandit in all but four of her starts.

“Xavier was there when [Tartabull] was born,” said Gina Robb. “It really gives you the goosebumps.”

“With the story of ‘Anna’ and the cult following she had in that Mid-Atlantic region, I asked John if he would mind if [Xavier] rode [Tartabull],” Summers said.  
   
“He’s a cool horse,” Summers said of Tartabull. “I’ve bought a lot of horses over the past 20 years, but I’ve never bought a Tapit. He was one we really liked at the sale. He’s trained like a horse who actually wants some distance. But we blew him out of the gate the other day, and he went in 35. He looks like he’s ready to go. This was always the race that Mr. Gold had in mind, to take advantage of the Maryland-bred program.”

Anna’s Bandit has a yearling filly by Frosted, a weanling colt by Tapit, and is currently in foal to Curlin.