Mizoula is likely bound for stakes after winning Friday's feature

LAUREL, MD—Lyudmila, a $1 million yearling purchase, made a strong first impression in Friday’s sixth race at Laurel Park, a six-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies.

Trained by Justin Nixon for Edward Seltzer’s Stonebase LLC, Lyudmila ran to her gaudy purchase price.

After being pinched back at the start, she recovered quickly under jockey Jean Briceno and took up a stalking spot as Juniper’s Jubilee sped clear through fractions of 22.33 and 46.80 seconds.

Juniper’s Jubilee, the odds-on favorite, turned for home two lengths in front, but Lyudmila always traveled well.

Briceno swung Lyudmila four wide into the stretch, made sure she changed leads on cue, then drove her home six lengths in front after 1:12.36 over the good track. Juniper’s Jubilee was second best, 4 ¾ lengths ahead of Kiss Me Mo.

My Girl Back Home, Hoof and Boots, Sweet Lexi, Quality Swag, and Pokey Dot completed the order of finish. Truly Thrilling, Watch Me Sparkle, and Cupid’s Choice scratched.

Lyudmila returned $7 as the public’s second betting choice.

"She came to me in great order, and I was thrilled to get a Gun Runner out of a really nice mare like that,” Nixon said, referencing Lyudmila’s pedigree. Her dam, Lucrezia, by Into Mischief, won two stakes on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs and was Grade 2 placed at Gulfstream.

“I thought she had some talent,” Nixon continued. “It’s just nice to see that she lived up to what I thought she could do.”

Nixon felt he had Lyudmila well prepared for her debut run.

“I was really happy with the way Jean rode her,” he said. “I didn’t want to just gun her out of there. We breezed her with a couple of Brittany Russell’s sets, just to test her a little bit. We had her in behind horses, and she responded to everything so professionally. We schooled her in the paddock last week, and she was a dream. She’s got just a little quirky side to her. You've got to pay attention to her, but when she’s moving and breezing, she’s all business.”

Edward and Beverly Seltzer bred Lyudmila in Kentucky.

“For the million dollars, Mr. Seltzer was dissolving a partnership,” Nixon explained. “He had to put everything through the Keeneland sale, and he was obviously very keen to get her back because he has lots of the family.”

Nixon isn’t lying. The Seltzer family campaigned Lyudmila’s fourth dam, Harbour Club, a stakes-winning Danzig mare that placed in two Grade 1 races in New York in 1992.

Nixon mentioned that he expects Lyudmila to race during the winter at Tampa Bay Downs.

*Mizoula is likely bound for stakes after winning Friday's feature

A change in tactics propelled Mizoula to victory in Friday’s featured seventh race, a $53,000 second-level allowance for fillies and mares at 5 ½ furlongs over the All Along Turf Course.

Although Mizoula’s two previous victories came in pace-pressing fashion, teenage apprentice rider Yedsit Hazlewood got her to settle into a perfect pace-tracking, ground-saving position as newly-blinkered Quadra carved out an opening quarter in 21.71 seconds.

Quadra appeared home free midway through the long stretch to the second wire finish, but she drifted off the rail and Mizoula pounced up the fence in the final sixteenth of a mile. Under the line, it was Mizoula by a length over Quadra in 1:02.56 on the firm going.

Somnium finished a nose behind the runner-up. Simply Stated placed another nose back in fourth. Then came Golden Rocket, Macanga, Independenceavenue, Mary Q, and Anaita.

Mizoula, the sixth choice in the betting, returned $17.60 to win. Dwelling Legacy, Kilo Road, Spencerian, In My Memories, Pinotslilgirl, Touisset, and Mz Big Bucks scratched.

An Irish-bred 4-year-old by Zoustar, Mizoula was purchased by Highland Yard LLC for approximately $325,000 as a Tattersalls yearling. Her dam, Stellar Glow, by Sea the Stars, was Group 3-placed in Ireland and is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Alfred Nobel. This is the family of European champion New Approach.

After being imported to the United States, Mizoula went to trainer Christophe Clement’s yard, and was winless from six starts at distances from 1 1/16 miles and 1 3/8 miles. Transferred to trainer Kerri Raven a few months before Clement’s passing, Mizoula has since found her stride.

“I absolutely love her,” Raven said. “I tried her long here because I thought the class relief would work at Laurel this year, and she doesn’t want to go long. She’s even built like a sprinter. She’s quarter-horsey looking. As soon as we switched her to sprinting, she’s just been amazing.”

Mizoula was a six-length winner of her sprint debut, a $45,000 maiden claimer at Delaware on June 4. Three starts later, she scored a first-level allowance there in game fashion. Sent to Aqueduct on Oct. 18, Mizoula showed high speed, never received a breather, and faltered to finish ninth.

“She’s so sound, such a nice, nice filly,” Raven added. “You watch her move, and she moves like a cat.”

Raven was full of praise for Hazlewood, who won two races on the Friday program.

“What a great ride,” she said. “This is my first time using Yedsit, and I am so, so, so impressed by him. I thought she’d pop out [to the front], but I told him not to get her in trouble. It was perfect.”

Raven, who trained Chess Master to stakes wins sprinting on turf at Tampa Bay in 2022 and 2023, said that Mizoula will target Tampa Bay’s $100,000 Lightning City Stakes at five furlongs on turf on Valentine’s Day.

*Around the track:

“He’s a monster on the turf,” assistant trainer Jessica Lindsey said about Jessica’s Eyes ($20.60) after the Maryland-bred was a pace-pressing winner of the eighth race, a $62,500 optional claimer for 2-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs on The Dahlia Turf Course. “That’s my tiny champion. He was named after me because I made a big mistake that worked out in my favor. [Trainer Jerry Robb] told me to claim [his dam] only if she was correct, and I said she’s perfect. And, she’s absolutely not in any way, shape, or form.” Jessica’s Eyes campaigns for Jerry and Gina Robb’s No Guts No Glory Stable. “We all delivered him together,” Gina Robb added…Jockey Mychel Sanchez rode two winners on the Friday program. Juvenile debut runner Beware of Ooh Lala ($21.60) rallied in between horses to capture the opener for trainer Michael Trombetta, and Uncle Dar ($2.60) took them on a merry chase for J T Servis in the fifth race…Live racing resumes on Saturday with a nine-race card featuring three $100,000 stakes races. 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. Saturday’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.