Distance a key factor in Private Terms

The promising 3-year-olds Diamond King and Still Having Fun will take the next step in their development Saturday at Laurel Park when they stretch out around two turns in the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes. While neither colt is Kentucky Derby-bound at this point, major stakes could be down the road for both.

The 1 1/16-mile Private Terms is one of five stakes on the Laurel card.

Diamond King started out with back-to-back wins at Parx Racing last fall. Sent to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Jockey Club in November, he rushed up and clipped heels entering the first turn, unseating jockey Frankie Pennington.

He returned to score a hardearned victory in the sevenfurlong Heft Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 30. Diamond King put away A Different Style on the lead, was passed in upper stretch, then battled back for a 1 1/2-length win. A Different Style came back to win the Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct.

Following a partial sale, Diamond King was transferred from trainer Butch Reid to John Servis and sent to Palm Meadows. He comes into the Private Terms off a third to Strike Power in the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream. Strike Power has since finished second in the Fountain of Youth.

Servis believes Diamond King’s future lies in longer races. He has worked the son of Quality Road only once since the Feb. 3 Swale.

“We’ve been working on getting him to settle,” Servis said. “I’ve been doing a lot of two-minute licks with him and then letting him finish up in the stretch. I have a better handle on him now than when he ran in the Swale.”

Still Having Fun is 3 for 4 with victories in the Miracle Wood and Frank Whiteley Jr. at Laurel for trainer Tim Keefe. A $12,000 bargain buy as a fall yearling, Still Having Fun has been winning on raw ability. He has a tendency to break slowly and not change leads in the stretch.

“He switches leads like clockwork galloping,” Keefe said. “It’s a focus issue. He’s still young and figuring things out. Some get it right away, with others it takes time.”

Still Having Fun was credited with a six-furlong work in 1:12.20 Sunday.

“He went five-eighths, out three-quarters, nice and relaxed,” Keefe said. “He’s right where we want him for Saturday.” The nine-horse Private Terms includes three Belmont Park-based runners who will be seeking redemption after having not run well in stakes company last time out.

Bal Harbour is 3 for 8, all for Todd Pletcher. He tired to finish last of five in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct on Feb. 3.

California Night, an Aqueduct debut winner for Mike Maker, was fifth in the Winkfield in his second start. He is cross-entered in an optional claimer at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Roaming Union won an Aqueduct maiden race by 12 lengths in January for Kelly Breen. He tired to finish sixth over Polytrack in the John Battaglia at Turfway Park in his most recent effort.