Strong stakes boost undercard

The Private Terms at Laurel Park on Saturday will be supported by four competitive undercard stakes, topped by the Beyond the Wire, a one-turn mile for 3-year-old fillies.

The 11-race card also includes the Harrison Johnson Memorial, a 1 1/8-mile route for 3-year-olds and up, and a pair of Maryland restricted stakes, the six-furlong Not For Love for 3-year-olds and up, and the Conniver, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares. The stakes are slotted as races 6 through 10.

The $100,000 Beyond the Wire, which is named for Maryland’s Thoroughbred aftercare program, will be the toughest test to date for Limited View, who has developed into the 3-year-old filly division leader in Maryland.

Limited View, a $5,200 yearling purchase by her co-owner and trainer John Salzman Jr., is 5 for 7 with earnings of $237,000. This will be the high-strung filly’s first start beyond seven furlongs, and Salzman has indicated he doesn’t plan to race her beyond a mile anytime soon.

In her most recent start, Limited View defeated open company in the six-furlong Marshua at Laurel, earning a career-best 76 Beyer Speed Figure.

S mo kin pad dy lassie is 2 for 2 for Parx-based Eddie Coletti Jr. She blitzed a maiden field last July and then returned to win

a February allowance by 4 1/4 lengths, earning an 84 Beyer. This will be her first start beyond six furlongs.

Todd Pletcher ships in Mo Shopping, who won a $50,000 maiden claimer at Gulfstream Park in December and a onemile $50,000 starter race at Aqueduct last month.

Fools Gold is coming off a 7 3/4-length maiden win going a mile at Aqueduct in January for Chad Brown.

One of the best matchups of the day comes in the Not For Love Stakes, which has attracted Struth, Lewisfield, and It’s the Journey.

Struth and Lewisfield finished first and second in the statebred Howard Bender Memorial on a snowy day at Laurel in December. Struth came back to be second to Favorite Tale in the open Dave’s Friend Stakes there in early January.

Trainer Kieron Magee claimed Struth for $20,000 in May and has since won two stakes with the now 6-year-old. He freshened him following the Dave’s Friend.

“He’d had a tough year and he’s the kind of horse we could tell needed a break,” Magee said. “He’s had two good recent breezes. He’s ready.”

Lewisfield won an open second-level optional claimer for trainer Jeff Runco in his lone start since the Bender. He was credited with a career-best 95 Beyer. The most lightly raced of the trio, he also has the most upside.

It’s the Journey finished fourth as the favorite in the Bender and has turned in two sharp efforts since for trainer Mike Trombetta. He was second, beaten a half-length by Awesome Banner, in the Fire Plug at Laurel and third, beaten three-quarters of a length by Something Awesome, in the Grade 3 General George there.

The eight-horse Harrison Johnson Memorial has drawn Something Awesome, Zanotti, and Admiral Blue.

Something Awesome gave trainer Jose Corrales his first graded victory by rallying to a neck score in the General George. He will be stretching out a quarter-mile in distance off that seven-furlong race, but Corrales has said he does not think Something Awesome is strictly a sprinter.

Since being shipped to Corrales by Stronach Stable last fall, 7-year-old Something Awesome is 3 for 4. He closed from far back to win the General George, which ended up fielding a depleted group of eight after the two favorites, Great Stuff and Do Share, were forced to scratch due to an equine herpesvirus quarantine at Belmont Park.

Zanotti tested the best older horse currently stabled in Maryland, Afleet Willy, in the Feb. 17 John B. Campbell, but had to settle for second. With Afleet Willy sitting this race out, Zanotti is the horse to beat here for Parx-based horseman Juan Carlos Guerrero.

Admiral Blue comes into the Johnson Memorial off a sharp first-level allowance win at Aqueduct. Rudy Rodriguez took over Admiral Blue’s training following the retirement of Leon Blusiewicz, who still owns the 5-year-old.

Rodriguez added blinkers to Admiral Blue’s equipment for his recent win and they appeared to make a big difference.

The Conniver may come down to the My Magician, Up Hill Battle, and Anna’s Bandit.

In her last four starts, My Magician has won the Maryland-restricted Politely and Geisha stakes for trainer Claudio Gonzalez and finished third and fourth in open stakes to Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie winner Ms Locust Point, who is riding a four-race win streak.

Up Hill Battle was claimed by Hugh McMahon three starts back. She has since finished third, beaten a length by My Magician, in the Politely at Laurel, and won an open thirdlevel optional claimer there.

Anna’s Bandit is 4 for 9, all for Jerry Robb, and has won open races at Laurel in her last two starts, a first-level allowance and a second-level optionalclaiming sprint.