Willa On the Move and Geisha put plenty of talent on display

Once in a while the stars align and things come together as they should. Such is the case Saturday at Laurel Park, where the $100,000 Willa On the Move is absolutely loaded, the $75,000 Geisha is strong, and the late pick five and Rainbow 6 are long on numbers.

The Rainbow 6 on races 4-9 has 70 horses, or 11.66 per race. The 12 percent takeout late pick five has 59 entrants, or 11.8 horses per race.

The field of 11 in the Willa On the Move, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, is topped by the matchup of Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie winner Ms Locust Point and Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks winner Late Night Pow Wow, who will be making her first start away from the friendly confines of her hometown track.

The lineup also includes Crabcakes, who is 7 for 9 at Laurel; the 13-for-22 Moonlit Song; Liz’s Cable Girl and She’s Achance Too, who have each won four in a row; and four-time stakes winner Shimmering Aspen, who has back-to-back wins and four straight bullet works at Laurel.

Ms Locust Point won four consecutive races, all for trainer John Servis, between November 2017 and her Fritchie victory in the February snow and mud. She didn’t run her best in three ensuing stakes starts, including the Grade 1 Madison and Grade 2 Princess Rooney, and on Saturday will be making her first start since June 30.

Servis has worked Ms Locust Point six times at Parx Racing since Oct. 7.

“Every time we’ve given her time off she’s come back great,” Servis said. “When she started to get a little uncomfortable we just shut her down. She’s such a nice filly, and she’s doing fantastic.”

Late Night Pow Wow is 8 for 9 in her career and only a halflength shy of perfection. Her win in a competitive edition of the $300,000 Charles Town Oaks was not a fluke, and she has since defeated Moonlit Song in the West Virginia Cavada Breeders Classic.

Trainer Javier Contreras worked Late Night Pow Wow a bullet half-mile in 47 seconds over the Laurel track Tuesday in preparation for her first start away from Charles Town. Laurel head clocker Kevin Geraghty caught her galloping out in 59.20.

Late Night Pow Wow has won at distances ranging from 4 1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs.

“It looks to me like she handled the track pretty good,” Contreras said. “She’s got enough speed to go any distance. She can turn it on at any time, and I love the fact she can rate a little bit.”

Crabcakes, who is based at Penn National with Bernie Houghton, is 9 for 15 and coming off a repeat victory in the Maryland Million Distaff. While that seven-furlong race tested her stamina, six furlongs is ideal.

Shimmering Aspen, a winner of 7 of 12, didn’t make her 4-yearold debut until July. She finished third in her comeback but has since won the Timonium Distaff and restricted Tax Free Shopping Distaff at Delaware Park for trainer Rodney Jenkins.

She’s Achance Too has always shown talent, but the 4-yearold really didn’t come into her own until this spring. Trained by Jason Egan, he has romped in four straight starts and shouldn’t be underestimated in her stakes debut.

New Jersey-bred Liz’s Cable Girl is 10 for 15 but has taken her game to a new level this summer for trainer Pat McBurney. In her last two starts, both at Parx, she dominated the Roamin Rachel Stakes and a no-conditions allowance.

Field of 12 for Geisha

My Magician and Anna’s Bandit finished second and third to Crabcakes in the sevenfurlong Maryland Million Distaff. My Sistersledge scored a repeat victory going 1 1/8 miles on turf in the Maryland Million Ladies. They will meet in the middle in the one-mile Geisha Stakes, which has attracted a field of 12 Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares.

My Magician was getting to Crabcakes at the finish of the Distaff but came up a half-length short. The late-running 6-yearold is well suited for a one-turn mile and won this race a year ago. She is trained by Claudio Gonzalez.

Anna’s Bandit was coming back on one week’s rest in the Distaff and may have lacked her usual punch. Trainer Jerry Robb worked her a bullet five furlongs last Saturday, and she should be sitting on a top effort.

Trainer Mike Trombetta has entered 4-year-old My Sistersledge and 3-year-old Another Broad. Julian Pimentel, who has been riding both horses, is named on Another Broad.

My Sistersledge is primarily a turf filly, but she did win an open third-level optional claimer that was moved to the main track last month. Another Broad, a daughter of Include, has won a maiden race, a statebred allowance, and an open allowance in her last three starts.

Enchanted Ghost, who is trained by Hamilton Smith, and Riley’s Choice, who is trained by Horacio De Paz, also are top contenders.