Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
‘Harpers’ tested in Pegasus
Harpers First Ride emerged as the Mid-Atlantic’s top handicap horse in 2020. Bred by Sagamore Farm, the 5-year-old Paynter gelding won seven of 11 last year, including the Grade 3 Pimlico Special.
On Saturday, Harpers First Ride faces his toughest test in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Harpers First Ride got his first taste of the surface last Saturday when he breezed a half-mile in 52.95 seconds.
“He looked good on the track. He’s training good,” trainer Claudio Gonzalez said from South Florida on Tuesday. “We’ll see if we get lucky. You know it’s a tough race with the best horses in the country almost.
“In Maryland, it’s really cold, and the good thing here is it’s not too hot.”
Harpers First Ride was claimed for $30,000 by Gonzalez out of a winning maiden race at Churchill in 2019. He’s earned triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in three of his last four appearances.
Perhaps Harpers First Ride’s best asset is his versatility. He won the Pimlico Special on the lead, prompted the pace in last month’s Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel, and has won from mid-pack.
“We’ll try to be in the middle of the group and then we’ll see what happens because there’s going to be a big difference with no Lasix for everybody,” Gonzalez said.
Harpers First Ride is one of two Maryland-bred Pegasus entrants along with presumptive favorite Knicks Go, also a son of Paynter.
Streaking fillies to Fritchie
Hello Beautiful appears bound for the Grade 3, $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park on Feb. 13.
“That’s the goal as long as she continues to do well,” said trainer Brittany Russell.
A perfect 7 for 7 over the Laurel main track, Hello Beautiful earned her third consecutive victory with a gate-to-wire score in last Saturday’s $100,000 What a Summer Stakes at six furlongs. The daughter of Golden Lad came out of the race in good order.
“Oh, she’s wonderful,” Russell said. “You know, she’s funny. She’s the same every day so she’s great.”
Hello Beautiful was pushed early, opened a clear lead and held off Club Car’s late rally to prevail by a length. She received an 87 Beyer.
Russell said that Hello Beautiful “was pressed early and she was running hard the whole way.”
“We had gotten some rain and you don’t know how laboring the track is for a speed horse like that to keep going,” he said.
One potential rival for Hello Beautiful is Dontletsweetfoolya, a winner of her last five, including the Primonetta and Willa On the Move Stakes.
“She came out of the last stake really well,” said trainer Lacey Gaudet. “She had a nice, easy breeze on Sunday, which is nice for her because she’s usually a little tough in the morning. She’s just developing into a pretty solid, easygoing filly, which we never thought we’d have.”
One of the reasons for Dontletsweetfoolya’s more relaxed attitude is the addition of a baby goat as a stable mascot and a companion for the sometimesflighty filly.
“My owners say ‘special speed, special needs,’ so we give her what she wants,” Gaudet said. “But she seems to enjoy the goat right now.”
Kenny Had a Notion top shelf
Kenny Had a Notion moved to the front of the local 3-year-old male division after he captured his third stakes in last Saturday’s $100,000 Spectacular Bid at seven furlongs.
“He came out of it in good shape,” said trainer Dale Capuano.
Kenny Had a Notion and Maythehorsebwithu engaged in a race-long battle. A Great Notion gelding, Kenny Had a Notion prevailed by a neck and earned a career-best 77 Beyer.
“He’s a fighter,” Capuano said.
Russell was pleased with Maythehorsebwithu’s effort.
“It’s satisfying because we’ve always liked this horse,” Russell said. “We got the blinkers on him and it seemed to help. He’s always trained good. From day one, we thought this horse had some sort of ability. It’s just going to be a matter of how we get it out of him. I think with racing he’ll only get better.”
No Cents, Dalton resting
Maryland Juvenile Futurity winner Jaxon Traveler, sidelined with a foot issue, isn’t the only prominent 3-year-old on the shelf. No Cents, a winner of four consecutive starts including two Laurel stakes, is also out of action.
“He’s turned out on the farm in Webb Carroll’s in South Carolina,” said trainer Cal Lynch. “We sent him there two or three days after his last race. That was the plan. We’re going to give him a breather for Monmouth. He’s a big dude and we want to let him grow up for late spring and early summer.”
Multiple stakes-placed Dalton is also getting a rest. “We gave him some time,” said trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. “We have him turned out at Colts Neck until the spring. We ran him quite a bunch for a 2-year-old. We’re hoping he grows and fills in a little more.”