Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Runco shippers live in Lewis, one of three scheduled stakes
Jeff Runco will ship two talented West Virginia-breds to Laurel Park for Saturday’s $100,000 James F. Lewis III Stakes for 2-year-olds at six furlongs.
The Lewis is joined on the card by the Smart Halo, a sixfurlong race for 2-year-old fillies, and the Thirty Eight Go Go, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.
Run to Daylight, a gelded son of Runhappy trained by Runco, is perfect from three starts against statebreds.
“Pretty early on, we knew he was good,” Runco said Thursday morning. “When we bought him [for $60,000 at Keeneland], we really liked him as a yearling.”
Run to Daylight won his first two races in gate-to-wire fashion at 4 1/2 furlongs, then rallied from off the pace to capture the Vincent Moscarelli Memorial around two turns.
“It wasn’t planned that way,” said Runco. “He got bumped leaving the gate, got shuffled back. It shows he’s not a horse that has to be in front.”
Run to Daylight recently breezed with uncoupled stablemate Amidships. “We just did a little maintenance to get them ready and let them gallop out good,” Runco said.
Runco is also high on Amidships. Although second to Run to Daylight in the Moscarelli, Runco was pleased.
“He didn’t have a good trip. I like him a lot, too,” Runco said. “He broke sixth, then rushed up three wide and chased outside, which is tough for any 2-yearold, especially in a stake. I think he’ll like the three-quarters.”
Tops the Chart brings a strong pedigree as his second dam is Hall of Famer Personal Ensign. Tops the Chart finished second in his debut before overcoming obstacles to graduate at
Monmouth Park.
“There was a long load with a lot of babies acting up and he broke through the gate,” said trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. “I was surprised he ran well because he hit his head a little bit when he slammed the gate. We thought highly of him first time out at Laurel. We should be competitive.”
John Salzman Jr. sends out Local Motive, third in the restricted Maryland Million Nursery on Oct. 23. A winner of his first two starts, he was pulled up and vanned off in the Timonium Juvenile in August.
“This horse got hit in the eye,” said Salzman. “Ever since then, he didn’t like the dirt in his face. We’ve been galloping him [on] the dirt, and he’s gotten better. I look for him to be well placed early and finish up strong.”
Physically imposing stakes winner No Sabe Nada exits a third-place finish in a competitive edition of the Rocky Run at Delaware Park. Cynergy’s Star and Slaats, the one-two finishers of the Timonium Juvenile, and Parx shipper Beast Or Famine complete the field.
Smart Halo
Intrepid Daydream, a 16 3/4-length winner of her second start going 1 1/16 miles, looms an intriguing contender in the $100,000 Smart Halo. She made her debut in the Small Wonder sprinting at Delaware.
“I thought she had a good chance to win first time out,” said trainer Gary Capuano. “She just got a horrendous trip. When she did run back and we stretched her out, she looked good.
“I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it,” Capuano answered when queried about the return to a sprint. “This track has been favoring speed and the biggest thing is she has to break within contention and get a good trip. It would have been ideal for her to get an outside post to get a clear run.”
Trade Secret won her last two starts on dirt and breaks from the rail.
“I think she’ll be forwardly placed, but we’ll see how the race unfolds,” said Toby Sheets, trainer Steve Asmussen’s Belmont Park-based assistant.
Salzman was impressed with the way Buff My Boots won the Maryland Million Lassie. “
I thought she might have been beat, but she dug back in and showed her guts,” he said.
Buff My Boots can add to the pace picture. “She’s fast,” Salzman said. “She just wants to go. I’m tickled to death to be on the outside so it can set up however it wants inside, but I got a feeling she’s going to be in front.”
Buy the Best looks like a logical contender. Since returning from a two-month layoff, she’s posted two victories and should run late.
Luna Belle, Whiteknuckleflyer, Click to Confirm, and Sparkle Sprinkle are also entered.
Thirty Eight Go Go
Sheets is looking forward to Josie’s performance in the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go. Third in the Twixt going a oneturn mile at Laurel on Sept. 18, Josie should appreciate stretching out around two turns.
“I thought she ran great and she obviously likes the course,” said Sheets. “I think she’ll improve off of that.”
The winner of the Iowa Distaff for trainer Brad Cox, Josie was then purchased for $300,000 by KatieR ich Farms in July. In her first start for the new connections, Josie finished a wide ninth in the Groupie Doll at Ellis.
Speedy Artful Splatter finished ahead of Josie as well as four other Thirty Eight Go Go entrants when second in the Twixt. Her best game is her speed, and she should be forwardly placed along with rail-drawn Sosua.
A fast pace may help Miss Leslie and the tactical Scatrattle and roll. Villanelle, Lookin Dynamic, Off Topic, and Trolley Ride complete the field.