Capuano’s pair looks tough in Small

With Tappin Cat and Shackqueenking, trainer Gary Capuano holds a strong hand in Laurel Park’s $100,000 Richard W. Small Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

The Small is one of three stakes on the nine-race Saturday program along with two seven-furlong sprints for 3-year-olds, the City of Laurel and the Safely Kept for fillies.

Tappin Cat had a three-race win streak snapped when second, beaten a neck, by Prendimi in the Maryland Million Classic. The 5-year-old Tritap gelding will break from the rail Saturday under Jevian Toledo.

Shackqueenking, winner of Laurel’s Howard County Stakes at 2, has won both starts since being gelded. He earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure beating three-other-than allowance foes last month at Delaware.

“Both are in good form,” Capuano said Wednesday morning. “Shackqueenking came out of his layoff well with two phenomenal races. This will probably be Tappin Cat’s last race of the year. The plan is to give him the winter off.”

Cordmaker is one of the gatekeepers of the local handicap division. A 10-time winner by Curlin, Cordmaker stretches out a furlong after finishing second, beaten a length, in the Polynesian on Sept. 18. He was disqualified and placed sixth after causing interference but owns the field’s best last Beyer.

Plot the Dots was crossentered in Friday’s Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes at seven-eighths but might appreciate this additional distance. Listed as a first-time gelding, he hasn’t raced since March 13, a layoff by design, according to trainer Michael Trombetta.

“He’d been in training forever and it was getting harder to find races for him,” he said. “I wanted him fresh for a wintertime campaign.”

City of Laurel

Everett’s Song and He’smyhoneybadger ran onetwo in the Harrods Creek on Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs and will renew their feud in the City of Laurel.

Trained by Dale Bennett, Everett’s Song has won 3 of 4 starts. He earned a careerbest 89 Beyer when defeating He’smyhoneybadger in the Harrods Creek and shows four bullet workouts in the interim at Fair Hill.

He’smyhoneybadger, conditioned by Brad Cox, validated the Harrods Creek form by capturing the Perryville at Keeneland in his next start. A son of Daredevil, He’smyhoneybadger has won three of his last five races.

Awesome Gerry, fourth behind Grade 1 winner Jackie’s Warrior in the Gallant Bob Stakes on Sept. 25 at Parx Racing, adds blinkers and gets class relief for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Safely Kept

As of Thursday morning, the field for the Safely Kept was still in flux with the connections of Street Lute, Princess Kokachin, and Malibu Beauty mulling whether to run here or against heavily favored Hello Beautiful in Friday’s Politely. Also, Hybrid Eclipse is cross-entered in Friday’s Comely at Aqueduct.

All those fillies rate strong chances in the Safely Kept along with Belle of the North, recently second to unbeaten Moquist in an allowance race on Oct. 16, and multiple stakesplaced Fraudulent Charge.