Morticia should scare rivals

The presence of Morticia in the $100,000 Stormy Blues Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park should put a scare into some of her rivals, and not just because the daughter of the mare Halloween Party is named for the matron of television’s Addams Family. She can flat-out run. Morticia figures to start as a strong favorite in the Stormy Blues, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies. The race is the richest of three stakes on the card. The program includes a pair of races for Maryland-bred or Maryland-sired 3-year-olds. Bonus Points, the winner of the Parx Derby, leads the $75,000 Caveat, and My Sistersledge, who invades from Gulfstream Park, is a chief contender in the $75,000 Pearl Necklace.

Morticia, by Twirling Candy, was bred by her owner, G. Watts Humphrey Jr., and her trainer, Rusty Arnold.

“We’ve had a lot of fun with the name,” said Arnold. And fun on the track. Morticia has won 3 of 5 starts, including the $75,000 Melody of Colors in February at Gulfstream and the $100,000 Soaring Softly in her last start May 20 at Belmont. Morticia launched her career in a maiden special weight that came off the turf, finishing sixth in the Ellis Park sprint last July.

“She hasn’t run a bad race since she’s been on the turf,” Arnold said. “She won her three sprints and ran a very good second in the Appalachian to finish [in front of] New Money Honey and several other top fillies.”

La Coronel, the winner of the Grade 3 Appalachian in April at Keeneland, returned to capture the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill. New Money Honey, meanwhile, won last weekend’s Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. Morticia, who is based at Keeneland, had been targeting a turf-sprint stakes at Belmont in June, but with an unfavorable weather forecast, she was not entered in the race, said Arnold. The stakes ended up coming off the turf, and Arnold is looking forward to getting Morticia back in action in the Stormy Blues.

“There are limited opportunities to run these fillies on the grass,” he said.

Morticia is part of a ninehorse field that includes Deer Valley, the winner of the Crank It Up on June 10 at Monmouth for trainer Tom Proctor, and Smiling Causeway, a sharp maiden winner last out at Laurel for trainer Arnaud Delacour.

Morticia, who is turning back from seven furlongs, will break from post 2 under Jose Lezcano.

“She’s quick from the gate, puts herself right in the race,” Arnold said. “She’ll have to be. Arnaud Delacour looks like he’s got a really, really fast filly. And so does Tom Proctor. When you back up to 5 1/2, you’ve got to be quick, and the biggest thing that helps her is she leaves the gate really fast. It will be interesting.”