ALL BRANDY STAKES HEADLINES SATURDAY’S CARD
LAUREL, MD. 11-04-10---Inclement weather could force the Laurel Park racing office to scrub plans to present Saturday’s $50,000 All Brandy Stakes on the turf course, but the major players in the race are adept on both the grass and main track. The All Brandy is set for a mile-and-a-sixteenth and is restricted to Maryland-breds.
The program favorite is Blind Date (9-5), a stakes winner on both the main track and the turf. Trained by Hamilton Smith, the Not For Love mare comes into the All Brandy off a resounding victory in the Maryland Million Distaff Handicap on Oct. 2, her first win since capturing the Pearl Necklace Stakes 14 months earlier. Both races were contested on the main track but she also won three stakes on the turf in 2009, including the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks. Erick Rodriguez picks up the mount because regular rider Sheldon Russell has been sidelined for the rest of the year with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
“It looks like this race will be coming off the turf and that is probably better for me,” said Smith. “She ran real well in the Maryland Million and she came out of the race well.”
A resurrected Fascinatin’ Rhythm (5-2) is second choice on the morning line. The Richard Small speedster has won two straight stakes, the Jameela on the turf and the Geisha on the main track. Both victories came against Maryland-bred foes, including Blind Date. Leading rider Forest Boyce was aboard in the Geisha and has the riding assignment Saturday on the More Than Ready offspring.
Love’s Blush (6-1) won the All Brandy Stakes over the sloppy going last year. Her last two starts were a third place finish in the Geisha and a runner-up finish in the Maryland Million Ladies, contested over the turf. Rodney Jenkins trains the Not For Love 4-year-old and Eric Camacho will ride her again.
Ned Allard is sending Ask The Moon (8-1) from Philadelphia Park for a second try at winning the All Brandy. The daughter of Malibu Moon led early before fading to fifth in last year’s edition but the mare is four-for-eight on an off track. Horacio Karamanos has the mount.
Turf specialists Theda’s Smile (8-1) and It’s Not for Love (12-1) will likely scratch if the race comes off the grass.
Completing the field are 20-1 longshots Profit, Lost Letters, Amelia’s Brio and My Sweet Nenana, who captured the Maryland Million Ladies on the turf last month at odds of 58-1.
-mjc-
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
This e-mail, and any documents or data attached hereto, is intended for the intended recipients only. It may contain confidential and/or privileged information and no rights have been waived by the sender. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby NOTIFIED that any dissemination, distribution, retention, archiving or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify me at the telephone number shown above or by return mail and delete this communication and any copy immediately. MID provides no assurances that this e-mail and its attachments are virus free; you are responsible for scanning all e-mails and attachments for viruses. MID disclaims all liability for damages caused by any virus which may be transmitted by this email. Thank you.
