Irish Maxima. (Jim McCue/MJC)
Sea Dancer Seeks Back-To-Back Stakes Victories
Offaly Cool looks for hat trick in John B. Campbell
Dan Illman/The Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – Irish Three Racing’s Irish Maxima, a 13 ¾-length winner of Parx’s Mrs. Claus Stakes on New Year’s Eve, returns from that career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure performance in the Barbara Fritchie.
A winner in six of nine starts for trainer John Servis, the 4-year-old Maximus Mischief filly has shown no signs of slowing down.
“She went into that race so good last time,” Servis said. “We gave her plenty of time in between races, and she’s doing really good.”
In the Mrs. Claus, Irish Maxima immediately opened a clear lead over that sealed, muddy track. That burst of speed even surprised Servis, who trained Ms Locust Point to win the 2018 Barbara Fritchie.
“She broke so sharp,” Servis said. “As far as I was concerned, the race was over before they left the chute. When I saw her get in front by herself like that, she rates so kind and has that steady clip, and she keeps going.”
Although Irish Maxima’s last two wins came in gate-to-wire fashion, Servis doesn’t believe that Irish Maxima has to be Saturday’s pacesetter.
“She’s got a great post [five], and she’ll rate,” Servis said. “If she breaks like she broke last time, I expect she’ll be in front, but we’re not going to send her off her feet.” Frankie Pennington rides Irish Maxima.
St. Benedict’s Prep is also versatile from a running-style perspective. Second in Laurel’s What a Summer two back when rallying from off the pace, the 5-year-old Flatter mare then set the pace when second in Aqueduct’s Interborough three weeks ago.
Trained by Linda Rice for Ronald Stewart, St. Benedict’s Prep has won four times since being claimed for $80,000 last April. She attempts to follow in the footsteps of the Rice-trained High Ridge Road, who captured the Barbara Fritchie in 2017.
Grade 3-placed Royal Spa looks for her first stakes win in the Barbara Fritchie after finishing a troubled fourth in Oaklawn’s Bugler Stakes on Jan. 25.
“That was a good effort,” Brisset said trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “The six furlongs can be a little tricky with her because she’s not the quickest out of the gate. Being in the middle of the field, she pretty much got killed coming out of there. It was very, very difficult to make up ground.”
Breffni Farm’s Royal Spa drew post six under Sheldon Russell. “The outside post is really, really good for her,” Brisset said. “She doesn’t have much tactical speed from the gate. Being outside, we can keep her in the clear, and I think we can be a little closer [to the pace].”
I’m a Cutie Pie, and Mary Q also entered.
According to trainer Will Walden, Aussie Girl is expected to scratch and instead point for Turfway’s Wintergreen Stakes on March 1.
Sea Dancer Seeks Back-To-Back Stakes Victories
Team Russell for SF Racing @SheldonRussell1 and @BTRracingstable take the $100,000 Carousel Stakes with Sea Dancer @LaurelPark. It was Great to see this beauty strut her stuff on the dirt. Now, she is a winner on both surfaces. There is no doubt she can be effective on… pic.twitter.com/9wE0pBdIHE
— Tom Ryan (@TomRyanKY) December 21, 2024
Heading into the Carousel Stakes on Dec. 21, SF Racing’s Sea Dancer had many questions to answer.
The Mastery filly had never raced on dirt, had never finished better than fifth in seven prior stakes races, and boasted a pedigree geared to the turf as a half-sister to millionaire grass performer Johannes.
Making her first start for Brittany Russell after being purchased by SF Racing for $150,000 at public auction, Sea Dancer rallied from well off the pace to upset the Carousel at 15-1 odds. She will offer a much shorter price on the tote board in the Nellie Morse.
“She traveled every step of the way with confidence,” Russell said after the Carousel. “It was a really nice trip. The goal was to be third. To win it was huge.”
Trainer Chad Brown ships Headline Numbers down from New York. A 4-year-old Gun Runner filly owned by Klaravich Stables, Headline Numbers won her first two starts last year before finishing last of five in the Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes. In her 2025 debut, she finished fifth as the favorite in a second-level allowance at Aqueduct on Jan. 5.
“We’ve always been pretty high on her,” Brown said. “She’s always trained a bit better than she’s run. She debuted the way she thought, but she’s never quite run to her works after that, which is a little confusing. I thought we’d try a different surface at Laurel since she disappointed at Aqueduct last time.”
Bailintin, Peppermint Class, and Sweet Heidelberg also entered.
Trainer Michael Trombetta cross-entered multiple stakes-winner Call Another Play in an allowance race on Sunday. On Tuesday morning, Trombetta said he’s “leaning” toward running the 4-year-old filly in the allowance.
Offaly Cool looks for a hat trick in Campbell
Offaly Cool returned from a lengthy layoff to win Parx’s Kris Kringle Stakes on New Year’s Eve. The 5-year-old Kantharos gelding, claimed for $30,000 in 2023, seeks his third consecutive victory when he runs in the John B. Campbell.
Trained by Jacinto Solis for Lawrence Rebbecchi Jr., Offaly Cool finished second, beaten a nose, in his lone prior start at Laurel, the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes in 2023. Abner Adorno rides from post seven.
Three horses that faced Quint’s Brew in the Jennings opted for the longer Campbell. Runner-up Hittheroadjak, fourth-place finisher Speedyness, and fifth-place performer Brilliant Ice are back in action.
Wild Vine, sixth in the 2024 Manfuso, prepped for the Campbell with an upset win in a high-level allowance on Jan. 26.
“I got this horse for nothing,” trainer Flint Stites said after the allowance victory. “I had a friend of mine set me up with this horse when he was a yearling,” Stites continued. “He was turned out in a field in Kentucky and was still on his mother with another mare. He had never been touched by human hands.”
Stakes-placed Cataleya Strike and Deposition also entered.
