Laurel Summer Meet Resumes with Eight-Race Program Friday
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md. – Narrow Leaf Farm homebred Miss Harriett made a triumphant return to state-bred competition by turning away early bids from Overly Dramatic and favored Daughter of Time and pulling clear to a front-running 2 ¼-length score in the $75,000 Miss Disco.
It was the third career stakes win for Miss Harriett ($4.80), following a 62-1 upset of the 2023 Maryland Million Lassie in her career debut and the Feb. 24 Wide Country which, like the Miss Disco, was sprinting seven furlongs at Laurel.
Ridden by Forest Boyce for trainer Brandon McFarlane, Miss Harriett completed the distance in 1:25.14 over a fast main track for her fourth win in nine starts. It was the second straight win for Boyce, who took Race 7 Sunday with Coast Along ($2.80) for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
“[It was] just [a matter of] getting back to her home ground and giving her a little bit of an easier trip than some of the company she’d been facing,” owner-breeder David Baxter said. “I think she’s proven that she likes seven furlongs. It actually might even be a little better than going shorter.”
Breaking inside each of her three rivals, Miss Harriett went 22.65 seconds for the first quarter-mile pressed on her right hip by Overly Dramatic with New York shipper Daughter of Time, sent off at 6-5, racing in the clear three wide. Daughter of Time moved up to second after a half in 45.75 but drifted out entering the stretch while Miss Harriett began to edge away.
Go Sherry Go rallied up the rail to get second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Daughter of Time, with Overly Dramatic finishing fourth in her stakes debut. Brazilian Girl and Enemynumbernine were scratched.
Miss Harriett had faced open company for seven consecutive starts. She finished third in Laurel’s April 20 Weber City Miss around two turns; 10th in the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) May 17 over her home track at historic Pimlico Race Course; and eighth in the June 16 Stormy Blues sprinting 5 ½ furlongs at Laurel, her lone turf try.
“I think seven [furlongs] is the number for her. She really tries to dig down. We did try one race going further and she did OK, but she got caught at the end,” Baxter said. “We’d love to see her come from off the pace but so far, she seems to like to set the pace and then have her way. If she has a little bit of company, she’ll dig in.”
Bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Miss Disco was a multiple stakes winner during her racing career but is best known as the dam of Hall of Famer Bold Ruler, winner of the Preakness (G1) and Horse of the Year in 1957 and sire of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. She was named Broodmare of the Year in 1958.
Notes ~ ~ ~
Jockey Jevian Toledo recorded his first win in Maryland since April 20 at Laurel aboard Repole Stable’s first-time starter Overwish ($4) in Sunday’s opener, a maiden special weight for fillies and mares ages 3, 4 and 5. The 3-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin completed seven furlongs in 1:26.03 over a fast main track …
Toledo was injured in a spill April 21 at Laurel, where he returned to riding July 14. He won two races July 18 and one each July 19 and 20 at Colonial Downs …
Jockey J.G. Torrealba rode back-to-back winners with Thunder in Paris ($14) in Race 3 and Band Camp ($3.20) in Race 4 …
In her 6-year-old season opener, Watch Me Disappear ($104.20) went all the way on the lead and held off favored Little Josie Wales late to spring a 51-1 upset in Race 2, a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint on the All Along turf course …
Multiple stakes winner and twice Grade 3-placed Prince of Jericho, pointing toward a start in the $150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash July 28, breezed four furlongs in 48.40 seconds Sunday at Laurel, third-fastest of 45 horses …
Laurel’s summer meet resumes with an eight-race program Friday, July 26 starting at 12:25 p.m. There will be carryovers of $3,202.85 in the $1 Jackpot Super High Five (Race 6) and $2,572.04 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 3-8).
