LAUREL, Md. – Hillside Equestrian Meadows’ multiple stakes winner Laki, given a short break following his sixth-place finish as defending champion in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Sept. 18, has resumed training at Laurel Park.
Trainer Damon Dilodovico was happy with how the 8-year-old Cuba gelding returned from his vacation.
“We just wanted to give him a little break. I think we’ll do a little bit more after December,” he said. “He looks good. He’s maintained his weight and has a much richer color in his coat. I think he’ll benefit from it.”
Laki’s lone win in eight starts this year came in the April 24 Frank Y. Whiteley at Laurel, extending his streak to five consecutive years with at least one stakes victory. He also ran second to Yaupon in the July 4 Lite the Fuse at Pimlico and third in Laurel’s Feb. 20 General George (G3).
Overall, the Maryland-bred Laki has 11 wins and $833,162 in purse earnings from 38 lifetime starts. He also leads the 3-year-olds and up, dirt sprint division of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series with 21 points, seeing his third consecutive championship. He also finished first in 2018 and 2019, while the 2020 series was shelved amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The final MATCH Series race in the dirt sprint division comes Dec. 26 at Laurel in the $100,000 Dave’s Friend going six furlongs. Laki is also eligible for the $75,000 Howard Bender for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs Nov. 26 at Laurel.
“I didn’t expect to get into the Maryland Million, so I figured I had some time to kick around for a little bit,” Dilodovico said. “There’s an allowance race coming up and then there’s the Maryland-bred race at the end of the month.
“Really, my target is the race after Christmas. It’s possible he could [train] straight into there, but I’d like to get a start into him,” he added. “The allowance race would be perfect. Then, I’d get six weeks off to the Christmas race. I’d be happy with that.”
Rainbow 6 Carryover
There will be a carryover of $3,001 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 when live racing returns to Laurel Park with a nine-race program Thursday.
First race post time is 12:25 p.m.
Thursday’s Race 3 is a six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds that drew a field of seven led by 4-5 program favorite Askin for a Baskin, a gelded son of Distorted Humor who fetched $500,000 as a yearling in September 2019 at Keeneland and is trained by Jeremiah Englehart. He has raced five times, all against older horses in New York, with two seconds.
The Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9 and opens with a six-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up where Claudio Gonzalez-trained 3-year-old Great Notion gelding He’s a Shooter is the even-money morning line favorite to extend his win streak to four races.
Race 5 is a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the Kelso turf course featuring Sept. 25 Alphabet Soup Handicap winner You Must Chill, Christophe Clement-trained Zarkallani, and Passion Play, winner of the Bert Allen and Edward Evans against fellow Virginia-breds in his only two starts this year.
Juvenile fillies will sprint 5 ½ furlongs in Race 7, an entry-level optional claiming allowance with stakes-placed Laoban’s Legacy and Click to Confirm, undefeated through two starts, breaking side-by-side in Post 5 and 6, respectively. Race 8 is an optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles where Mr. Mox, fifth in the Oct. 23 Maryland Million Nursery, is the 9-5 program favorite from Post 1.
Three of Friday’s nine races are scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course including the Race 8 feature, a third-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs. The field of 10 includes July 24 Sensible Lady Turf Dash winner Can the Queen and stakes-placed Dendrobia, Mucha Mezquina, Paisley Singing and Quiet Company. Multiple stakes winner Dontletsweetfoolya is entered for main track only.
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David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
Photo: Under Horacio Karamanos, Laki edges out Lebda with J. D. Acosta up in the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes at Pimlico April 24, 2021. (MJC)
