Sweet Soddy J captures the Timonium Juvenile Sep. 2 (Maryland Jockey Club)
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
LAUREL, Md.— Stakes winners Sweet Soddy J and Catahoula Moon and impressive debut winner Great Opportunity are among eight 2-year-olds that will line up in a wide-open edition of the $100,000 Heft.
The 22nd edition of the $100,000 Heft and the 15th running of the Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs, share top billing on a nine-race program that wraps up Maryland’s 2023 stakes schedule.
First race post time is 12:25 p.m.
Built Wright Stables’ homebred Sweet Soddy J, by 2018 Met Mile (G1) winner Bee Jersey, is looking to regain his winning form after capturing each of his first two starts this summer including the 6 ½-furlong Timonium Juvenile Sept. 2.
Sweet Soddy J will be making his eighth start and seventh straight in a stakes, most recently tiring to be last in the 5 ½-furlong Advent Dec. 8 at Oaklawn Park. The Heft will be the first time racing twice at the same track, after stops in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky and Arkansas.
“I don’t know what happened. He might have just been plain outclassed there at Oaklawn. He’s a really nice horse and I think I need to leave him in the Mid-Atlantic,” owner Norman ‘Lynn’ Cash said. “It’s almost a curse when we won that stake early on because a non-winners of three allowance is still hard to find for him, so we have to run in stakes. I guess the stakes where he fits are not so plentiful, so I supplemented those with places where he hasn’t fit.”
Sweet Soddy J has raced over the all-weather surface at Presque Isle Downs, running third in the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile, and tried graded company when eighth after pressing the pace in the one-mile Champagne (G1) in the slop at Aqueduct.
“I’m not completely sure he doesn’t want to go long. I know it looks like he doesn’t, when he ran in the Champagne, but we were up [near the lead] in a Grade 1 the first time he went long and that’s just ludicrous,” Cash said. “I’m hoping with the seven furlongs he likes it, he can rate a little bit and come on and run well.”
Jeiron Barbosa has the call from Post 3 of eight on Sweet Soddy J, who forged a short lead at the top of the stretch in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Nov. 11 at Laurel before winding up fourth to multiple stakes winner Copper Tax, beaten 2 ¼ lengths.
“He ran a big race [at Laurel] the last time. He hit the front, but he wouldn’t change leads. If he changes leads, we probably win that stake,” Cash said. “But the stake he won at Timonium he didn’t change leads, either, so we’ve been working with him on that trying to make sure with the rider every time he comes off the corner that he changes leads. Hopefully we get him to change leads as he comes down the lane in this stake. He had a big number and we were only a couple lengths off of it. I know it was a fourth, but it was a still a nice race for him.”
Super C Racing, Inc.’s Catahoula Moon broke his maiden going 6 ½ furlongs Sept. 4 at Timonium and came back two starts later to post a mild upset in the six-furlong Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 14 at Laurel. He has raced twice since, finishing fifth in the Lewis and second to Circle P after being run down late in the Maryland Juvenile. Trainer Flint Stites was aiming to the Heft with Circle P but will instead look to 2024 after the gelding suffered a minor setback.
Repole Stable’s Great Opportunity was always in command in his Dec. 3 unveiling at Laurel, a one-mile maiden special weight where he broke sharp from his inside post and led all the way in a 7 ¼-length triumph over a sloppy, sealed track for trainer Brittany Russell.
“He won going a mile first time out and it was a tough trip – from the rail, mud, mile first time – and I feel like he overcame a lot. He ran fast early, and he even got tired. He was exhausted after that race, but he seemed to bounce back in his training. I think shortening him up to seven, he’ll be just fine,” Russell said. “I think he’s a good horse and I think he can handle it.”
Also entered are American War Hero, a debut winner Sept. 30 at Delaware Park for trainer Graham Motion; Deposition, a 4 ¼-length maiden winner last out going a mile and 70 yards Nov. 21 at Parx; Mister Agent, a six-furlong maiden claiming winner Nov. 16 at Laurel; Penn National debut winner Cool in Blue and first-time starter Davyjonz.
Having debuted as the Marylander in 1975, the Heft was renamed in 2016 to honor Maryland native and longtime horse owner Arnold Heft who campaigned such horses as millionaire Eighttofasttocatch, a three-time Maryland Million Classic winner, and fellow multiple stakes winners Red’s Round Table, Pulverizing and Baldski’s Choice. He passed away in 2014 at age 94.
