Tony Eclipse. (Jim McCue/TMJC)
Dan Illman/Laurel Park
LAUREL, Md.– Trainer Brittany Russell hopes for better racing luck when she saddles Tony Eclipse in the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes for 3-year-olds racing 1 1/16 miles at Laurel Park.
The Private Terms shares top billing on the Saturday program with the $100,000 Beyond the Wire Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile. The first post time is 12:10 pm. ET.
Foaled in Maryland, Tony Eclipse is a homebred owned by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group. By Not This Time, Tony Eclipse placed in two stakes last year before winning Laurel’s restricted Maryland Juvenile in his final start of the season. ‘
Sent away the odds-on favorite in the Spectacular Bid in his 3-year-old debut on Jan. 25, Tony Eclipse raced in severe traffic behind a tiring rival.
“I think we just have to scratch that one out,” Russell said. “That horse stopped pretty much in front of him. When he gathered himself and [jockey Sheldon Russell] tipped him out, for a minute, I got excited, but he just had too much to do.”
After the Spectacular Bid, Russell gave Tony Eclipse a freshening.
“We could have run him right back [in the Miracle Wood on Feb. 22], but we thought the best thing to do was to regroup and point for this race,” Russell said. “He’s trained well.”
The Private Terms will be Tony Eclipse’s first start around two turns since a second-place effort in Delaware’s Rocky Run Stakes last fall.
“I think he handled himself fine,” Russell said about the two turns. “He was beaten by [It’s Hammertime], and I don’t think he’s any slouch when he’s right. I know it’s the furthest that we’ve asked him to go, but I always thought [distance] was what he wanted, and then he had this newfound speed. Hopefully, it’s a good thing.”
RKTN Racing’s Pay Billy made his stakes debut in the Miracle Wood, and he ran his heart out, dropping a nose decision to Barbadian Runner after pressing the early pace.
“I thought it was a real good effort,” said trainer Michael Gorham. “He made the lead and waited on [Barbadian Runner] a little bit. When he saw that horse get by him, he re-rallied.”
Gorham continues to be impressed by Pay Billy’s recent training.
“He’s getting better all the time,” Gorham stated. “I’m expecting a big race from him. He’s a big colt, and he’s coming into himself. I think he still has a little more in him.”
Pay Billy drew the far outside post, a potentially disadvantageous situation considering the short run into the opening bend.
“That’s an issue,” Gorham said. “I think he has enough speed to get out of there running and at least tuck into the three path on the first turn.”
Handicappers looking for a horse with dirtied-up form will consider John Hazard’s Sacred Thunder, who encountered traffic and/or pace issues in his last four races.
Trained by Gary Capuano, Sacred Thunder was held up behind horses before finishing fourth in the Maryland Juvenile, was wired in a slow-paced edition of the Heft on Dec. 28, faced myriad traffic issues when third, beaten a half-length in the Spectacular Bid, then rallied widest from last to finish third in a pace-less Miracle Wood.
Capuano said he is looking forward to stretching Sacred Thunder back around two turns for the first time since he wired four others in a Delaware maiden special weight last summer.
Brian Schartz’s Crab Daddy grabbed the restricted Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx on Nov. 27, then finished second in two open stakes, including the Spectacular Bid. He ran fourth in the Miracle Wood after contesting the pace with Pay Billy.
Conditioned by Linda Albert, Crab Daddy will return in one week after finishing second in a restricted allowance sprinting at Colonial. Albert feels the two turns will benefit the Uncle Lino gelding.
“He ran fine,” Albert said. “We were trying to find an easier race. The shorter distance didn’t do him much good. He came back good. I guess we’re treating it a little bit like a workout.”
Trainer Butch Reid entered two horses in the Private Terms but said Wednesday morning that Global Steve would instead race in the Animal Kingdom Stakes at Turfway on Saturday.
Reid’s hopes fall on Cash Is King and L C Racing’s Baby Dukes. A debut winner racing 4 ½ furlongs on June 24 and multiple stakes-placed last year, Baby Dukes took the open City of Brotherly Love at 1 1/16 miles at Parx on March 4, his first start as a gelding.
“He’s a big, strong horse,” Reid said. “He was disappointing in that little stretch where he was ducking and dodging from horses. We stripped him down, took his blinkers off, [gelded him], gave him two or three months, and his comeback race was really a good effort.”
Two entrants, Change My World and Superpower, cross-entered into a first-level allowance at Laurel on Sunday, also at 1 1/16 miles.
Mary Eppler Racing Stable and Triple Tree Stable’s Change My World races for the first time beyond six furlongs. As of Tuesday morning, trainer Eppler remained undecided on where Change My World will compete but conceded that “seven-eighths to a mile” is the colt’s preferred distance.
West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s Superpower pulled off a 36-1 shocker when graduating at second asking in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct on Jan. 25.
