Adam Russo's 8-year-old campaigner P Day faces six other older warriors in the $125,000 Baltimore Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III) at 1 1/8 mile at Pimlico. Based at nearby Laurel Park under trainer Charles Hadry Jr., the Private Terms gelding has won two of three starts this year, the Native Dancer Stakes in January and the Harrison Johnson Handicap in March, both under jockey Ryan Fogelsonger. Pimlico's linemaker Frank Carulli has set the odds at 3-1."There looks as if there is enough speed for him to run at," said Fogelsonger. "If he is in front at the eighth pole, he's got another win under his belt." P Day, who has won 15 of 48 lifetime starts for more than $600,000, faces an evenly matched field.The morning line has four horses bunched at 4-1 and 9-2. They are Private Lap (4-1), Lyracist (4-1), First Amendment (9-2) and Changeintheweather (9-2).Private Lap, with Roberto Alvarado Jr., ships to Baltimore off an allowance victory at the Breeders' Cup distance at Aqueduct. Trained by Allen Iwinski, Private Lap is another Private Terms offspring with six wins on his resume but no added-money tallies. Lyracist is a consistent campaigner who bangs around the Mid-Atlantic circuit. Trained by Michael Petro and ridden by his brother Nick, Lyracist boasts a 9-8-12 record in 54 starts. Lyracist won the John Campbell Handicap in 2002 and was second to P Day in the Johnson and third in the Campbell this year.First Amendment is expected to set the pace from his rail post. The Michael Gill-owned, John Robb-trained gelding led for the first mile in the Harrison Johnson before tiring to seventh. Rick Wilson will ride First Amendment for the first time on Saturday.
Changeintheweather scored a big stakes victory in Canada in his two-year-old season and started 2003 with an impressive romp in an allowance test at Gulfstream Park, beating Aeneas, who is a likely starter in next month's Pimlico Special (gr. I). Ramon Dominguez will ride the Gone West colt for trainer Graham Motion.Full Brush and Hay Getoutofmyway are the longest shots on the board at 8-1. Both were stakes placed behind P Day in the last four months.$125,000 Baltimore Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3 & up, 1 1/8 mile
PP. Horse, Jockey, Wgt.
1. First Amendment (MD), Rick Wilson, 115
2. Hay Getoutofmyway (MD), Mario G. Pino, 113
3. P Day (MD), Ryan Fogelsonger, 118
4. Changeintheweather (KY), Ramon A. Dominguez, 114
5. Private Lap (KY), Roberto Alvarado, Jr., 113
6. Lyracist (KY), Nicholas J. Petro, 116
7. Full Brush (MD), Clinton L. Potts, 115