Hard-knocking campaigner Page McKenney hopes to keep alive his streak of finishing in the top three in 21 consecutive races, mostly stakes, when he tops the field for the Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park Jan. 2.
The Native Dancer, at the distance of about 1 1/16 miles, is one of three stakes each worth $75,000 on the Saturday card at Maryland.
Highweighted at 124 pounds, Page McKenney is coming off a game half-length victory over grade III winner Kid Cruz in the Swatara Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course Nov. 25. The Swatara, in which the gelded son of Eavesdropper recorded a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 124, was the second stakes win in 11 days for Page McKenney.
Trained by Mary Eppler for Adam Staple and Jalin Stable, Page McKenney won the Richard B. Small Stakes by a widening 4 3/4 lengths at Laurel Nov. 14. With a record of 14-12-4 and earnings of $976,978, Page McKenney last finished worse than third when fifth in an allowance at Pimlico Race Course in April 2014.
Assigned second highweight of 120 pounds was Bellarmine, a stakes-winning son of Magna Graduate now racing for Aaron Racing Stables after being claimed for $32,000 at Belmont Park in October. With a 32-8-3-5 record and a bankroll of $329,675, Bellarmine is coming off a driving 9 1/4-length triumph in an allowance/optional claimer over a muddy Laurel track at the Native Dancer distance.
Diane Manning's multiple stakes-winning mare Miss Mischief tops the nine-horse field of older fillies and mares going forward in the Nellie Morse Stakes, also at the about 1 1/16-mile distance.
The 124-pound highweight trained by Dale Capuano, Miss Mischief won or placed in seven of nine 2015 starts, including the Besarabian Stakes (Can-II) at Woodbine Nov. 15 to conclude her season. The daughter of Into Mischief bred in Kentucky by Allen Poindexter has earned $522,980, with nine wins and four placings from 23 starts.
The third stakes on the card, the $75,000 What a Summer Stakes, drew a field of seven older fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs, including stakes winners Eddy Gourmet and Raging Smoke.
An Eddington mare trained by Mary Eppler, Eddy Gourmet last visited the winner's circle following a 7 3/4-length victory in Laurel's Conniver Stakes last March. She has subsequently finished third twice in eight starts.
A Pennsylvania-bred daughter of More Smoke trained by Michael W. Salvaggio Jr., Raging Smoke has earned $310,732 while finishing in the top three in 14 of 18 career starts.
Laurel Park, Saturday, January 02, 2016, Race 4Entries: What A Summer S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Medaglia d'Argento (KY) Trevor McCarthy 120 George Weaver 6/1 2 2Eddy Gourmet (MD) Taylor M. Hole 120 Mary E. Eppler 10/1 3 3Sweet On Smokey (KY) Victor R. Carrasco 118 Claudio A. Gonzalez 2/1 4 4Deliver Me (MD) UNKNOWN 118 Heather T. O'Hern 20/1 5 5Raging Smoke (PA) Julian Pimentel 122 Michael W. Salvaggio, Jr. 5/2 6 6Charm City (MD) Horacio Karamanos 120 Mary E. Eppler 12/1 7 7E Dubai's Humor (MD) Forest Boyce 120 Donald H. Barr 5/2
Laurel Park, Saturday, January 02, 2016, Race 7Entries: Native Dancer S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Page McKenney (PA) Horacio Karamanos 124 Mary E. Eppler 7/5 2 2Warrioroftheroses (NY) UNKNOWN 118 Damon R. Dilodovico 20/1 3 3Indycott (KY) Victor R. Carrasco 118 Danny Gargan 12/1 4 4Bellarmine (KY) Nik Juarez 120 Jeremiah C. Englehart 6/1 5 5Ever Rider (ARG) UNKNOWN 118 Timothy L. Keefe 20/1 6 6Monkey's Medal (PA) Forest Boyce 118 Timothy L. Keefe 15/1 7 7Strong Stipulation (VA) Jevian Toledo 118 H. Graham Motion 8/1 8 8Catron (KY) Trevor McCarthy 118 Todd A. Pletcher 7/2 9 9Golden Glint (KY) Julian Pimentel 118 Kieron Magee 10/1
Laurel Park, Saturday, January 02, 2016, Race 8Entries: Nellie Morse S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Love Came to Town (NJ) Mychel J. Sanchez 122 Kevin G. Sleeter 4/1 2 2Primo Via (PA) Eriluis Vaz 120 Philip T. Aristone 8/1 3 3Playful Love (KY) Victor R. Carrasco 118 H. Graham Motion 6/1 4 4Hot Trial (PA) Tyler Conner 118 Heather T. O'Hern 20/1 5 5Rapid Repair (KY) Jevian Toledo 118 Kelly Rubley 6/1 6 6Rare Medal (KY) Julian Pimentel 120 Louis C. Linder, Jr. 12/1 7 7Samantha Nicole (KY) Forest Boyce 120 Kiaran P. McLaughlin 9/2 8 8Miss Mischief (KY) Trevor McCarthy 124 Dale Capuano 5/2 9 9Brenda's Way (MD) Nik Juarez 120 Damon R. Dilodovico 12/1
