M M G Racing Stable' Never Gone South and Harry and Tom Meyerhoff's Marengo Road are among seven 3-year-olds entered for the Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes, one of a trio of $75,000 races set to run Jan. 16 at Laurel Park.
The seven-furlong Whiteley anchors Saturday's nine race-card along with the Fire Plug Stakes for older runners and the Marshua Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, both a six furlongs.
Never Gone South is the only stakes winner in the field, and Marengo Road gets class relief after finishing unplaced in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) last time out at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trainer Cathal Lynch's Never Gone South won his first two starts by a combined 6 1/2 lengths, including the 5 1/2-furlong Strike Your Colors Stakes August at Delaware Park. The son of Munnings then posted a pair of close seconds in Laurel stakes: the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Stakes Nov. 14 and the seven-furlong Maryland Stakes Dec. 5 last time out, closing from third each time.
Marengo Road, a son of Quality Road trained by Michael Trombetta, entered the Remsen Nov. 28 off a 9 1/4-length win against allowance runners at Laurel Park but tired and finished last behind Mohaymen.
Also entered is Wychmere (Cape Blanco), third in the restricted Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes December 5 and runner-up going a furlong further in a one-mile optional claiming race Jan. 4 at Laurel; Henry the King, a son of Henrythenavigator who makes his stakes debut after winning his first two starts; and experienced Huntin'theholidays (Jump Start ), who posted a 2-3-1 record from nine starts last year, including an 8 3/4-length romp over allowance foes at Parx Racing Dec. 1 in his most recent outing.
The Marshua drew six entrants, including Repole Stable's Lost Raven (Uncle Mo ), winner of the Smart Halo Stakes at the Marshua's six furlongs at Laurel Nov. 14 and then finished fifth in the Demoseille (gr. II) two weeks later at Aqueduct last time out; Aye a Song (Fiber Sonde), whose five wins last year include four restricted stakes at Charles Town, most recently a seven-length victory in the Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes Dec. 12 for owner-breeder-trainer John McKee; and King of Prussia Stable's Mo d'Amour (Uncle Mo), who broke her maiden at Aqueduct at first asking before finishing seventh in the Demoiselle.
Among 10 for the Fire Plug, Any Court Inastorm (Successful Appeal ) was third in the Dec. 26 Jennings Handicap at Laurel after winning an optional claimer there Oct. 25, and multiple stakes-placed Sonny Inspired (Artie Schiller ), who was fifth in the track's Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes Nov. 14.
