Select trip notes for all races at Laurel Park today, plus two spot plays. Good luck!
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Trip Notes – Recent performances that deserve an asterisk. All others: trust the past-performances.
| Race 1: Starter Allowance, 3YO+ (F), 5 ½ Furlongs, Turf | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Notes |
| #4 SERENE SPIRIT | Starter Allowance, LRL, 6F, Firm Turf, 05/31/26 – 3rd | Tracked slow pace in the pocket racing to the turn, then checked sharply at the ½, losing momentum and a length or two; recovered and continued to chase the leading pair on the rail into the lane, then stayed on well for 3rd but was never closing the deficit. | The trouble she encountered entering the turn allowed the top two finishers to get the jump on her; in this slowly run race, that meant that it was near impossible for her to then regain the lost ground because her rivals were not stopping in front late on. Although this effort is only borderline upgradable and it’d be a reach to say she was ever beating the re-opposing GRIPEN, she should still be capable of improving with a clean trip today. |
| Other notes:
– Something seemed amiss with #1 YO ADRIAN when he returned from a layoff last time: he was readily outpaced early, then lugged out badly off the turn and was distanced. We know he’s better than that, but he is now a little tough to trust. Blinkers go on. – Although we knocked #3 GRANUUAILE in these lines for her effort two-back as she took advantage of a pace collapse to score, she then made us eat our words when producing a career best effort in just an evenly paced affair last time (aided by a great trip, admittedly). She’s clearly thriving right now and will require a second look again. – Although she was comfortably beaten in the end, there’s a chance that if we reran #8 GRIPEN’s last race she’d at least get closer to the winner because she pulled hard in behind the slow pace early (the slow pace really helped the 7/1 wire winner who was conserving energy while GRIPEN was tugging at the reins); then took a slight bump between horses in the 3-4P entering the bend (this didn’t hurt her momentum though); raced a touch wide into the lane; and then she was drifted way out into the center of the track through the stretch before treading water in the final 1/16 of the 6F contest. While it’s a stretch to say her trip cost her the race and her effort isn’t quite upgradable, we probably can expect a fraction more from her today. |
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| Race 2: Starter Allowance, 3YO+, 1 Mile, Dirt |
| Other notes:
– There’s reason to believe that #1 FORREST CITY’s big win last week was no fluke: Gaudet removed lasix three starts back, seemingly with the idea that it’d help the gelding step forward, but then he had a troubled trip over a speed favoring track (05/02) before he caught a sloppy track (which he seemingly have disliked) two back. Last week was the first time he’d had a clean trip on a fast track without lasix, and he romped. Not a trip note per se, but interesting, nonetheless. – #3 FIGHTERTOWN only just failed at 7F last time after doing some heavy lifting in front; a likable effort. – #5 RAPIDITY was caught slightly wider than ideal when rallying to finish behind #1 FORREST CITY last week. – Tough to assess how much if any difference it made to the result, but it could be worth noting that #6 BRIDANO’s last effort (a four runner race at two turns) featured a very slow early pace and a heavily speed biased racetrack. Cuts back to one turn today. |
| Race 3: Starter Allowance, 3YO+ (F), 1 1/16 Miles, Turf | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #2 PUT A ROCK IN IT | Starter Allowance, LRL, 1 1/8M, 05/31/26 – 2nd | Settled nicely tracking the even pace from ~4L back towards the inside racing to the far turn; advanced a little closer entering far turn, then found herself boxed in 2W racing to the ¼ pole (when she really needed to be getting out and rolling); tipped out into the clear 4W upper stretch which cost her significantly as the winner snuck through along the inside and quickly gained 2-3L on her; she then rallied strongly through the center of the track but missed. | Getting trapped in the pocket on the far turn and then coming slightly wide cost her far more than the nose she was beaten in this race and it’s very easy to argue she was best; her late kick was impressive and with the potential of more to come, she has to be taken very seriously this afternoon. |
| #4 HOCKEY | Claiming 16k, LRL, 1M, Firm Turf, 05/01/26 – 3rd | Pulled very hard pressing honest pace 3W to the far turn; just about held her position while 3W to ¼; came 4W into the stretch, then stayed on very willingly to the wire despite having been put in a little tight between foes ~1/8 pole. | *Her last start on turf. She did well to stay on for 3rd in this race and do best of the leading trio after over-racing early and having been caught wide on both turns – UPGRADE. Today’s post could help her settle better, save more ground, and step forward. Note: there was a strong speed bias present when she wired the field in an off-turf event last time. |
| Other notes:
– There’s no denying that #1 SYNERGISM ran a great race in his last start on turf (05/16/26) and off the back of it, she’ll demand respect today, especially with an extra 1/16 to work with down in class; however, we should note that there was a complete pace collapse in that race (which she took advantage of), with runners positioned 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th (all over 13L off the lead) at the first three points of call rallying to finish 2nd through 5th; maybe just take that 77 Beyer with a small pinch of salt. Note: she seemed to win with something in hand last time in an off-turf allowance at Delaware, comfortably scoring under just a hand ride. – #5 HAPPY THIS DAY didn’t quite do enough to earn an upgrade in her last turf start (04/26/26); however, she was caught wide and out of cover which resulted in her pulling hard early and understandably (as she was returning from a layoff), she therefore tired late. Expecting more from her with a covered-up trip third back on grass today. – #9 LET’S DANCE AGAIN was notably wide on the turn sprinting last week before staying on evenly through the stretch; a more ground saving trip at a route of ground today could see her to better effect. |
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| Race 4: Allowance, 3YO+ (F) ®, 5 ½ Furlongs, Turf | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #3 DIANE LEE | Starter Allowance, LRL, 6F, Firm Turf, 05/31/26 – 4th | Tracked slow pace from ~3L back between horses to the ½, then steadied as a rival backed up in front of her, costing her a length or two; recovered stride, then waited in traffic before swinging out in upper stretch and staying on evenly to the wire. | Returning off a layoff, she was shuffled back entering the turn and then forced to wait in traffic which, given the pace was slow and the rails were at 87 feet, made her task of regaining the deficit near impossible. She may be capable of improving notably on this effort second back today. |
| #7 BISCUITWITHTHEBOSS | Allowance, LRL, 5 1/2F, Firm Turf, 05/02/26 – 3rd | Sped clear early; set fast pace inside-2W racing into the lane; held a clear advantage into deep stretch; hooked 1/16, then faded late on. | A straightforward PACE UPGRADE can be awarded for this effort as she set hot fractions (22.21, 44.25) that set things up well for the eventual top two finishers (both 5 1/2L back at 1st call); might be capable of improving on this run if rationing out her speed more efficiently. |
| Other notes:
– With the rails at 87 feet, #2 DESTINATION was allowed to set a slow, uncontested pace (23.94, 46.84) in front before going on to score when returned to the turf last time; while there’s no denying that she was game in victory and ran through the line well, the pace scenario did seem to help her and we might want to downgrade that effort. – Returning from a lengthy layoff, #8 DIVINE WORKS (MTO) ran a nice race at 7F last time, holding 3rd from #9 NANCY MARY (who closed while a fraction wider than ideal) after sitting close to a fast pace early (small pace upgrade). |
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| Race 5: Starter Allowance, 3YO+ (F), 1 Mile, Dirt | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #8 LORD’S LADY | Allowance, PEN, 1M, Fast Dirt, 05/08/26 – 1st | Slight bobble start, lacked speed; chased even-slow pace from ~5-7L back in last racing to the far turn; advanced between foes 2W racing to the 5/16, then tipped out 4W entering the lane ~2L back and rallied strongly towards the center to score. | A very likable win that is deserving of a small upgrade given she closed into a pace that was not overly strong (speed held fairly well) and ran by the 2/5 pace setter powerfully late on. With more speed signed on in today’s contest, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her improve off this effort again. Note: her two back effort is also deserving of an upgrade (a larger one) as she had no pace to close into, and the track was presenting a speed bias. |
| Other notes:
– Under just a mild hand ride through the lane, #1 GINGER GIRL possibly won with something in hand courtesy of a forward ground saving trip at 7F here two weeks ago. – #2 EASY COME EASY GO had a beautiful trip and setup when last seen at Tampa, closing into fractions of 23.12, 45.92 (the pace fell apart) while saving ground on both turns; wouldn’t take it for granted that she’ll replicate that level of form today. – There is no full race replay available, but it’s clear from what we can see that #6 SUNFLOWER STATE endured a troubled trip on the turf last time and we can probably toss that race. In her effort prior on the dirt, she had run multiple races that suggest today’s stretch out may be to her benefit. – Prior to her likable win in a slowly run off-turf event last time, #7 WEEKEND WIFE had run an upgradable race two back. Trip note from 04/18: “She never threatened for win honors but that wasn’t surprising given she had no pace to run at (25.14, 49.46) and the track was presenting a speed bias; in fact, she did well to only just miss 2nd and it seems she can improve on this UPGRADABLE effort.” |
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| Race 6: Starter Allowance, 3YO+ (F), 5 ½ Furlongs, Turf | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #9 DALE’S BLUFF | Allowance, FG, 5 1/2F, Good Turf, 02/05/26 – 7th | Stalked even pace from 1L back in the 2P to upper stretch, then she was sideswiped by a rival and knocked all over the place, significantly denting her momentum; from there, she wasn’t persevered with. | We can toss this race as a result of the significant interference she suffered; judge her on her prior stats instead. Returns to Capuano’s barn off the layoff today; player. |
| Other notes:
– Returning off the layoff with lasix added for the first time, #1 HALF A DECK ran out a visually very impressive winner last time and with some turf in her pedigree, she’ll demand a second look today; it does have to be noted, however, that there was a strong speed bias present at Laurel that day, slightly raising questions about the validity of the form. Note: in the second division of that maiden claimer on May 22, #8 GOLDEN SOVEREIGN also took advantage of the speed bias to score off the layoff (not nearly as impressively as HALF A DECK); take that form with a pinch of salt, too. – Seemed like #2 AWESOME MCKINZIE was lugging in a touch through the stretch last time; she had no excuse in that particular race (trip and setup was good), but still might be capable of offering more now making her second start back with lasix added. – We can be very forgiving of #3 CHILLY GIRL’s last effort as she was positioned wide and out of cover while forming part of a fast pace that completely collapsed late on; she could be more effective as a closing sprinter and shouldn’t be ruled out dropping in class. – Probably a moot point given she was 23/1 and beaten over 13L, but #6 GETTING CLOSER really was facing an impossible task against tough foes last time, trying to close into a slow pace over a speed biased dirt track; expecting more from her back on turf today. – #7 VINO AMORE’s two back effort is deserving of an upgrade as she closed from last for 2nd over a heavily speed biased track; chance her last race (beaten 2nd at odds of 8/5) then came back too quick (14 days rest), as she’s never performed well on short rest. |
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| Race 7: The Jameela Stakes, 3YO+ (F) ®, 6 Furlongs, Turf | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #1 SPORTING LADY | The The Very One Stakes, LRL, 5 1/2F, Firm Turf, 05/15/26 – 7th | Bumped hard start, lacked speed; tracked slow pace from ~6L back in rear racing into the far turn; steadily advanced under a hold between horses in the 2P racing to the top of the lane; briefly waited in behind horses upon straightening, then angled widest in the stretch and tried to rally but was hampered and steadied ~1/8 pole which cost her momentum and from there, she failed to threaten (not helped by her rider standing up at the first wire) despite continuing willingly. | She actually did well to only be beaten 4L in this race given the significant lack of pace she had to run at and the fact that she was hampered ~1/8 pole (by #7 MALIBU HOOCH). Upgrade this effort (and her effort two back when she closed into a slow pace for 2nd), and expect more from her if the pace is stronger today. |
| #4 GIFT OF GAB | Starter Allowance, DEL, 5F, Firm Turf, 06/10/26 – 2nd | Pinched start and away slowly; chased pace from ~8L back inside to upper stretch, then angled out to the center and rallied strongly but missed. | Although the early posted fractions appear quick, the pace of this race actually increased in the second half of the contest and therefore, we can UPGRADE her effort as she closed from last while racing against the flow; today’s 6F trip should be more to her liking. |
| Other Notes:
– Not for the first time, #2 MOPO finished in a manner to suggest today’s 6F trip (the first time she’ll try it) will be her optimum. Player third back. – Not sure how relevant it is to today’s contest (because it came 433 days ago in a mile contest on the dirt), but #5 GOLD DIGGING BROAD’s last start is deserving of an upgrade as she closed from 10L back while very wide to finish a clear 2nd, despite a speed bias being present. |
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| Race 8: Maiden Claiming 35k, 2YO, 5 Furlongs, Dirt |
| – All debutants. |
| Race 9: The Bens Cat Stakes, 3YO+, 6 Furlongs, Turf | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #6 WITTY | Da Hoss Stakes, CNL, 5 1/2F, Firm Turf, 09/06/25 – 3rd | Step slow; trailed ~7-8L off the lead into the lane, then closed between foes for 3rd but had too much to do. | *His last start on turf prior to a solid return off the layoff in an off-turf event last time. With the rails at 90 feet, all three turf sprints on this card were won in gate to wire fashion (including this fairly paced race). WITTY was the only runner to do any running from the back in this contest and did well to get 3rd considering the track was playing against him. UPGRADE this effort a little. |
| Other notes:
– Regarding #1 WICKEDDIVINE (MTO)’s last start (a very likable win going 6F), the chart comment notes how he lightly steadied ~1/4 pole; while this did happen, it was neglible interference and we should not upgrade his effort as a result of it. Logical player regardless if this race comes off the grass. – It was suggested in these lines that when #2 BRIGHTSHININGLIGHT broke his maiden three back, he didn’t do a lot when he hit the front (waited on company) and may have had more in the locker; once again, in his last start, he left that same impression as he hung when drawing level for the lead, then rebid to be beaten just a head after being passed. Feel he still has more to offer; maybe wait until blinkers go on before we bet him next? – Regarding #3 TIDEWATER’s last start, we shouldn’t mistake the short chart comment “steadied 3-1/2” for a bad trip – he was very strong in behind horses early, but he never had to truly steady or check and overall, sat a perfectly fine trip. – While the chart comment correctly highlights how #5 WHENIGETTOHEAVEN met traffic in the lane when running a nice race to finish 3rd in the King T. Leatherbury Stakes last time, we shouldn’t upgrade his effort because he never had to check or steady (he just had to navigate some small gaps but never lost momentum) and he was not cost a position through traffic. Furthermore, he received a very favorable pace setup. Still, he looms as a logical win contender following what was a solid return effort. – Having been reluctant to load, #7 HAD TO HAVE HIM then endured a slightly wide trip last time; while he didn’t do enough to earn an upgrade, we may still be able to expect more from him third back today. |
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| Race 10: Claiming 12k, 3YO+, 7 Furlongs, Dirt | |||
| Horse | Race | Trip | Note |
| #3 BLO BY’EM | Claiming 12k, LRL, 1 1/16M, Fast Dirt, 05/02/26 – 4th | Bumped start; took back from between foes and settled towards rear of tightly bunched field racing into the back stretch, then steadied and lost a little ground/momentum as a foe backed up into him ~3/4; switched outside and continued to track the tightly bunched field run last racing to the far turn; tried to advance far turn but struggled to do so while losing ground 5W, then finished evenly on his left lead for 4th. | *His last start on a fast dirt track, two-back: An UPGRADABLE first try at two-turns due to the fact that he met a little trouble, lost ground racing wide on the turn, and was trying to close into a slow pace over a track that was slightly favoring speed. With this two-turn experience behind him and a set of different circumstances to work with today, he might be able to remind us why he was sent off as the 2/1 fav 04/04/26. |
| Other notes:
– #1 FIGHTING WORDS raced wider than ideal on the turn when staying on for a well beaten 4th in a race that saw speed hold well (top three finishers filled those positions throughout) at Gulfstream last time; chance he offers a fraction more today. – The hot pace set by the 7/5 fav in #2 IN HONOR OF JEFF’s last race led to a pace collapse which set things up perfectly for him as a deep closer (along with the 12/1 runner up who was 10 1/2L off the lead at 1st call); he had a smooth trip in that race too and as likable as the story was, we do need to downgrade his effort somewhat. Note: we can forgive his effort two back when he tried to close into a slow pace over a speed biased track. – Not sure it made much difference if any, but #5 MOSE SMOKIN was persistently caught tight in behind and between foes last time which mightn’t have been ideal. Makes debut for Sanchez-Salomon today. – Not sure it made a huge amount of difference to the result on either occasion (he ran very well both times), but it might be worth noting that there have been speed biases present the last twice #6 EDELWEISS has run. Logical contender. – The chart comment notes how #7 WORLD ON FIRE steadied at the ½ last time, but it’s a real stretch to call it a steady and we shouldn’t upgrade his effort because of it. He did race wide on the turn which warrants some extra credit, but he wasn’t as wide as the winner and he also received a great pace setup. In short, the result and speed fig seem fair. |
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Horses to Follow
R3: PUT A ROCK IN IT (5/2 ML)
PUT A ROCK IN IT has done little wrong this year, carrying a strong run of form from Texas back to Laurel where she was arguably unlucky not to score last time. Caught in a pocket on the far turn before being swung wide into the stretch, she missed by just a nose in a tougher starter allowance than the one she meets today. With tactical versatility and the potential to offer more than her latest 78 Beyer, she could prove tough to deny.
R4: SECURE’S HOPE (4/1 ML)
Never out of the money in four turf sprints at Laurel, SECURE’S HOPE was an improving filly last year and appears to have carried that progression into 2026. Returning from a layoff off a limited series of workouts on Preakness Day, she ran a big race to finish third in a strong allowance and should strip fitter for the effort. This field doesn’t look quite as deep and, provided she can work out a trip from the rail, she ought to have enough pace to run at and make her presence felt late.
