Something a little different this week… here are four horses to follow today’s card at Laurel Park. Good luck!
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R5: LET HER PASS BY (3/1 ML)
KITTYUP posted a 55 Beyer when finishing third at odds of 16/1 in a MSW last time, making her the horse to beat in today’s fifth, a $25k maiden claimer sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Speed held well in that race though, and the form hasn’t stood up — the four horses to run back have averaged a Beyer drop of 11.5 points in their next starts. Therefore, I’ll lean on LET HER PASS BY to get the job done instead.
The chart comment “bumped leaving the starting gate” doesn’t do justice to how fiercely sideswiped this filly was at the break when last seen 22-days ago, which prevented her from adopting a forward position like she did when finishing third in a MSW at Colonial two back. The comment also omits that she steadied briefly at the top of the stretch and was denied a fully clear path for much of the lane. Granted, she was never beating the winner, but she did well to post the fastest closing sectionals and rally into third late on.
Now dropping in for a tag for the first time and facing much softer company, a cleaner trip should see her continue her upward trajectory (Beyer pattern: 40, 44, 49) and get off the mark at the fourth attempt this afternoon. She’s shown her ability to be effective using different running styles, which one loves to see, and her trainer Ricky Sillaman has a 33% strike rate moving horses form MSW to maiden claimers ($3.09 ROI) too.
R6: BE HERE (6/1)
Today’s sixth, a 1 1/16-mile starter allowance, looks as competitive a turf race as you’ll find, with cases to be made for any number of runners. It may therefore be worth trying a slightly better-priced runner, such as BE HERE.
This six-time winning son of GHOSTZAPPER’s recent speed figures suggest he’ll need everything to fall his way — and maybe one or two of the favorites to underperform — if he’s to score this afternoon. However, both his effort three back, when finishing a neck second with a 77 Beyer to BRING ME A CHECK (who returned to win again with an 86 Beyer next time), and his effort last time, when he finished third with a 76 Beyer, came in races where speed held exceptionally well, compromising his chances greatly as a closer. Those races can therefore be significantly upgraded. In between those starts, he hadn’t had to do much running to justify 8/5 favoritism in a low-level claimer at the Meadowlands and seemingly had more to offer than the 74 Beyer he earned in that spot suggests, too.
With a number of speed horses in the lineup this afternoon, he should get a more favorable setup than he has done at this level recently, and if that helps him show his true colors and rediscover the level of form he’s displayed on multiple occasions in the past, he could be very dangerous as he makes just his second start for trainer Kieron Magee (last year: 33% [9-for-27] second off the claim following a top-three finish; $2.11 ROI). His 5-1-3 record from 16 starts at 1 1/16 miles adds further strength to his case, and leading apprentice Hazlewood’s 5lbs weight allowance is no negative either.
R8: DEADPAN (5/2)
Today’s eighth, a 5 1/2-furlong starter allowance on the turf, is a race full of horses who, well, don’t do a whole lot of winning. The thirteen horses entered (excluding MTOs) are a combined 7-for-105 in 2025, and therefore it could be worth trying the new shooter to the division, DEADPAN.
Horses cutting back from routes—particularly if they’ve shown speed in those races—often run well in 5 1/2-furlong sprints at Laurel, where the long stretch and extra sixteenth can catch out the true 5-furlong speedballs. DEADPAN fits that mold, and although his last two efforts on dirt leave a little to be desired, he could be seen to good effect this afternoon returning to the turf, where he’s done his best work, and cutting back to a sprint for the first time as he makes his first start for Anthony Farrior (26% off the claim). His turf figures are among the best on offer in this race, he’s been freshened since his last start, and again, having the Hazlewood takes a valuable 5 lbs off.
R11: NOLA BOSS (7/2 ML)
NIGHT PREACHER has raced too freely to see out six furlongs in his recent tries at the distance, and I’m not sure how much I want to trust MR BOGAN returning just 15 days after posting a career-best Beyer as he makes his first start for Jonathan Maldonado this afternoon, having been claimed off Jamie Ness last time. (Horses claimed off Ness following a career best Beyer are just 1-for-13 at Laurel, and 0-for-4 when starting as the favorite, including three beaten at sub 2/1). Therefore, I’ll instead look towards NOLA BOSS in Saturday’s finale, a six-furlong starter on the dirt.
Having returned off the layoff as a gelding and romped by 8 1/4 lengths at Colonial in July (73 Beyer), this Brittany Russell trainee hasn’t been able to show his best in three starts since. He was caught very wide when taking on a tough field at Colonial three back, then endured two consecutive tricky trips from inside draws when switched to turf— a surface he didn’t particularly look at home on.
Now returning to the dirt, however, with a wide draw that should allow him to sit a forward, trouble-free trip in a race that, other than NIGHT PREACHER, lacks any real speed, a chance can be taken on him to get back to running a mid-70s Beyer — which could be good enough to beat his vulnerable-looking main rivals. Brittany Russell strikes at 33% (last year: 5-for-15; $3.73 ROI) with horses ridden by Sheldon Russell moving from turf to dirt, and 7/2 seems a fair price.
‘HTF’ Results:
September 2025
Starters: 32
Wins: 10 (31%)
ITM: 22 (69%)
Average Odds: 5.60
ROI: $2.46
June 2025
Starters: 35
Wins: 11 (31%)
ITM: 23 (66%)
Average Odds: 5.40
ROI: $3.42
May 2025
Starters: 36
Wins: 12 (33%)
ITM: 20 (55%)
Average Odds: 4.40
ROI: $3.60
