The Lead:
Three marquee dates on the Maryland racing calendar hit annually: the Preakness in Spring, the Maryland Million in autumn and Saturday's Winter Carnival. For decades, the General George and Barbara Fritchie have brought top sprinters to Laurel Park over the President's Day weekend. Saturday's lineup also includes a pair of additional, supporting stakes on a 10-race card that gets under at 12:25 pm ET. The Fritchie will be Race 8 and is our focus.
Field Depth:
LAST LEAF and BLUEFIELD are the graded stakes-placed performers in the field. The latter pair have faced the strongest competition in recent outings and could have the class edge.
Pace:
DISCO EBO is the clear-cut early speed in the Fritchie with CONTINENTALCONGRES likely in closest pursuit. This is not a meltdown kind of pace projection, so you won't want to be a deep, deep closer.
Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.
#1-LAST LEAF: Kentucky-based mare has placed in stakes at Keeneland, Churchill, Turfway and Ellis Park with a midpack, stalking style. Four-time stakes winner in her career has lost 13 straight races, but has been knocking on the door for trainer Eddie Kenneally.
#2-PRODIGY DOLL: Fifth-place finisher in the past two editions of the Fritchie, this Phil Schoenthal trainee exits a blowout victory over a sloppy track in allowance company. Career mark of 1-for-14 in stakes races, including 8 top-4 finishes in those.
#3-FRECCIA D’ARGENTO: scratch.
#4-DISCO EBO: Parx-based mare has won half of her 20 career starts and will be making her first start at Laurel Park. She won last year’s Youngstown Oaks on the road at Mahoning Valley and was third in Aqueduct’s Garland of Roses, so she’s traveled well. Trainer Butch Reid is coming off a big win Feb. 3 in the Withers at Aqueduct with Uncle Heavy.
#5-APPLE PICKER: Since moving to the Brittany Russell stable for the 2023 season, this 4-year-old has become a regular on the Maryland filly and mare stakes scene. Runner-up in Laurel’s local prep, the Willa On The Move Stakes, her first attempt against elder rivals. Versatile running style has seen her victorious on the lead and from significantly off the pace.
#6-INTREPID DAYDREAM: scratch.
#7-BLUEFIELD: Gulfstream Park-based mare exits a rallying second in the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes at the Fritchie distance and also won over this 7F trip at Tampa bay Downs in December’s City of Ocala Stakes. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. took over the duties in 2022 with seven top-4 finishes in 8 starts since. Began her career at Laurel in 2020 and won 3 of her first 4 starts here.
#8-CONTINENTALCONGRES: Daughter of Constitution seeks her first stakes win while returning to the stakes ranks for the first time since September. Her best races have been when she’s able to make the early lead and jockey Horacio Karamanos likely will make that bid with the Mike Trombetta trainee, just as he did in a wire-to-wire November allowance score at Laurel over this same distance. Karamanos aims for a record-tying fourth Fritchie win, something only accomplished by 1980s local star Donnie Miller Jr.
#9-BENEATH THE STARS: She’s won a pair of Laurel allowance sprints at 6 furlongs in her three most recent starts since exiting the stakes ranks. Trainer Lacey Gaudet loses regular rider Jevian Toledo, who jumps saddles to reunite with Fritchie rival Intrepid Daydream. Her 6 career wins at Laurel easily top the field, but all 6 have come in the allowance ranks. She’s 0-for-5 overall in career stakes attempts.
Most Certain Exotics Contender:
BLUEFIELD has the class and is experienced over the track.
Best Longshot Exotics Contender:
DISCO EBO has 10 straight superfecta finishes with 7 of those wins. She'll be whistling up front as far as she can take them at a 10-1 morning line projection.
Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$75 daily double BLUEFIELD to POST TIME in the General George (Races 8-9). $25 daily double DISCO EBO to POST TIME in the General George (Races 8-9).
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