Race of the Week: Thirty Eight Go Go at Laurel | Saturday, November 11, 2023

‍The Lead:
Maryland's Laurel Park features a trio of stakes races on its Saturday card, a pair of juvenile offerings leading into the featured $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes for older fillies and mares. The 1-1/16 miles test drew a field of 10 and the short run to the first turn over the 9-furlong oval will provide a challenge for those starting wide. The Thirty Eight Go Go, named for the local star mare who earned $800K-plus in the late '80s, early '90s will go as Race 8 on Saturday.

​Field Depth:  
Six of these are existing US stakes winners, including defending champion HYBRID ECLIPSE (who also is Grade 2-placed), LUNA BELLE, MALIBU BEAUTY, INTREPID DAYDREAM, SWEET WILLEMINA and OPUS FORTY TWO (also Grade 3-placed). MILAGRAOSA SURENA was a Group 1 winner in Argentina.

Pace:
Inside-outside speed here from HASHTAG LUCKY and OPUS FORTY TWO, in addition to that short dash to the clubhouse turn, would be enough to make this a pretty fast pace. Also consider MALIBU BEAUTY, I'M GITTIN THERE and INTREPID DAYDREAM want to be in the early mix as well. This race projects a very fast pace and gives a late-runner her best chance at success.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

1-HASHTAG LUCKY: 10-time winner has made the lead in her last 6 races, splitting time between Maryland and Delaware. Eighth and 12th in her only 2 career stakes attempts.

2-LUNA BELLE: Amassed 5 stakes wins between her 2 and 3-year-old seasons, she exits a credible third in the Maryland Million Distaff in her only start of 2023. She won the Weber City Miss at this same track and distance in Spring '22 and could be effective second-off-the-layoff for veteran trainer Hamilton Smith.

3-MILAGROSA SURENA: Argentine export hasn't replicated her homeland form in a pair of US starts, a dirt allowance and a turf stakes bid in the All Along at Pimlico. Jockey Horacio Karamanos sticks, and he's the top local rider at 26% this year over Laurel's tricky, 1-1/16 miles distance, according to Betmix.

4-MALIBU BEAUTY: Fourth in this race last year as the 9-5 favorite, she disappointed most recently in the Maryland Million Distaff when a well-beaten sixth. That snapped a streak of 11 straight superfecta finishes. She's struggled to sustain her speed in previous attempts at this distance and will be challenged by the pace.

5-I'M GITTIN THERE: Primarily a 1-turn runner, she did win her last bid at Laurel over the Thirty Eight Go Go distance in allowance company in March. Her local dirt form is rock-solid and adds depth to stablemate Luna Belle in here for trainer Smith.

6-HYBRID ECLIPSE: Three-length winner of this race a year ago, she's 6-for-10 at Laurel on dirt lifetime and trainer Brittany Russell has just dominated 1-1/16 miles races at Laurel in 2023, according to Betmix, with 35% winners and 15-for-31 in the exacta over this local trip. Late-running mare gets a fast pace to close into, helping her cause Saturday.

7-INTREPID DAYDREAM: Sprint specialist has gotten good of late, winning the Shine Again and Maryland Million Distaff around a single turn as part of a current 3-race winning streak. She's finished in the superfecta in 11 straight starts since debuting off the board in stakes company in 2021.

8-SWEET WILLEMINA: Claiming Crown winner at Gulfstream in 2021, she's stakes-placed at Monmouth, Aqueduct and Parx. This 6-year-old veteran knows the way to the winner's circle, completed 17 times in 48 starts. She's won 3 in a row for veteran trainer Scott Lake, but ran 10th here in her only previous Laurel stakes bid.

9-CHAMPAGNE TOAST:  Third in this race last year at 31-1 odds, she's in arguably better for this time around for high-percentage trainer Lacey Gaudet. The hot pace will work in her favor as she's best from off the pace. The outside post likely forces her to drop back farther than some of her other starts to avoid ground loss.

10-OPUS FORTY TWO: The lone 3-year-old in the field doesn't get much in terms of weight break, and the outside draw serves as a detriment. Jockey Daniel Centeno will have to burn early with this daughter of Mendelssohn, who wired a local allowance over this distance in a good prep vs. elders. She's battle some top-class 3YO fillies around the country this year.

Most Certain Exotics Contender:
HYBRID ECLIPSE is proven in this race and the barn rarely misses the target in these kind of spots; plus, there's a great pace set-up.

Best Longshot Exotics Contender:
CHAMPAGNE TOAST will be rallying into a likely hot pace and rocked the trifecta in this race last year at big odds.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$80 win HYBRID ECLIPSE. $10 exactas HYBRID ECLIPSE over CHAMPAGNE TOAST and LUNA BELLE ($20).