Combat Diver, By the Moon highlight stakes action at Laurel Park

Combat Diver, By the Moon highlight stakes action at Laurel

Park

"He's doing great," Contessa said of the chestnut colt, who

broke his maiden at Belmont Park last October before finishing off the board in the

Remsen S. (G2) in November at Aqueduct. "He ran lights out at Laurel last time and should have

won. Then we went to the Gotham and he didn't have the best of trips. I think

coming back to Laurel will very much be the best to our advantage."

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who saddled Mr Palmer (Pulpit) to

victory in the 2013 Private Terms, will send Net Gain (Include) from Belmont for

Saturday's race. The Iowa-bred bay broke his maiden on February 22 at

Aqueduct going a mile in his fifth career start. In his previous two starts the

colt was forced wide.

"He's doing well," Mott said from Florida. "He was a bit

unlucky two back."

Bodhisattva (Student Council), trained by Jose Corrales, comes into the

Private Terms off a fourth-place finish in the Miracle Wood, where he was beaten only a

half-length after setting the pace into the stretch.

Now We Are Free (First Samurai), well-beaten in seventh when trying the

Jerome S. (G3) in his stakes bow on January 3; Bridget's Big Luvy (Tiz

Wonderful), fifth by double-digit lengths in the Hutcheson S. (G3) most

recently; and maiden winner Slick William (Great Notion) round out the

field.

Ghost Bay (Ghostzapper), who broke his maiden while

winning the December 27 Maryland Juvenile Futurity, was not entered in the Private Terms.

"We've missed so much time because of the weather that I

don't think we'll make this one," trainer Lawrence Murray explained. "It's no one's fault. It's just

been a very unusual winter."

Murray said Ghost Bay could go next April 18 in the $100,000 Federico Tesio

S. at Pimlico or that same day in the $400,000 Illinois Derby (G3) at Hawthorne.

"And

it still remains to be seen if he's that kind of horse," Murray added. "But so

far he acts like he's a nice horse."

"I think she needed the last one," Nevin stated.

Among those By the Moon will face in the Caesar's Wish are Gypsy Judy (Kitalpha), winner

of the Wide Country S. last out at Laurel,

and Hot City Girl (City Zip), second in the Wide Country and at Aqueduct in December

in the East View S. Another contender in the race is Lake Sebago (Munnings), who

ran seventh in the Wide Country, won the Gin

Talking S. at Laurel on December 6 and sandwiched a runner-up effort in the

January 29 Marshua S. between those.

Allowance scorer Country Mamma (Bellamy Road) and maiden winners Been Here

Before (Tapit) and Mytrack Marie (Mast Track) complete the field.

Later on Saturday's card at Laurel, a field of eight older runners will go 1

1/8 miles in the $100,000

Harrison E. Johnson Memorial S. while eight Maryland-bred distaffers line up

in the $100,000

Conniver S. at seven furlongs.