Etude is a study in class in Private Terms

Fitzhugh LLC's homebred ETUDE (Include) stamped himself as a sophomore on the

rise with a powerful 5 3/4-length score in his stakes bow in Saturday's $72,000

Private Terms S. at Laurel Park. Conditioned by Richard Small and ridden by

Luis Garcia, the 9-5 favorite put on an impressive display to stop the teletimer

in 1:37 4/5 for the fast-track mile.

Etude settled just off the early tempo as Johnny Z. (Broken Vow) dictated

fractions of :23 3/5, :46 4/5 and 1:12 2/5. All the while, Etude was creeping

ever closer on the outside, and as Garcia gave a confident look back leaving the

turn, he surged to the front. Still under a hand ride, the gray rapidly strode

clear with relentless efficiency, increasing his margin at every call and

signaling that he's in a different league.

"Blinkers certainly helped, but it's the maturity," Small said, alluding to

the colt's current three-race winning streak. "He was kind of green the first

few times he ran, sort of awkward and not knowing what was going on. He finally

caught on. The blinkers and his catching on sort of happened at the same time.

"We couldn't be more pleased with him," the horseman continued. "He's a

beautiful big horse with a real nice stride and a wonderful disposition."

Saratoga Lulaby (Brahms) pressed the pace throughout and stayed on

determinedly for runner-up honors, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of the closing Not for

Money (Not for Love). Cherokee Country (Yonaguska) crossed the wire in fourth,

trailed by Brass Run (Service Stripe), Another Vow (Broken Vow), My Three Boys

(Louis Quatorze), Johnny Z. and West Coast Flier (West Acre). Belly Rub (Buddha)

was scratched.

The winner returned $5.60, $3.60 and $2.40 while keying exotics worth $31.20

(exacta), $114.40 (trifecta) and $164.80 (5-10-2-8 superfecta) ($1). Saratoga

Lulaby paid $5.20 and $3.80 at 5-1, and Not for Money gave back $3.20 as the 5-2

second choice.

Racing exclusively at Laurel, Etude has compiled a 6-3-3-0 mark with $102,240

in earnings. After finishing second in his first three outings, he received

blinkers as well as a rider switch to Garcia. He promptly broke his maiden by 6

1/4 lengths, then cleared his first allowance condition by 5 1/2 lengths before

taking the Private Terms.

The Maryland-bred was produced by Grade 2 winner Groovy Feeling (Groovy).

Etude is a three-quarters brother to Grade 2-placed Rosthern (Broad Brush) and a

half-brother to Take a Check (Touch Gold), whose nine stakes placings include a

third-place effort in the 2006 Delaware H. (G2). Groovy Feeling's youngest

offspring is a juvenile filly named Hilde (Aptitude).