Third time's the charm for Immortal Eyes in De Francis Dash

A clean break and a lonely lead propelled the eight-year-old gelding Immortal

Eyes to an emphatic 8 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $350,000

Frank

J. De Francis Memorial Dash, the feature on the stakes-laden Fall Festival

of Racing program at Laurel on Saturday.

Having stumbled his way out of a winning chance in the 2012 De Francis Dash,

Immortal Eyes left the gate on cue this time around, built up an insurmountable

advantage in the stretch and splashed his way to victory in a time of 1:08 2/5

for six furlongs over a sloppy track. Sent off at 9-1, the second highest price

in the seven-horse field, Immortal Eyes returned $21.60 to win.

"It was easy, just like playing," winning jockey Travis Dunkelberger said. "I

never looked around. I didn't hear any horses coming so I just let him gallop. I

know he loves the mud because he set a track record at Charles Town in the mud

and I was on him that day."

The remarkable Maryland-bred gelding Ben's Cat, despite being floated toward

the outer rail by 10-1 shot Mr. Online in the final furlong, got his neck ahead

of the rival at the finish of the $100,000

Laurel

Dash, contested in the rain over a firm turf.

Making amends for his loss in last year's Dash, his only defeat thus far on

the Laurel turf course in seven attempts, the son of Parker's Storm Cat was

winning for the 18th time in stakes company for legendary horseman King

Leatherbury.

"That was a typical Ben's Cat race," Leatherbury said. "He wins a lot but

never by much. He's one of the most fun horses I've ever trained but you just

don't know if he's going to get there.

Strathnaver, a Grade 3 winner of the Bewitch at Keeneland in April, had

subsequently lost the confidence of bettors after two poor showings at Belmont

Park and Arlington. Her loyal backers were rewarded with a $26.80 mutuel after

the four-year-old English-bred rallied to win the $100,000

Lady Baltimore, for fillies and mares, in a photo over 8-5 favorite Abaco.

Sent away at 12-1 under Erick Rodriguez, Strathnaver prevailed by a head in a

time of 1:40 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

"(Trainer Graham Motion) said she had been training great and that he was

disappointed in her last two races," Rodriguez said. "The plan was to sit off

the pace and wait, wait, wait as long as I could and then go. We were four or

five back and I was just waiting to turn my horse loose. I knew I had plenty of

horse left. I was just waiting for the right moment."

Former Maryland mainstay Rosie Napravnik made a successful return to the

Laurel winner's circle after guiding Tricky Hat to a neck victory in the

$100,000

Laurel

Turf Cup. Rallying up inside of temporary leader Vitium in the final

sixteenth, the four-year-old Hat Trick gelding seized control and held off an

outside charge from Eagle Poise to win by a neck in a time of 2:30 2/5. The 7-2

chance returned $9.80 to win.

Eagle Poise was a half-length ahead of Mucho Mas Macho at the wire, with

Vitium, Harrods Creek, Dannhauser, Lake Drop, Royal Bench, Lonely Whistle, 2-1

favorite Atigun, Don Cavallo, Cui Baire, and Valter completing the order of

finish. Concealed Identity and School House were scratched.

This was the first stakes win for the Chilean-bred Tricky Hat, who has now

won three times since his importation, the most recent being a second-level

allowance score at Saratoga on August 4.

The juvenile Yes I'm Lucky took down the third stakes of his young career in

the $100,000

Laurel Futurity. Breaking on top facing five rivals, the slight 6-5 favorite

extended his lead at every call en route to a 6 1/2-length victory under Chris

DeCarlo. The son of Yes It's True covered 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf in 1:01 1/5

and paid $4.40.

Tiger Bourbon, who also started at 6-5, rallied from slightly off the pace to

grab second by 1 1/4 lengths over 42-1 outsider King Racer. Gallivanting, Otoy

and Take Time to Pray completed the order of finish after the scratching of

Hopehard and Potenzano.

Owned by Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa, Yes I'm Lucky preceded this score

with wins in the Frank Gomez Memorial at Calder on dirt and the Tyro at Monmouth

Park on turf. The colt suffered the first defeat of his career on September 1,

finishing second in the Sapling at Monmouth.

The speed couldn't quite hold in the $100,000

Selima

for two-year-old fillies as long-time leader and favorite Hot Squeeze was passed

just before the wire by Aibhilin and jockey Edwin Rivera.

The 6-1 third choice in a field of 10, Aibhilin had a head in front at the

wire while completing 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf in 1:02 1/5. She paid $14 to

win.

"My filly broke good and I was always in good position," Rivera said. "At the

quarter pole I thought that I could win it if I could just stay off of the

leader's shoulder."

Hot Squeeze held on for second by a half-length over 10-1 chance Pure Lady

Like. The order of finish was completed by Kombat Cat, Country Sunshine, Fancy

Boss, New Zone, Chase My Tail, Weekends for Love, and Inspired Say Eye.

Scratched from the race was the also-eligible Hot and Dangerous.

In the day's lone restricted stakes, Nutmeg Stable's Madame Giry rallied to

edge Ju Ju Eyeballs by a nose in the $100,000

Jameela,

a six-furlong turf dash for Maryland-bred fillies and mares. Cornelio Velasquez

guided the 4-5 favorite into the winner's circle after completing her assignment

in 1:08.

"I told Cornelio don't forget that it's the second wire and a long stretch,"

trainer Cam Gambolati said. "Cornelio is a smart rider and he talked to Eddie

Castro, who's ridden her a lot. If she gets too close to the front, she starts

looking around so Cornelio was pacing with her."

Monster Sleeping, a 28-1 longshot, finished two lengths back in third and was

followed under the wire by Irish Exchange, Malibu Beach Bunny, No Satis Action,

Mystic Love, Dress Up, and Colony Club.