Private Terms One of Five Stakes at Laurel Park

By Emily Shields

The Private Terms Stakes is one of three $100,000 races at Laurel Park on Saturday and highlights a card with five stakes from 11 races.

The Private Terms, for three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles, drew a field of seven. #3 Alwaysmining (4-5) should go favored after winning the Miracle Wood Stakes here by 4 ¼ lengths. The son of Stay Thirsty has won four in a row and five of 10 lifetime, as well as five of six on this course. #4 Joevia (7-2) broke his maiden first out at Monmouth last summer, then returned at Aqueduct in February to run second by a neck in the Jimmy Winkfield. The horse that won that day, Haikal, came back to take the Gotham Stakes (G3) next out.

The $100,000 Beyond the Wire Stakes is for sophomore fillies going a mile. #7 Las Setas (3-1) has won two in a row here by more than seven combined lengths. #8 Our Super Freak (5-1) has been either first, second, or third in four tries her, including three stakes. #5 Afleet Destiny (7-2) was second in the grade 2 Demoiselle in December, then made her 2019 debut when finishing third in the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct.

Two sprints for older horses include the $75,000 Conniver Stakes for fillies and mares (race 9) and the $75,000 Not For Love Stakes (race 10). #6 Anna’s Bandit (5-2) headlines the Conniver; the five-year-old daughter of Great Notion won an allowance optional claimer here by five lengths last out. #4 Enchanted Ghost (4-1), by Ghostzapper, was a stakes winner here going long last out and cuts back from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs.

The six-furlong Not For Love drew a field of six. #6 Clubman is by the race’s namesake Not For Love. He has won two in a row and cuts back in distance today. #5 Laki (9-5) was grade 3 placed last out, and has never been worse than third in 12 starts on this course.

Rounding out the stakes races is the $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial, which goes as race 5. #1 Twisted Tom (5-2) is unbeaten in two tries on this strip and was a three-time stakes winner in New York I 2017. He also won that year’s Private Terms Stakes here. #3 Bonus Points (4-1) goes for trainer Todd Pletcher; the son of Majestic Warrior was a stakes winner here last out and has been first or second in seven of eight starts on the main track here. Popular #4 Unbridled Juan (3-1) is on the fourth trainer of his career; this will be the well-bred stakes winner’s 29^thlifetime start. He is seeking his eighth win.