LAUREL: JUVENILES TAKE CENTER STAGE

Journeytothemoon
Journeytothemoon won at first asking at Laurel Park on Saturday. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.

Laurel Park’s eight-race program Sunday afternoon will include four 2-year-old events including a maiden special weight event at six furlongs and a $42,000 optional claiming event with a pair of stakes-placed runners.

First race post is 12:25 p.m.

The seventh race, an allowance-optional claiming event for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, features Belmont Park-based Basso, the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Trained by Gregory Sacco and raced this summer at Monmouth Park, Basso broke his maiden at first asking by eight lengths Aug. 23 and then finished third Sept. 27 in the Smoke Glacken. He comes into Sunday’s race off a fourth-place finish at six furlongs Oct. 21 at Monmouth. That race was won by No Cents, who came back Nov. 14 to win Laurel’s James Lewis.

The nine lined up against Basso include No One to Blame, who broke his maiden at Delaware in September before finishing third Oct 4 in the Nownownow. No One to Blame enters the race off a second-place finish Oct. 30 at Laurel.

The fifth race, a $40,000 maiden event for 2-year-olds, drew a field of 12 including Stronach Stable’s Jungle Cry, making his debut for the Brittany Russell barn, and Lael Stable’s Dance Pants, also making his debut.

On Saturday afternoon, Journeytothemoon, a juvenile daughter of Tourist, made her debut a winning one, winning at six furlongs under jockey Julian Pimentel by three-quarters of a length in 1:11.39. Trained by Michael Trombetta, Journeytothemoon is out of the Malibu Moon mare Moon Meeting Too.

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