“Especially with two year olds, they all seem to be maturing a little faster as fillies, and, you know, I never hesitate to run two-year-old girls against the boys when it’s appropriate,” he explained. “I guess my two choices really were this race at Timonium against the boys or a race next week at Colonial against the boys. So it’s kind of pick your poison.”

Having picked his poison – maybe it was the corn dogs and cotton candy that sealed the deal – Schoenthal says that if he has any hesitation, it might be more about the surface switch than the competition..

“I had a long conversation with the owner [recently], and in my heart of hearts, after she broke her maiden, I assumed we would point to the turf race at Colonial and not change anything up,” Schoenthal said. “She’d handled it well, and there was no reason to make changes. But still, we certainly feel she’s been better on the dirt training here at Fair Hill.”

Determined Driver was 16-1 on debut, and while Schoenthal acknowledges he’s been known to back his longshots at the window, he didn’t bet on Determined Driver. That’s OK, though: he’ll take the win and the payday. She won’t be 16-1 Saturday, however; Timonium linemaker Keith Feustle has her pegged as the 4-1 second choice in the field of eight prior to scratches.

Forest Boyce rode Determined Driver in her debut. But with Boyce obligated elsewhere, Schoenthal has turned to apprentice jockey Axel Concepcion to do the honors. Concepcion recently earned his first stakes victory.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST OFF TO THE RACES RADIO!

“He’s a very talented young rider. He’s been riding really well and riding Timonium well and has experienced Charles Town success, as well,” the trainer noted. “So we’re happy to have him for a variety of reasons, but also, you know, the filly got in at 113 with a weight break against the boys, and we knew that he could do that weight without being overweight and without having to hurt himself in the process. So all those reasons were kind of foremost in our minds.”

If all goes to plan – and in horse racing, when does it ever? – the Juvenile could be part of a fruitful day for Schoenthal’s team. He also has a pair of horses entered in stakes at Colonial Downs Saturday to go along with Determined Jester, who is slated to run in the Grade 3, $1 million Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

“It’s exciting,” the trainer acknowledged. “It seems to add a little bit more juice to it obviously when you have the prospect of having a year-altering score like that.”

Closer to home, Saturday’s Timonium Juvenile figures to be a wide-open contest. Frosty the Giant is the 2-1 morning line favorite and certainly is one that trainer Anthony Farrior has been high on. He already owns starts at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, and in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park, in which he finished fourth of six.

Jubawithatwist (6-1) won nicely on debut at Charles Town Races and then was a respectable runner-up in the Virginia-restricted Hickory Tree Stakes at Colonial Downs for trainer Kristy Petty, while Sweet Soddy J (9-2) won at first asking at Colonial for trainer Ray Ginter, Jr. against maiden claiming rivals. 

And meet-leading trainer Jerry Robb, who has seven wins in four racing days, will send out Dance for Green (5-1), who graduated last time out in his second career start. The Irish War Cry gelding will have Alexander Crispin up.