Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: COPPER TAX. A field of ten 3-year-old squared off in Saturday’s Federico Tesio Stakes, with a berth in the Preakness Stakes on the line. Copper Tax, who won the Private Terms Stakes in his prior start, ran down Speedyness for his second consecutive stakes victory, and fourth overall stakes win, getting up to win by three-quarters of a length. He’s now a seven-time winner in his 10-race career, with earnings of $386,500. He’s owned by Rose Petal Stable LLC, trained by Gary Capuano, and ridden by J.G. Torrealba.

SECOND STAR: DATAMAN. Earlier on the Saturday card, older males squared off in the one-mile Henry Clark Stakes on the grass. Dataman, making his first start of 2024 for Graham Motion, rallied from last early on to win by 1 1/4 lengths over stablemate English Bee, who held on for second. The Wertheimer et Frere homebred ran a mile on firm grass in 1:33.94, with Jorge Ruiz aboard.

THIRD STAR: WITTY. Two races prior to the Clark, grass sprinters were showcased in the 5 1/2-furlong King Leatherbury Stakes. Witty, the winner of last year’s Maryland Million Turf Sprint, took advantage of a contested early pace and rallied in the center of the track to win by a neck in a three-horse blanket finish. The Pennsylvania-bred son Great Notion, bred, owned, and trained by Lizzie Merryman, has won eight times in 21 career starts, with a further seven runner-up finishes, good for earnings of $565,260. He ran the distance in 1:01.94.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: COPPER TAX. He has a spot in the Preakness starting gate if he wants it; we’ll have to wait and see if he takes it.

SECOND STAR: DATAMAN. Closed well to start his season with a win and possibly set himself up for a big year in Mid-Atlantic stakes.

THIRD STAR: WITTY. We might see this one in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on the Preakness undercard next.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: ESPRESSO. Picked up his third win of the year, and his first stakes win, as he went gate-to-wire to win Saturday’s Confucius Say Stakes in a 25-1 upset.

SECOND STAR: GOLDEN KEY. Led all the way to take an allowance dash Friday over stakes winners Penguin Power and Math Man Marco, for his first win of the year and 12th lifetime win.

THIRD STAR: GUN COLLECTOR. Cruised to a 10 3/4-length win in a non-winners of three allowance Thursday.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: COUNTERSPY. Crushed a third-level field by 10 3/4 lengths Tuesday for his fourth consecutive win; you have to figure stakes company is on the horizon.

SECOND STAR: SPIKEZONE. Opened up a long lead and held on to win a third-level sprint Wednesday for his fourth victory in his last five races.

THIRD STAR: BLACK ICE. Pressed the pace and drew away to win a starter optional claiming race Monday, making it two wins in a row.