Runnymoore Racing’s multiple stakes-winning homebred Caprice, who last month lost for the first time in four starts, faces a familiar foe in Great Andrei as she seeks to start a new streak in Saturday’s $100,000 Smart Halo at Laurel Park.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Greg and Caroline Bentley, best known for their success with Grade 3 winner Postulation and seven-time stakes winner Alwaysmining, Caprice has raced exclusively at Delaware Park where she romped by 13 ¾ lengths in debut July 20. She rattled off wins in the Blue Hen and Small Wonder, both at sprint distances.

Last time out, though, in the White Clay Creek, her first try around two turns, things didn’t go quite to plan. Off at 3-10, Caprice hopped at the start and lagged off the pace early. She mounted a middle move to reach near-even terms before tiring and fading in the final furlong, settling for second behind Beautiful Blome.

Jaime Rodriguez, who rode Caprice in the White Clay Creek, has the return mount.

One runner familiar with Caprice is Gene Gould Jr.’s Great Andrei, trained at Laurel by Jerry Robb. Great Andrei has won twice – at 4 and 4 ½ furlongs – and finished behind Caprice twice. She was third to that runner in the Blue Hen and most recently was second, 3 ¾ lengths behind, last out in the Small Wonder. Xavier Perez is named to ride.

“I don’t think she cared much for the Delaware racetrack when I ran her there,” trainer John ‘Jerry’ Robb said. “[Caprice] beat her both times she ran, but I look forward to trying her again on this track.

“Delaware’s a funny track; you either like it or you don’t, and I don’t think she much cared for it. We’re looking forward to running her,” he added. “I’m still not sure if she can get the three-quarters with all the speed she has, but over this track I’ll get my answer.”

Trin-Brook Stables Inc.’s Not Too Late was third in the White Clay Creek, snapping a modest two-race win streak for owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis. The second of those victories came at odds of 11-1 in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Sept. 15 at Laurel over Shkhara Fire, who would go on to post her own upset of the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 12.

Dark Hollow Farm, Dorsey Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Davidov and Mr. and Mrs. David Schwaber’s Daze takes a perfect 2-0 record into the Smart Halo for trainer Brittany Russell, runaway leader in the fall meet standings with 32 wins from 86 starters who saddled Post Time to a runner-up finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Daze, by Sky Mesa, has led at every call in her two races, winning first time out by 7 ½ lengths Sept. 13 and cruising by eight lengths while in hand Oct. 5.

Stonehedge homebred Power Driver and All East Stables’ Beyond Belief, each winners of their lone start; and Matt Groff’s Oliviera, an 11-length debut winner at Colonial Downs that was second to subsequent stakes winner Echo Sound last out, are also entered.

Smart Halo, by top Maryland sire Smarten, won the first race on the inaugural Maryland Million Day program in 1986, beating In the Curl by a neck in the Lassie to cap a perfect 3-0 campaign. Bred in Canada by E.P. Taylor and owned by Sam-Son Farm, Smart Halo was trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Jim Day.

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