Rose Petal Stable’s Copper Tax wrested the lead away from 19-1 longshot Elephants Ear in deep stretch and edged clear for a popular 1 ¾-length victory in Friday’s $100,000 City of Laurel to remain undefeated at Laurel Park.

The 24^th running of the 1 1/8-mile Richard Small for 3-year-olds and up co-headlined a Thanksgiving Friday program with the 12^th renewal of the $100,000 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older sprinting 6 ½ furlongs.

Copper Tax ($2.80) improved to 4-0 lifetime at Laurel, all in stakes, and gave jockey J.G. Torrealba his fourth win of the afternoon and third on the sophomore son of Copper Bullet following the Private Terms and Federico Tesio in the spring. The winning time was 1:52.12 over a muddy main track.

“He’s honestly done great. He’s done everything we’ve wanted him to do,” assistant trainer Tori Capuano said. “He got out of the gate good, which is what we wanted. I was a little bit worried on the backside that he didn’t have any place to go but I knew once he got clear he was going to do his slowly but surely run.”

Ain’t Da Beer Cold broke alertly and found himself in a familiar spot up front, going a quarter-mile in 24.41 seconds chased by Maryland Million Classic runner-up Mosler Time. Elephants Ear raced in the clear three wide in third with Copper Tax in fourth along the rail.

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Copper Tax moved up to third after the half went in 48.19 with Ain’t Da Beer Cold and Mosler Time still in front. Torrealba tipped his colt outside exiting the far turn and set him down for a drive to the wire, moving up alongside Elephants Ear inside the eighth pole and grinding past.

Elephants Ear was a clear second, 5 ½ lengths ahead of Cataleya Strike in third. They were followed by Mosler Time, Armando R, Magic Michael and Ain’t Da Beer Cold.

Formerly run as the Broad Brush, the multi-millionaire and four-time Grade 1 winner he trained, the Richard W. Small was renamed following the beloved horseman’s death from cancer in 2014. Baltimore-born ‘Dickie’ Small served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War as a Green Beret before becoming a trainer, also campaigning Broad Brush’s son, 1994 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Concern. He won at least one stakes race in Maryland every year but one between 1974 and 2014 and is also known for helping launch the riding careers of female jockeys such as Andrea Seefeldt, Jerilyn Brown, Rosie Napravnik and Forest Boyce. 

Earlier on the card, Ms. Bucchero, owned and trained by Diane Morici, swept to the lead around the far turn, extended her advantage in mid-stretch and held off a late bid from stakes winner Bourbon Bon Bay to capture the $100,000 Willa On the Move by a length.

It was the second win of the day for Morici and first in a stakes for 4-year-old Ms. Bucchero ($6), who covered 6 ½ furlongs over a muddy main track in 1:18.53 under jockey Xavier Perez.

“We’ve been working the last couple months to put her on track for this race. Everything kind of lined up,” assistant trainer Colton Moore said. “We were a little nervous for the 6 ½ [furlongs] but she’s a game horse. She brought her all like she usually does. We’re super happy with her.”

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