Recent Laurel Park stakes winners Spencerian and Ms. Bucchero will try their luck against open rivals in Saturday’s $100,000, six-furlong What A Summer Stakes at Laurel. But a pair of shippers may hold the upper hand.

The What a Summer is one of four stakes worth $350,000 in purse money on the nine-race program.

Ms. Bucchero was a pace-pressing winner of Laurel’s Willa On the Move on Nov. 29 for trainer Diane Morici. That race was at 6 ½ furlongs.

“Six furlongs is her best, so we were a little nervous for the six-and-a-half,” assistant trainer Colton Moore said in the winner’s circle after the Willa On the Move. “She’s a game horse.”

Spencerian rallied up the inside to grab the restricted Politely over the course and distance on Dec. 21 for owner Larry Rabold and trainer Hugh McMahon. Claimed for $16,000 at Timonium in 2023, Spencerian won four of six races last year.

“We didn’t know [when we claimed her], but she was compromised behind,” McMahon said in the winner’s circle after the Politely. “We sent her away for rest, and she got good. We didn’t do any real diagnostics, but we thought it was a fractured hip.”

As for the shippers, Kant Hurry Love is 7-5 on the morning line, while St. Benedicts Prep is 8-5.

Kant Hurry Love has won two straight for trainer David Duggan and owner Ken Wheeler, Jr. and last out won Aqueduct’s Garland of Roses. She has seven wins and is on the cusp of $600,000 in career earnings.

“This will be her final run,” trainer David Duggan said of Kant Hurry Love. “She’ll be going to the sales at Fasig-Tipton in February.”

Luis Rivera, Jr. will ride.

Also invading from New York is St. Benedicts Prep, a 4 ¼-length winner of a high-level allowance at Aqueduct on Jan. 2. Owned by Ronald P. Stewart and trained by Linda Rice, St. Benedicts Prep was claimed for $80,000 in April and has since captured half of her eight starts for Rice.

Rice has been impressed by St. Benedict’s Prep’s versatility.

“She can stalk second; she can go to the lead. However, it turns out. I think the key to her success is racing around one turn.”

Jaime Rodriguez is named.

Stakes-placed Happy Clouds and last-out winner Don’t Tell Kelly complete the field.

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