Laurel Park: Stakes Spot Plays for April 16

A quartet of black-type events, led by the $125,000 Federico Tesio S., will highlight a big Saturday of action at Laurel Park. In this piece, I will place my focus on the trio of undercard stakes races.

Race 6: Weber City Miss S.

Six sophomore fillies will go postward in the 1 1/16-mile affair. #5 Luna Belle (3-5) has won four straight stakes races on the course for conditioner Hamilton Smith, and it’s too difficult to go against the surging filly. The bay daughter of Great Notion aced the one-mile distance in her route debut most recently, and I believe that this trip is well within her scope as well. Regular rider Denis Araujo will be in the stirrups.

Race 7: Frank Y. Whiteley S.

The boys will travel seven furlongs on the dirt with eight signed on for the tilt. #3 Borracho (4-1) has put in a trio of excellent races at the meeting, and I will give the six-year-old top billing in a well-matched field. The Uncle Mo gelding was a sharp allowance winner in his first off the claim last time out for conditioner Michael Gorham, and the Kentucky-bred seems like a perfect fit for the seven-eighths distance, as well. The bay will be forwardly placed from the start with Jaime Rodriguez in the controls, and the price should be fair, too.

Race 8: Heavenly Cause S.

A full field of 12 fillies and mares will go one mile on the dirt in a good betting event. #2 Miss Leslie (4-1) has been on a consistently good run dating back to October, and I will center my wagers around her finishing in the top two. Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, the four-year-old filly burned money when third at 7-10 odds last time out, but she ran fairly well on that day, and the daughter of Paynter comes in fresh following a pair of sharp half-mile drills most recently. The dark bay has enough positional speed to stay in range early before unleashing her late kick under the guidance of Angel Cruz. Her 11-5-2-2 local line makes the Kentucky-bred a must-use in the penultimate black-type race of the afternoon.