On Saturday, Laurel Park will stage Maryland’s last two stakes races of 2025: the $100,000 Heft, featuring 2-year-old horses, and the $100,000 Gin Talking, for fillies. Both events will cover a distance of seven furlongs.
The nine-race card begins at 12:00 PM ET and includes two “Value Pick 5” betting options, with payouts as low as 12%. Trainer Gary Capuano, who has had a strong season with 16 different winners, is entering four horses in the Heft, including Possibly Dreaming, a 2-1 favorite according to Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa.
Owned by Larry Fowler, Possibly Dreaming started strong with three consecutive wins, including two stakes races at Delaware Park. However, he finished second by three and a half lengths to My World, trained by Brad Cox, in the Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct on November 1. Capuano expressed satisfaction with the performance, noting the competition was just too tough.
Carlos Lopez will ride Possibly Dreaming, likely the only horse in the field with three wins. Oak Tree Stable’s Very Volatile was an unexpected favorite to lose in his career debut at Delaware Park on September 25, but improved dramatically since, winning his first special weight race at Laurel Park over seven furlongs on November 29. Jockey Yedsit Hazlewood, who suffered a setback in that debut due to losing footing, has since risen to prominence, currently leading in jockey titles at Laurel and being a strong contender for the 2025 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.
While Very Volatile starts strong, Hollywood Import from Pocket 3’s Racing boasts a powerful finishing kick. After winning his six-furlong debut in Delaware on October 9, Hollywood Import placed second in the James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel and recently competed well in a one-mile Grade 1 race. Michelle Sanchez will be the jockey for Hollywood Import.
Capuano’s fourth potential Heft entrant, Worker Bee, was still tentative as of Tuesday morning. Other key horses include Power Grid, who has won twice under trainer John Robb, with jockey Xavier Perez riding, and Red Zone Runner, trained by Erin McClellan and ridden by Inoel Beato, who has yet to place in three starts.
Gurney Halleck, with jockey David Lime, recently earned third place behind Hollywood Import, while other runners like Wild Crazy Guy and I Bet complete the field. The Heft Stakes honors the late Arnold Heft, a Maryland native and notable horse owner famous for campaigning horses such as Millionaire Eight Fast Catch.
In the Gin Talking Stakes, favorite Just Philtred, trained by Michael Trombetta and owned by Red White and Blue Racing and London Reed Thoroughbreds, boasts an impressive record of three wins in five starts, including stakes victories on both dirt and grass. She is ridden by Michelle Sanchez from the rail post and has consistently outperformed rival Thru Perstitus, who will wear blinkers for the first time and be ridden by Jevian Toledo.
Other notable fillies include the multiple stakes-winning Dazzling Dame, owned by Respect the Valleys LLC; Peachtie, strong on dirt tracks; Sessuette, a Gunrunner homebred owned by Runnymoor Racing; and Midnight Genie, who returns after a win at Monmouth Park.
The Gin Talking Stakes is named in honor of a Maryland State Two-Year-Old Filly Champion from 1999, who had an exceptional career including multiple stakes victories and Horse of the Year honors.
Fan Take: This final stakes day at Laurel Park showcases some of Maryland’s most promising young talent, highlighting future stars in the making. For horse racing fans, these races offer a thrilling glimpse into the next generation of elite competitors, fueling excitement and anticipation for the sport’s continued growth and vibrancy.
