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• Holiday Handicap (CT) — Fearsome, trainer Hugh McMahon, owner Winners Circle Partners X
• Eleanor Casey Memorial S. (CT) — Practical Ideas, trainer C. Allen Johnson, owner C. Allen Johnson, bred in West Virginia by Rene Moore and Naylee Farm[/boxify]

We raised several questions on Friday for the weekend’s mid-Atlantic racing to answer.  Specifically:

• Can Henny’s Princess lock in her second stake win of the year in the Eleanor Casey at Charles Town?  And what about a pair of lightly raced horses, Practical Ideas (who lost by just a neck to Henny’s Princess last out) and flashy debut winner Windsor’s Punch?
  • No.  Sent off at even money, Henny’s Princess stalked the pace in second for for a half-mile before fading to fourth.  It was a much happier outcome for Practical Ideas, though, who sped to the early lead and never looked back en route to a six-length win.  Windsor’s Punch ended up last.
• Can Lucy’s Bob Boy post his 17th career victory at Charles Town?
  • No.  Lucy’s Bob Boy was scratched.  Odds-on Fearsome made all the running in the Holiday Handicap, winning the 4 1/2 furlong affair by a length in 51.13.
• In Laurel’s allowance feature, can Maryland Million Starter Handicap winner Tooth N Claw get back on track after two dismal outings?
  • No.  Tooth N Claw was never much involved, dropping into last early and rallying much too late to be a factor; he finished eighth.  Senseofentitlement, 5-1, got the money by a length, while favored Twelve Stone saw his three-race streak of finishing second snapped — he came in fourth, beaten two noses for second.
• Will Parx Racing actually manage to race this weekend?
  • No.  The track has now canceled seven straight after bailing on both Saturday and Sunday.
• Can Noctivagant, Queen Anna, or Italian Nany win Saturday’s fifth at Penn National?
  • Yes.  Italian Nany rated two wide with the pace of Queen Anna, took over before the horses had traveled a half-mile, kicked clear and had enough to hold off the late rally of Angelic Lioness.  That gives the Stephanie Beattie-trained daughter of Straight Man six wins on the year, a number exceeded by just 50 horses nationwide (out of around 58,000 starters).  She sports a 15-6-2-2 record this year with earnings of nearly $85,000.

(Featured image is of Bens Kin, a three year-old filly by Dance With Ravens who is a half-sister to stakes star Ben’s Cat.  She made her career debut at Laurel on Saturday, finishing sixth of nine in maiden race.  She’s bred, owned, and trained by King Leatherbury.)

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