BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred veteran Bluefield returns to Laurel Park, where she started her career winning three of her first four races in 2020, for the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie Saturday, a seven-furlong test for fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older. In making her third consecutive start, and fourth in her last five races, against graded-stakes company, the 8-year-old Bluefield will take on seven rivals competing for the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse.
After taking the $100,000 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes City of Ocala going seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 9, Bluefield has two starts against graded stakes company, including a second-place finish to Olivia Darling in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee was also fifth, beaten just a length-and-a-half by winning Florida-bred Spirit Wind, in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl racing six furlongs at Gulfstream on Dec. 23.
Prior to the City of Ocala victory, Bluefield was fourth behind winner Three Witches in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney after being taken five-wide at the top of the stretch in that seven-furlong event at Gulfstream in October and counts a victory in the $60,000 Musical Romance overnight handicap in May, also at Gulfstream.
Owned by Edward A. Seltzer, Bluefield has won eight of 22 career starts with four seconds and three thirds with earnings of $370,675. With partner Ed Pendray, Seltzer bred the daughter of Field Commission out of Imtheblues, by Pentelicus.
Bluefield has drawn post seven and will be ridden for the first time by Jaime Rodriguez.
Set to break from Bluefield’s immediate inside in post six is stablemate Intrepid Daydream, who was fourth in the Inside Information and second in the Sugar Swirl in her last two starts.
Owned by Miller Racing LLC, Intrepid Daydream finished a four-race win streak last year at Laurel with victories in the Maryland Millions Distaff at seven furlongs in October and in the $75,000 Politely going six furlongs in November, both against state-bred competition. She began her streak at Pimlico in September with a length-and-a-half score in the $75,000 Shine Again, also against Maryland-breds.
Intreprid Daydream is by the late Florida sire Jess’s Dream out of Intrepid Tour and has won seven with four seconds and a third from 15 lifetime races and earnings of $397,350.
Jevian Toledo has the riding assignment on the 5-year-old Intrepid Daydream.
Also entered for the Barbara Fritchie are Last Leaf with Angel Cruz named to ride, Prodigy Doll has Jeiron Barbosa as her jockey, Freccia d’Argento with Frankie Pennington aboard, Sheldon Russell has the mount on Apple Picker, Continentalcongres with rider Horacio Karamanos and Beneath the Stars and jockey Tais Lyapustina.
