“Persnickety” Navani chases victory in Thirty Eight Go Go * The Racing Biz

“How much time do you have?” asked trainer Ferris Allen when a reporter wondered whether Navani, Allen’s entry in Sunday’s $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes at Laurel Park, had any behavioral quirks.

“She’s an extremely finicky filly,” said Allen, a Maryland mainstay who started his career in 1976 and now has 2,332 lifetime victories. “She is very aloof and a very annoying filly to train. She has a lot of little quirks that come and go. You think you have her figured out, and they show up again. She will not let you take her for granted on any day.”

Navani is one of seven fillies and mares who will race 1 1/16 miles in the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes. Allen claimed the Hoppertunity filly last year for $30,000 at Colonial Downs on behalf of Virginia Breeze Racing.

“She is an overly attractive filly for what you would expect with her pedigree,” Allen said. “When I looked at her on the way to the paddock, she made me think I wanted her. She looks pretty special. She had already shown some versatility. At the time, she was about equal on grass and sand. She really fit in well with the Virginia-certified program and the Maryland-bred program.”

Navani has won three races for Allen and finished a close second in her most recent outing, a second-level compensation at 1 1/16 miles on September 26.

“She probably ran her best number in that race,” Allen noted. “She’s run the same race again when you get back to her form, so she’s at the best of her life, but she’s had plenty of time between races. We’re really happy with the way she’s trained.”

Horacio Karamanos controls Navani from post four.

Sheilah’s Warcloud was installed as the 3-1 favorite in the morning line by Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa. The Madefromlucky filly is aiming for her first stakes win after competing in four stakes events. She returned from a layoff in April to finish fourth in the Maryland Million Distaff at seven furlongs last month.

“I thought it was a pretty big ask to get rid of her resignation and face that group,” Nixon said. “I was pretty pleased with it.”

This will be Sheilah’s Warcloud’s debut race around two turns, but Nixon noted that the 4-year-old filly won her only previous route attempt early last year, a one-turn mile at Laurel, and isn’t too concerned about the extra distance.

Mychel Sanchez rides from post three on Sheilahs Warcloud.

Others in the field include Weber City Miss winner Complexity Jane, multi-stakes seed Doctor Abbie, comeback Di’s Surprise, 2024 White Clay Creek winner Beautiful Blome and recent allowance winner Backstretch Rose.