Hello Beautiful Opens Her 4-Year-Old Season in What a Summer at Laurel Park

With a nod to her glorious past and hope for the future, Hello Beautiful will be opening her fourth season in the What a Summer ($100,000) at Laurel Park on Saturday. The 35th What a Summer running for mares and fillies four years and more and 25th $100,000 Fire Plug renewal, both sprinting 6 furlongs, are among six $500,000 stakes on a Winter Carnival course that kicks off the 2021 Maryland's stakes calendar.

She'll Use the Race as a Stepping Stone

Hello Beautiful claimed back-to-back victories to cap her second and third seasons, taking the 2019 Maryland Juvenile Filly and Maryland Million Lassie Championship and last year's Safely Kept and Maryland Million Distaff. She's owned by Magic City Stables, K-Mac Stables, Mark Parkinson, Albert Frassetto, and Madaket Stables. Although it will be the earliest season debut for her, as she previously started after May, Hello Beautiful competes after a break from racing since the Safely Kept on November 28, where she won by three lengths in the seven-furlong sprint.

Commenting on her preparedness, Brittany Russell, her trainer, said they spaced her races a bit more, and she's doing pretty well. They look forward to the game, hoping that if she keeps the same energy that she's used in the last few months, they'll get the best of her. At two, Hello Beautiful claimed victories in three of her recent four races—the only defeat was to American Giant, a two-time winner of turf stakes.

She lost the Maryland Champion honors to Sharing, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2019). The pause on live racing due to the coronavirus pandemic and a planned break pushed the horse's 2020 debut to July—a layoff for six months. Hello Beautiful resoundingly regained her form to claim victory in the Distaff, her first reunion in four months with Sheldon Russell, a regular rider who broke his wrist in July. They worked together again at the Safely Kept.

Brittany Russell sees the What a Summer as a stepping stone to the Barbara Fritchie G3 worth $250,000 at Laurel on February 13.

Her Competitors at the Race

New York-based Malibu Mischief with Rudy Rodriguez, her owner-trainer, had her first defeat in seven races as third to Dontletsweetfoolya (by about three lengths) in the Willa On the Move (six furlongs) on December 26. She had four of the victories during her streak, two at Laurel, after she was claimed last summer for $12,500.

Trainer Jonathan Thomas looks to ship in Bridlewood Cat and Escapade for this year's What a Summer. Escapade (owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners), who has raced majorly on synthetic surfaces and grass, ran second behind Jean Elizabeth, 10-stake winner including two Grade-Threes, in the Abundantia (off-the-turf 2019 edition) at Gulf stream Park.

Bridlewood Cat (owned by Bridlewood Farm), by Street Sense (G1 Kentucky Derby winner), returned from a layoff to run fifth at the Garland of Roses in Aqueduct on December 6. At the 2020 Correction in March last year, she was beaten by a half-length to the fourth position.

Trainer Mike Trombetta's stablemates, New York Groove and Bella Aurora, hope to return to winning form after a winless 2020. Bella Aurora (owned by Country Life Farm) won the Gin Talking on the dirt in 2019 at Laurel, while New York Groove (owned by Commonwealth New Era Racing) took the Presque Isle Debutante in 2019.