Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: FOXY JUNIOR. Pennsylvania-bred Foxy Junior, a homebred for Dianne Stern, earned her third consecutive stakes victory and sixth consecutive win on dirt on Saturday at Laurel Park, when she won the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths. Sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the eight-horse, 1 1/16-mile affair, she sat in second place early on, while the speedy Malibu Beauty opened up a five-length advantage up the backstretch. As they rounded the final turn, Malibu Beauty’s strides began to shorten, and Foxy Junior happily took advantage and won going away. She’s now won six times in seven starts this year, with her only defeat coming in the Princess of Sylmar Stakes at Presque Isle Downs in late July. Since then, she’s captured the Plum Pretty Stakes at Parx, the Maryland Million Distaff at Laurel, and now the Thirty Eight Go Go. She’s trained by Bernie Houghton and ridden by J.D. Acosta.

SECOND STAR: SACRED THUNDER. Earlier on the Saturday card at Laurel Park, the top three finishers in the Maryland Million Nursery – Do it For Michael, Re Markably, and Sacred Thunder – met for a rematch in the James F. Lewis III Stakes. Sacred Thunder, third in the Nursery, got his revenge with a one-length victory in the Lewis. He drafted off the early pace, then rallied wide while under a drive to win, going six furlongs on a fast track in 1;10.45. Re Markably broke slowly for the second consecutive race and finished second, while Do it For Michael faded to fourth after showing early speed. The winner was bred by Anchor & Hope Farm and is by their stallion Holy Boss. He’s owned by John Hazard, trained by Gary Capuano, and ridden by Jevian Toledo.

THIRD STAR: JUBA’S PARADE. Charles Town’s Saturday feature was the My Sister Pearl Stakes, featuring West Virginia-bred fillies and mares traveling 1 1/8 miles. Juba’s Parade, the 4-1 third choice in the eight-horse field, made her move from just off the pace at the five-sixteenths pole, and outkicked deep closer Change the World and favored Hessica to win by 1 1/2 lengths. That performance marked Juba’s Parade’s seventh career win in 25 starts, and first stakes victory, while boosting her career earnings to 2258,008. She’s owned by trainer Kristy Petty, under the KP Racing Stable LLC banner, and was ridden by Wilfredo Santiago.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: FOXY JUNIOR. Continued her impressive year with a sharp Thirty Eight Go Go victory.

SECOND STAR: SACRED THUNDER. The stalking trip paid off for his first stakes victory.

THIRD STAR: CAPRICE. Rallied wide to take Saturday’s Smart Halo Stakes.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: JUBA’S PARADE. Pulled a mild upset in the My Sister Pearl Stakes at 5-1.

SECOND STAR: TEACHINTHERELEASE. The Frank Gall Memorial Stakes winner crushed a second-level field by 8 1/2 lengths on Wednesday.

THIRD STAR: CATCH THE HUMOR. In his first start since his Russell Road WVBC win, he defeated a West Virginia-bred allowance field on Thursday for his third consecutive victory.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: EXCELLORATOR. Wore down early leader Movisitor to take an open allowance contest by a half-length on Tuesday.

SECOND STAR: MIDLANER. Beat a second-level sprint field on Monday for his second win in a row.

THIRD STAR: CONFIRMED STAR. Improved to 5-for-11 on the year with a second-level come-from-behind win on Wednesday.