LAUREL, MD.- Lights! Camera! Action! Film Star was ready for his closeup on Saturday at Laurel Park as he eked out a head decision over Speedyness in the $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward. There's a short run to the first turn in 1 1/16-mile dirt races at Laurel, and jockey Jose Lezcano took full advantage of Film Star's inside post position. He broke nicely, eased to the two path on the opening bend, then settled just off Speedyness's hip through fractions of 23.62 and 47.78 seconds. Film Star applied more pressure to Speedyness after a six-furlong clocking of 1:12.83, and the two then engaged in an exciting head-and-head battle to the wire. Hittheroadjak placed another two lengths behind in third. Favored Copper Tax finished a one-paced fourth, with Cataleya Strike, Wild Vine, and Lieutenant Brown completing the running order. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Film Star wrapped up shooting in 1:45.17 and returned $7.60 as the third choice in the wagering. "Based on what we saw on paper, we thought there was a good chance that we would be stalking second to Speedyness," winning trainer Linda Rice said. "Jose did a beautiful job getting him into that position. He's a pleasure to have in the barn." Film Star was bred in Kentucky by Indian Creek and Mill Pond Bloodstock. Purchased for $300,000 as a yearling, Film Star began his career for trainer Brad Cox before being claimed by Rice for $75,000 out of a winning effort at Keeneland on April 19, 2023. "I liked his pedigree," Rice said of Film Star, a 5-year-old horse by Flatter out of a half-sister to Grade 2 winners Spellbound and Three Witches. The dam is also a half to multiple Grade 3 winner Kid Cruz, who Rice claimed for $50,000 before transforming him into a six-time stakes winner. "It looked like he was not quite as good as those folks would want at the time, and I thought it was worth the chance." After being taken by Rice, Film Star gradually worked through his conditions before finishing second in last year's Grade 2 Woodward. Earlier in 2024, he nabbed the off-turf Lure at Saratoga. Film Star has won 7 of 24 starts for lifetime earnings of $643,551. Rice believes that her charge is even more effective at 1 1/8 miles. *Carousel Stakes Trainer Brittany Russell had one goal in mind when entering Sea Dancer ($34.20) in the $100,000 Carousel for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles. "Tom Ryan [of SF Racing] said when he sent her that you have one job, and that is to get her stakes-placed," Russell said. As has been the case for most of her brilliant training career, Russell overachieved. The pace was solid in the Carousel, with Malibu Beauty and Call Another Play cutting out splits of 24.30, 48.05, and 1:13.20. Meanwhile, Sea Dancer took dirt for the first time and handled it like a pro, saving ground in midpack before advancing between horses on the backstretch. Moving sweetly in the pocket on the second turn under jockey Sheldon Russell, she split horses with a four-wide bid turning into the stretch and outfinished Miss New York to take it by two lengths in 1:53.27. It was Team Russell's third victory on the program. Evidencias placed another three quarters behind in third. Then came Malibu Beauty, Regaled, Too Many Kisses, Saddle Up Jessie, Call Another Play, and Movie Moxy. "She traveled every step of the way with confidence," Russell said. "It was a really nice trip. The goal was to be third. To win it was huge." A daughter of Mastery and stakes-placed dirt sprinter Cuyathy, Sea Dancer is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Johannes, who finished second in the Breeders' Cup Mile and is undoubtedly one of the best turf horses in the country. Bred in Kentucky by Cuyathy LLC, Sea Dancer made the first 13 starts of her career for her owner while campaigning for trainers William Morey and Tim Yakteen. She had previously started in six stakes races. SF Racing purchased Sea Dancer for $150,000 at last month's Keeneland November auction and immediately sent the horse to Russell. *Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Celtic Contender earned his second stakes victory of the year with a front-running score in the $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for statebred or -sired sprinters at seven furlongs. Piloted by Victor Carrasco for trainer Hamilton Smith, favored Celtic Contender ($4.40) broke quickly and set the pace between rail-drawn Freeze the Fire and a three-wide Seven's Eleven through fractions of 23.26 and 46.62 seconds. Celtic Contender dispatched both of his pace rivals, then always had enough in the tank to fend off Circle P's late charge to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:24.48. Late-running Witty got up for third, two lengths behind Circle P. Then came Brilliant Ice, Freeze the Fire, Seven's Eleven, and Play Like a Raven. "He's going to be a nice horse, he is a nice horse," Smith said in the winner's circle. "He hasn't done too much wrong. Early on, we ran him long and probably shouldn't have. That's just hindsight, but you have to take shots." Celtic Contender finished first in the restricted Star de Naskra at Laurel on June 29 but was disqualified for causing interference in the opening strides. He rallied from off the pace to take the Maryland Million Sprint at six furlongs on October 12, then ran a gallant second in his final Bender prep, the open City of Laurel for 3-year-olds on November 30. "He surprised me a little bit [with his early speed]," Smith said about the City of Laurel. "[He got caught up in a duel] with that Speedyness, and he showed his true grit in that one. Today, I expected him to be pretty much in front." Celtic Contender is a 3-year-old colt by Irish War Cry out of the productive stakes-winning Celtic Katie. "That old mare is a good mare," Smith said of Celtic Katie, who is also the dam of stakes-placed Hunter Joe, the winner of the 2024 Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap. A homebred owned by Lewis Family Racing Stable, Celtic Contender has won 5 of 12 starts for lifetime earnings of $234,805. Unraced as a juvenile, Celtic Contender has averaged one race per month this year. Although Smith said that the $200,000 General George at Laurel on February 15 is possible for Celtic Contender's next race, his first inclination was to rest the colt. "He's run hard," Smith concluded. "All of his races have been tough. He deserves a little break." Politely Stakes Carrasco went back to back in statebred or -sired stakes as he booted home Spencerian ($8.80) in the $75,000 Politely Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs. Spencerian was bumped lightly leaving the gate, but Carrasco ensured his mount was never too far off the 22.94 and 46.49 fractions set by Talk to the Judge and Royal Whisper. Hard-ridden on the turn, Spencerian maneuvered to the rail inside the three-sixteenths, then drove home to win by two lengths over Bella Bettina in 1:12.18. Bourbon Bon Bay was another neck back in third. Royal Whisper, Talk to the Judge, favored Sheilahs Warcloud, Pudd'n N Pie, and Summer Odds rounded out the order of finish. "The instructions were very easy," Carrasco said. "[Pudd'n N Pie] and Talk to the Judge had some speed [on paper]. If they want to go, just let them go, but make sure you break aggressively so you don't give yourself too much to do. I really had to get after her from the three-eighths pole to the wire just to make sure that I got her encouraged and not let the horses in front of me get away from me. I had a chance to get out and give her a clear run, but it was wide open, and I feel like the track is very firm and very fast. So, instead of going out, I dropped in. Every time I [asked her], she found another gear." A 4-year-old filly by Irish War Cry bred by Franklin G. Smith, Spencerian was claimed by trainer Hugh McMahon for $16,000 out of a sixth-place finish in a conditioned claimer at Timonium on September 1, 2023. Spencerian won one of three for McMahon last year before going to the sidelines for 10 months. "She was a reasonable horse to claim because she had conditions and is a Maryland-bred," McMahon said. "We didn't know [at the time], but she was compromised behind. We sent her away just for rest and she got good. We didn't do any real diagnostics, but we thought it was a fractured hip." Spencerian returned to the races with a vengeance this year, winning her first three starts by a combined 22 1/2 lengths before finishing third in the Maryland Million Distaff. In her most recent start, she finished third in a second-level allowance. "She laid down for a week afterwards," McMahon said about that allowance race "That's why I sent her to Brenda Godfrey's [farm]. She was there before when she had that time off, and she put her on the Aquatread for a couple of weeks." The Politely was Spencerian's initial stakes victory. Owned by Larry Rabold, the filly now has 6 wins from 17 starts for earnings of $215,746. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.