BALTIMORE – Apparently, it runs in the family. Witty, a half-brother to reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel, rallied widest and fastest to take Pimlico’s $75,000 Ben’s Cat for Maryland-bred or -sired 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on turf. The Ben’s Cat was one of five supporting stakes on the Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup card Saturday at Pimlico. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, Witty bided his time as Commanding General and Matta battled through an opening quarter of 22.51 seconds. The key moment of the race occurred on the turn as Witty received a clear run on the far outside while Sky’s Not Falling, the 5-2 second choice, was held up behind foes. Both horses fired their shot, with Witty besting a gritty Sky’s Not Falling by a head in 58.69 over the good turf course. Witty paid $3.60 to win. Matta held third and was followed home by B Determined, Prince Pere, R B’s the Boss, Commanding General, Showtime Cat, Boss Man J J, and Golden G. “The inside is kind of soft,” winning rider Jevian Toledo said. “I thought the outside was a little better. When I came to the stretch, I just tapped him on the shoulder and he did the rest. I asked him and he took off. It looked like [Sky’s Not Falling] was going by. He felt the other horse and tried all the way to the wire. He’s a warrior.” Bred, owned, and trained by Elizabeth Merryman, 4-year-old Witty won three stakes on dirt from his first six races. It wasn’t until earlier this summer that Witty sprinted on turf, and he endured some bad luck in his first three efforts. He broke slow in both the Laurel Dash on July 1 and Monmouth’s Wolf Hill Stakes three weeks later, yet still showed enough moxie to finish second both times. Witty got away better in the Marshall Jenney Handicap for Pennsylvania-breds on Aug. 21 at Parx Racing, but bobbled over a rough patch of grass on the backstretch. He wound up second once again, beaten a head by Talented Man. Merryman said Witty emerged from the Jenney “sore behind” and that he needed a couple of weeks to get back to himself. “He’s a huge horse,” Merryman said. “He’s enormous. When he gets knocked off stride and has to regain his momentum, it’s hard to recover going five furlongs.” Witty has seemingly cured his gate issues. :: Bet the races with a $250 First Deposit Match + $10 Free Bet and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. “He doesn’t have the strongest hind end,” Merryman said. “It’s just hard for him to get in gear when the dirt is breaking away from him behind. As he’s had a couple of starts on the turf, he’s had the confidence that footing isn’t going to break away.” Merryman mentioned that Witty will be pointed to the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint at Laurel on Oct. 14. He will likely face Sky’s Not Falling again as that one looks to defend his 2022 Maryland Million Turf Sprint title. All Along Stakes Full Count Felicia looks like a rising star as she thoroughly dominated six other fillies and mares in the $100,000 All Along at 1 1/8 miles on turf. A 4-year-old daughter of War Front, Full Count Felicia has now won four of her last five starts. She displayed a devastating turn of foot when taking her final race of 2022, a first-level allowance at Laurel, then returned from a lengthy layoff to roll through her next condition on Aug. 19 at Colonial. There wasn’t much speed in the All Along, and when expected pacesetter Willakia was tardy from the gate, that left Full Count Felicia on the lead. Jockey Sheldon Russell got his mount to relax through fractions of 23.77 and 47.48, then slowly began to extend the lead. It was a three-length advantage after six furlongs in 1:12.01 and 8 1/2 lengths under the wire in 1:50.76. Favored Willakia was a non-threatening second. Creative Cairo grabbed third, with Eight Danzas, Eidikos, Milagrosa Surena, and My Thoughts next. Full Count Felicia returned $4.60 as the second choice in the betting. “She’s such a forward and aggressive filly in the morning,” Russell said. “I don’t think there was any speed in the race. She just broke with her kind. She inherited the lead, I put her to sleep, and she’s run lights out.” Bred in Kentucky by Joseph Allen, Full Count Felicia is owned by Al Gold’s Gold Square LLC and was transferred to Russell last summer after failing to win her first seven starts. “She did have a bit of an issue, not a big deal,” trainer Brittany Russell said about the layoff leading into her Colonial start. “She’s just a stronger and hardier filly being a little bit older.” Weather Vane Stakes One race after the All Along, Mr. and Mrs. Russell were back in the winner’s circle following Apple Picker’s upset victory in the Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The pace was hot as Talk to the Judge, Ms. Bucchero, and Late Frost hooked up through splits of 23.47 and 46.76. Sheldon Russell had Apple Picker in behind the leaders, and he scrubbed on her to keep her within range. Turning for home, the leaders were tired, and Apple Picker had momentum. She swung off the inside and drove through the stretch to prevail by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:12.11 Tappin Josie rallied from last to be second, with Late Frost another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. Apple Picker paid $18.20 as the fourth choice. Favored Ms. Bucchero faded to sixth. “I don’t want to say breaking from the rail is a bad position, but I don’t think she’s a filly that’s been hit with a lot of dirt, not since we’ve had her,” Sheldon Russell said. “If you can just get a horse like that close enough where the dirt is sort of hitting her in the chest, that’s all I was trying to do. She ran all the way to the wire today. Very impressed. Awesome.” Apple Picker was bred in Kentucky by Beechwood Bruckner LLC and is a daughter of Connect. Owned by Michael Dubb, she made all four of her starts last year in New York for trainer Rudy Rodriguez before being sent to Brittany Russell. Shine Again Described by trainer Gary Capuano as a “gentle giant,” Intrepid Daydream notched her first stakes victory in the $75,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares at six furlongs. The Shine Again was restricted to horses who had never won an open stakes race. Intrepid Daydream is certainly an imposing physical presence, and she sat a comfortable trip outside pacesetter Beneath the Stars through splits of 23.62 and 46.46. Intrepid Daydream made the lead at will under Toledo in the stretch and was never seriously threatened. She won by 1 1/2 lengths over rallying Deco Strong in 1:12.74. Moody Woman finished third and was followed by Beneath the Stars, Mama G’s Wish, Sweet Gracie, Bourbon Wildcat, and First to Act. Favored Intrepid Daydream returned $4.40 to win. A 4-year-old Maryland-bred filly by Jess’s Dream, Intrepid Daydream has won 4 of 10 starts. She is a homebred owned by Paul Fowler Jr. Capuano said that he is interested in stretching Intrepid Daydream back out in distance. The filly has only raced once around two turns, a 16 3/4-length victory in a maiden special weight at Delaware in 2021. The $100,000 Twixt Stakes at Laurel in two weeks is a “possible” next start for Intrepid Daydream, but Capuano stressed there are plenty of options. Lite the Fuse Benefiting from a ground-saving, pace-tracking trip, Dollarization upset graded stakes winners Wondrwherecraigis and Jaxon Traveler in the $100,000 Lite the Fuse at six furlongs. Jaxon Traveler and odds-on favorite Wondrwherecraigis both broke sharp, and they engaged in a speed duel through fractions of 23.66 and 46.72. That enervating pace battle left them ripe for the pickings, and Dollarization took full advantage. Jockey Angel Rodriguez bulled his mount off the rail at the three-sixteenths, set sail after the leaders, and went right on by to take it by three lengths in 1:11.32. Sir Alfred James finished well from last to be second, with Stage Left an even third. Wondrwherecraigis and Jaxon Traveler were next. The longest shot in the field, Dollarization returned $39.60. Trained by Tim Kreiser, 5-year-old Dollarization was claimed by owner James Wolf for $16,000 in 2021. He won the restricted Fabulous Strike Stakes at Penn National during the summer of 2022 and has complied a record of eight wins from 33 starts for earnings of $302,941. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.