Shaft’s Bullet Fires Off Harrison E. Johnson Victory At Laurel

Paul Fowler Jr.’s Shaft’s Bullet, unhurried in the early going, made a bold move on the far turn under jockey Carlos Lopez and opened up once straightened for home to register a four-length triumph over a trio of seasoned stakes winners in Saturday’s $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel Park.

It was the second stakes win of the day for trainer Gary Capuano, who also captured the $75,000 Not For Love with Take a Hint. Shaft’s Bullet ($7.20) crossed the wire in 1:37.14 over a fast main track to win for the fifth time with two seconds and a third in nine career starts, all at Laurel.

Three horses – Grade 3 winner Magic Michael, 2023 Lite the Fuse winner Dollarization and Adero – were scratched, reducing the field to four led by multiple stakes winners Nimitz Class, the 3-5 favorite; Grade 2 winner and Maryland’s 2023 champion older male Double Crown; and It’s Sizzling Time, winner of the Feb. 17 John B. Campbell at Laurel last time out.

“[It became a] rider’s race then. Small field, that’s usually the case,” Fowler said. “That’s what we told Carlos, too. It turned out right.”

Nimitz Class, a four-time stakes winner at Laurel including last year’s Harrison Johnson racing for the third time after being privately purchased last fall, took the early initiative and went a quarter-mile in :24.67 tracked by Double Crown to his outside while Shaft’s Bullet settled in the clear in third.

The half went in :47.98 when Lopez gave Shaft’s Bullet his cue, and the 5-year-old gelding by 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft responded to move within even terms of the top two midway around the turn. Lopez shook the reins at the top of the stretch and Shaft’s Bullet pulled clear of Nimitz Class as It’s Sizzling Time continued his rally from last on the far outside to get up for second, five lengths ahead of Double Crown.

Shaft’s Bullet did not race at 2 and won his lone start as a 3-year-old, a 1 1/6-mile maiden special weight in February 2022. He went unraced until the following January, returning with a open allowance win going one mile. He ended 2023 with a record of 2-2-1 from six starts, his lone off the board finish coming in his season finale Dec. 8.

In his 2024 debut, Shaft’s Bullet was a determined neck winner of a one-length optional claiming allowance Feb. 25, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure, also with Lopez aboard.

Shaft's Bullet ($2.60), who was bred in Kentucky by Athens Woods LLC, was produced by the Not For Love mare Comet of Love. Capuano as agent bought him for $16,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was presented by Eaton Sales.

The Harrison E. Johnson honors the Bowie-based trainer who died at age 45 in the crash of a plane he was piloting from Saratoga to Virginia. A native of Adelphi, Md., his best horse was 1973 Hopeful (G1) winner Gusty O’Shay, named that year’s Maryland-bred 2-year-old champion.

Take a Hint Changes Tactics To Win Not For Love

57 Strong’s Take a Hint, beaten as the favorite after setting the pace in his previous start, switched tactics and came from off the lead to run down Arden’sluckytobe and capture his stakes debut by 1¼ lengths the $75,000 Not For Love.

Ridden by Jaime Rodriguez for Gary Capuano, Take a Hint ($6.20) earned his third win from four starts this year after front-running victories in January and February. The winning time was 1:10.72 over a fast main track.

“First stakes try for me, it’s unbelievable. I don’t have any words,” John Hazard of 57 Strong said. “He’s got a lot of heart.”

Take a Hint settled in third as Arden’sluckytobe outran 7-5 favorite Rominski, riding a three-race win streak into his stakes debut, and led the way though a quarter-mile in :22.18. Take a Hint moved into second after a half in :44.97 and rounded the far turn with sights on the leader, reeling in Arden’sluckytobe in mid-stretch and drawing clear.

It was 1¼ lengths back to late-running multiple stakes winner Coffeewithchris in third, followed by Rominski, Kenny Had a Notion and Exculpatory. Ace Nine Nine was scratched.

Take a Hint, a gelded 4-year-old son of Grade 3 winner Bandbox, was purchased for $22,000 during Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling sale at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. He has been third or better in all 14 career starts, with five wins and six seconds.

A son of Mr. Prospector, the late Not For Love was named Maryland’s champion stallion a record 13 times and was the first stallion in Maryland history to surpass $6 million in progeny earnings in a single year (2008). As a broodmare sire, he is represented by two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. He died at age 26 in 2016.