Howl Stays Perfect In Safely Kept
Practical Joke’s Howl (2f Practical Joke x How, by Indian Charlie) kept her record perfect on Saturday with a victory in the Listed Safety Kept Stakes at Laurel Park.
Stretching out an extra furlong from her six-furlong debut when she won by 7 ¾ lengths, Howl made her start over seven furlongs much the same. Tracking the leading Unified Alliance as she raced outside horses, she made her first serious move in the turn.
Howl took charge as they started the stretch run though it wasn’t as easy a victory as her maiden with another horse closing in late. She had a length on that runner at the line with the third placed runner 3 ¼ lengths back.
Trained by Brad Cox for LNJ Foxwoods, Howl was a $190,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase by Solis/Litt from co-breeder Castle Park Farm. That operation bred her with Fredrick Wieting, John McCormick, and Bridget Sperl.
She is one of four winners from five to race out of the two-time winning Indian Charlie mare How. How is a half-sister to the multiple stakes placed Capricious out of a full sister to multiple stakes winner Jena Jena, who is the granddam of four stakes performers.
This is the ninth stakes winner of the year for Practical Joke and 24th stakes performer. That group is led by a Grade I winner and four Grade I placers overall.
His 2021 crop alone has yielded four stakes winners, third best of all North American stallions, with his 10 juvenile stakes performers second to only Justify in 2023.