Net Gain rated slight favorite for Private Terms Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Laurel, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle Net Gain in Saturday's $100,000 Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park with the chance of recording a second win in the race in the last three renewals.

Net Gain, owned by WinStar Farm, will start the 1 1/8-mile stakes from post 2 with local rider Julian Pimentel in the saddle. The 3-year-old colt has been made the 9-5 morning line favorite in the six-horse field.

"He's doing well. He was a bit unlucky two back." said Mott who saddled Mr Palmer to victory in the 2013 Private Terms.

Net Gain will be making his first start in a race other than a maiden event after winning for the first time Feb. 22 at Aqueduct with a rally from last over a muddy track. He was fourth in each of his first two starts as a 2-year- old and got nosed out at Aqueduct in December. The colt finished third at the Big A in his 3-year-old debut effort on Feb. 1. Net Gain has earned $61,350.

The 2-1 second pick is stakes veteran Combat Diver, trained by Gary Contessa for Wounded Warrior Stables. The chestnut colt and jockey Sheldon Russell will break from post 5.

"We look at Saturday's race this way," Contessa said, "if he wins, we have eight weeks to get enough points to get into the (Kentucky) Derby. I'd love to see the Derby give points for the Private Terms."

Combat Diver rallied from last in Laurel's Miracle Wood Stakes last month to drop a nose decision to Savvy Street. Just two weeks ago, the colt was ninth behind El Kabeir in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. Combat Diver has banked $67,900 with a win and a second in five starts.

"He's doing great," said Contessa of Combat Diver. "He ran lights out at Laurel last time and should have won. Then we went to the Gotham and he didn't have the best of trips. I think coming back to Laurel will very much be the best to our advantage."

Leaving from the inside post will be Bodhisattva, the 3-1 third choice, with Trevor McCarthy in the saddle. The chestnut colt is owned and trained by Jose Corrales.

Sent off at 11-1, Bodhisattva set most of the pace in last month's Miracle Wood Stakes but finished fourth, just a half-length behind Savvy Street. It was his second straight fourth-place finish at Laurel. He rallied from last in the Frank Whiteley on Jan. 29 at 11-1 after going six wide. The 3-year-old has two wins and four thirds in nine starts for $85,095.

Here is the field for the Private Terms Stakes in post position order: Bodhisattva, Trevor McCarthy, 3-1; Net Gain, Julian Pimentel, 9-5; Now We Are Free, Victor Carrasco, 20-1; Slick William, Jevian Toledo, 12-1; Combat Diver, Sheldon Russell, 2-1 and Bridget's Big Luvy, Angel Cruz, 5-1.

Post time for the Private Terms Stakes will be approximately 1:56 p.m. ET.