A picture of consistency, Whereshetoldmetogo kicked off his 6-year-old campaign with a dominating two and a half-length victory in the $75,000 Not For Love Stakes, for Maryland-bred/Maryland-sired 4-year-olds and upward, at Laurel Park on Saturday, March 13.

Back in the gate after a nearly three month layoff, Whereshetoldmetogo was sent off the 1-5 favorite against six others. It was a hotly-contested dash at the start as five lengths covered the field through an opening quarter of :22.48, with the favorite racing about three lengths off pacesetters Stroll Smokin and Carey Times. As they flew into the final turn after the half in :45.20, Whereshetoldmetogo moved up around longshot Day the Music Died, went four wide around the far turn, grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch and charged to the wire. Once again the flashy chestnut made it interesting as he lugged in late, but luckily didn’t impede any of those behind, the closest being Karan’s Notion, who rallied after having to check earlier in the race. Day the Music Died finished third. The final time was 1:09.82.

“The horse looked like he was comfortable the whole way,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “Sheldon [Russell] had him in a good spot and they took care of it.”

It was the gelding’s third consecutive stakes win going six furlongs at Laurel, following a nose victory over Laki in the Frank Y. Whiteley back in November and a three-quarter length win over Taco Supream in the Dave’s Friend in December. Though he’d been the first one to cross the wire in the six-furlong New Castle Stakes at Delaware in September, Whereshetoldmetogo was disqualified to second behind Threes Over Deuces.

Originally campaigned by Black Cloud Racing (Mark Esposito), who purchased him for $7,000 as a yearling at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall sale, and trained by Anthony Pecoraro, the son of El Padrino won his debut at Delaware Park as a 2-year-old in 2017, and three starts later notched his first stakes win in the First State Dash. Ending the season with a second-place finish in the Smooth Air Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Whereshetoldmetogo returned in 2018 with a victory in the American Fabius Stakes, and picked up back-to-back wins in the Concern Stakes and Star de Naskra Stakes later in the summer, after which Esposito sold a majority interest of the Maryland-bred to a group led by Madaket Stables, including Ten Strike Racing and Michael E. Kisber. Whereshetoldmetogo went on to finish second to Firenze Fire in the Gallant Bob Stakes-G3 at Parx, where he made headlines as he tried to savage the winner as they neared the wire.

Transferred to the barn of trainer Brad Cox in 2019, he made four starts, with his best runs an allowance victory at Churchill Downs and a third-place finish in the Thanksgiving Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds that November. After an eight-month hiatus, Whereshetoldmetogo returned last July to finish third in the Iowa Sprint Stakes at Prairie Meadows, later transferring from Cox to Russell, and went on to finish fourth in the Polynesian Stakes.

With 25 starts made over five seasons, he holds an overall record of 10-5-2 and earnings of $586,291.

Bred by David Wade, he is out of Undisputed Legend, a daughter of Domestic Dispute who has produced eight foals – her first five are all winners. Undisputed Legend’s youngest is a 2-year-old by Great Notion named Rominski. The mare is expecting a foal by Mendelssohn this year.

Read more about the Not For Love Stakes here