Sunday, August 22 2010
GROVE & BOYCE CAPTURE LAUREL SUMMER MEET TITLES
LAUREL, MD. 08-22-10---The 11-day Laurel Park summer meeting ended today with Chris Grove and Forest Boyce winning individual titles. Live racing shifts to Timonium for the Maryland State Fair stand before returning to Laurel for the balance of the year on Saturday, Sept. 11.
Grove, who won his first training title earlier this year during the Laurel winter stand, won nine races from 20 starters with 16 on the board finishes. The 41-year-old saddled four consecutive winners on the Aug. 14 card then won two races at Charles Town later that night.
Saturday, August 21 2010
Ben’s Cat Remains Unbeaten After Winning Mister Diz Stakes
LAUREL, MD. 8-21-10---The Jim Stable’s Ben’s Cat upped his lifetime record to five wins without a loss when he won today’s $50,000 Mister Diz Stakes at Laurel Park.
The son of Parker’s Storm Cat, who was bred by owner-trainer King T. Leatherbury, covered the six furlong distance in 1:09.08. Rosemary Homeister Jr. steered Ben’s Cat wide from the start and kept after him in the lane to win his first try on the turf. Ben’s Cat finished 1-1/2 lengths ahead of longshot, Sandbaggin’ Lover. Celtic Innis finished third.
Maryland-breds Clash In Mister Diz Stakes
LAUREL, MD. 8-20-10---Saturday’s $50,000 Mister Diz Stakes will test eleven Maryland breds including the 1-2-3 finishers from last year. Weather permitting, the Mister Diz goes six furlongs on the grass.
Hero’s Reward (9-5), who won this race and the Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland last year, returns for trainer Dale Capuano after four demanding starts in 2010. Turf sprints at Pimlico, Monmouth, Woodbine and Penn have left the Partner’s Hero 8-year-old without a victory since last year’s Mister Diz. Erick Rodriguez is his new rider
Thursday, August 19 2010
25TH MARYLAND MILLION TO HEADLINE FIFTY-SEVEN DAY LAUREL PARK FALL MEETING THAT BEGINS SEPT 11th
LAUREL, MD. 08-19-10---The Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (MTHA) have agreed to the live racing dates and stakes schedule at Laurel Park for the balance of the calendar year. Since there is not a Maryland Racing Commission meeting this month executive director Mike Hopkins received approval via phone poll.
The fifty-seven day fall meeting will begin Saturday, Sept. 11 and conclude Saturday, Dec. 18 and includes 19 stakes races worth $1.45 million. Headlining the stand is the 25th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Saturday, August 14 2010
Fascinatin’ Rhythm Surprises In Jameela Stakes
LAUREL, MD. 8-14-10---Buckingham Farm’s Fascinating Rhythm delivered a shocker in today’s feature at Laurel Park when she rallied to win the $50,000 Jameela Stakes.
Sent to the post at odds of 17-1, the Richard Small trainee was winning for the first time in two years and for the first time on the grass with her late closing effort under jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr.
Thursday, August 12 2010
BLIND DATE HEADLINES SATURDAY’S JAMEELA STAKES
LAUREL, MD. 08-12-10---Horseplayers are certain to get a fair price if they pass on the favorite in Saturday’s Jameela Stakes, as eleven evenly matched fillies and mares are set to go six furlongs on the turf at Laurel Park.
The program favorite is Blind Date (2-1), a three time stakes winner on the grass trained by Hamilton Smith and ridden by Luis Garcia. She has drilled six times since her last start in June and three of those were bullet workouts. The daughter of Not For Love will start as part of an entry with Sales Tax.
Monday, August 09 2010
WILEY WAGNER SIXTH IN RETURN RIDE
LAUREL, MD. 08-08-10---One week after her 47th birthday, Mary Wiley Wagner finished sixth aboard Ms Millie Robbins in Sunday’s finale at Laurel Park, a $25,000 claiming maiden claimer contested at 5-1/2 furlongs over the turf. Wiley Wagner decided to come out of retirement following a fourth place finish in the inaugural Lady Legends for the Cure Race™ aboard Mass Destruction at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness weekend.
“I felt very alert and every thought was crystal clear,” said Wiley Wagner, who had a ride at Delaware Park in-between the Pimlico and Laurel mounts. “Things happen so fast out there so you always wonder if you still have the instincts.”
Ms Millie Robbins broke a little slowly, then picked it up through the turn and rallied under right hand whipping to finish with a flourish.
Sunday, August 08 2010
MARY WILEY WAGNER RETURNS TO THE SADDLE AFTER 12-YEAR ABSENCE
LAUREL, MD. 08-07-10---On May 14, when Pimlico Race Course hosted the inaugural Lady Legends for the Cure Race™, the first pari-mutuel race featuring retired champion female jockeys, it was supposed to be a one-time event for the eight riders.
Mary Wiley Wagner had other ideas.
Friday, August 06 2010
FOREST BOYCE CONTINUES WINNING WAYS
LAUREL, MD. 08-06-10---Apprentice jockey Forest Boyce ended the Colonial Downs summer meeting with victories on 13 of final 17 days of that stand and the 25-year picked up where she left off when racing has shifted to Laurel Park. She won a pair of races on Friday’s twilight card and leads the rider standings with four wins during the first three days of the mini-meet.
Boyce visited the winners’ circle with Katrinarita ($12.60) in the opener and Cagey Act ($13) in the third. Her four winners have an average win payout of $14.05.
Monday, August 02 2010
LOVE’S REASON AN IMPRESSIVE WINNER IN DEBUT
LAUREL, MD. 08-01-10---Maryland Million day is two months away but fans may have gotten a glimpse at a horse to watch for the 25th annual card that will take place at Laurel Park on October 2 in when Love’s Reason won in her debut in today’s opener.
Trained by Rodney Jenkins, the two-year-old daughter of Not For Love broke sluggishly in the $28,000 maiden special weight race and was three-wide around the turn in the five-furlong test. But jockey Travis Dunkelberger patiently allowed his charge to run down Juanita, another first-time starter, in deep stretch to win by a half-length.
Saturday, July 31 2010
J.D. ACOSTA PERFECT ON OPENING DAY OF SUMMER MEET
LAUREL, MD. 07-31-10---The second half of the Maryland racing season got underway Saturday with the start of the Laurel Park summer meeting. J.D. Acosta rode three winners from as many mounts on the nine-race card on a picture perfect afternoon. Live racing had been on hiatus in the state since May 22 at the conclusion of the Pimlico Race Course spring stand.
Acosta, a mainstay at Laurel, Pimlico, Timonium and Charles Town since 2002, scored with Brahma Queen ($9) for trainer Dale Capuano in the fourth and then had back-to-back victories for top client Chris Grove aboard Pleasant Beau ($19.40-fifth) and Night Q ($5.80-sixth).
Thursday, July 29 2010
LIVE RACING RETURNS TO LAUREL PARK ON SATURDAY
LAUREL, MD. 07-29-10---The second half of the Maryland racing calendar starts Saturday when Laurel Park opens an 11-day summer meeting with a nine-race card, including an all-Turf Pick 3 to end the program.
Live racing has been on hiatus in Maryland since May 22 at the conclusion of the Pimlico Race Course spring stand.
