LAUREL, MD. 02-05-10---Nominations for the four races which highlight the President’s day holiday weekend at Laurel Park were released by the Maryland Jockey Club’s racing office this morning.
Winter SprintFest features two graded, seven furlong contests - the $150,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (Grade 2) for fillies and mares on Saturday, February 13 and the $150,000 General George Handicap (Grade 2) for 3-year-olds and up on Monday, February 15.
Saturday’s co-feature is the $70,000 John B. Campbell Handicap at nine furlongs. Monday’s co-main event is the $70,000 Marshua Stakes, which was originally scheduled to run tomorrow.
The Barbara Fritchie attracted thirty-three nominees including defending champion Royale Michele, who is being pointed to the race according to trainer Matt Kintz. Maryland Jockey Club stakes coordinator Coley Blind indicated 13 others are interested, including Sweet Goodbye and Northern Station, who prepped for the Fritchie with stakes wins at Laurel last month and Julie B, who has earned nearly $875,000 in her career.
Thirty-one runners are named to the General George. Blind says about half are considering the race including Greenspring and Digger, who won the Native Dancer and Fire Plug Stakes respectively at Laurel in their last starts. Others expected to run are Wall Street Wonder, an impressive winner of the Paumonok Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 23 and graded stakes winner Ah Day. King Leatherbury trains the 2007 General George runner-up, who ranks 25th on the all-time list of Maryland-breds with earnings of $876,024.
The Campbell drew thirty-one nominees, including runners from the powerful barns of Kiaran McLaughlin, Graham Motion, Todd Pletcher and Mike Trombetta.
Twenty-six three-year-old fillies are nominated for the Marshua. Nine were entered for Saturday but all are eligible to compete on the 15th.
The weekend features several promotions. Saturday festivities include several treasure chest drawings, including a spa romance package at Turf Valley Resort. Monday’s treasure chest drawing will be for premium seating to the 2010 Preakness® Stakes.
-MJC-