Hazlewood, Russell capture Spring Meet Jockey, Trainer Titles
LAUREL, MD—Jockey Jorge Ruiz won three turf races at Laurel Park Friday.
Ruiz, 40, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, struck immediately, winning the opening race of the Preakness Meet aboard the favored Sonic Sass ($5.20) for trainer Jonathan Maldonado.
Two races later, Ruiz placed Come to Mama ($13.60) in closest attendance to the pacesetter. They made the lead in the stretch, then grimly fended off runner-up Casa Juanita. Sarah White trains Come to Mama.
Ruiz rallied from well off the pace to win the seventh race aboard River Tay ($6.80), an Irish-bred mare who secured her fourth consecutive win for trainer Bruce Brown.
Ruiz enjoyed his best season in 2025, posting career highs in wins (116) and earnings ($5,601,685).
Ruiz is a jockey best known for his success with turf runners. He piloted No Show Sammy Jo to victory in the Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay Stakes on grass at Aqueduct on May 1. Ruiz has won four graded stakes in his career, all on turf.
Hazlewood, Russell capture Spring Meet jockey, trainer titles
Yedsit Hazlewood notched another achievement in his young career, winning the Laurel Park Spring Meet riding title by two wins over fellow apprentice Jose Vargas.
Hazlewood, who also won two races at Laurel Park on Friday, finished with 17 wins during the spring meet. Sheldon Russell and Forest Boyce tied for third, each with nine wins.
Originally from Panama, Hazlewood, 18, missed a couple of months due to injuries from an automobile accident, yet still achieved 137 victories in 2025, earning $4,451,869.
He earned his first riding title last summer at the Maryland State Fair Meet in Timonium and dominated the standings at the Laurel Park Fall Meeting.
Hazlewood also earned year-end honors as Maryland’s winningest jockey and currently leads the 2026 national standings in total winners.
Agent John DiNitale represents Hazlewood.
Trainer Brittany Russell, Maryland’s champion trainer for the past three years, won 11 races at the Spring stand, three more than Jamie Ness.
Annette Eubanks, Gary Capuano, John Salzman Jr., and Michael Trombetta each won five races.
Brittany Russell, married to jockey Sheldon Russell, often celebrates in the winner’s circle with their daughter Edy and son Rye. The 36-year-old trainer is optimistic about the upcoming Preakness meet, especially since the undefeated Taj Mahal is expected to be a leading contender in next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the second race in the Triple Crown series.
The Russell barn has won at least 100 races each of the past four years, and the stable has earned at least $7.5 million annually over the past three seasons.
She has won six graded stakes, including two with Maryland-bred Post Time, who captured the General George and Carter Stakes in 2024 and finished a gallant second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.
*Around the track:
Forest Boyce won two races on Friday. The popular Boyce confidently guided Class Photo ($6.60) to victory in the sixth race for trainer Suzanne Stettinius, then scored the eighth race on Goodbye Note ($5.60) for trainer Hamilton Smith.
Live racing resumes Saturday with a nine-race card featuring two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It provides picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias info, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of handicappers. Saturday’s guide is available Friday evening. Click here to view it.
Reserve your spot for our weekly “Bubbly Brunch Sundays.” Relax with friends over delicious brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas at our vibrant Stone Bar Restaurant and Bar. Sunday Brunch starts at 11:00 am ET. Learn more here.
Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.
Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club X account. Click here to watch.
