Journalism, the winner of last year’s historic 150th edition of the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, overcame a disastrously slow start to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 San Diego Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Del Mar.

Reunited with jockey Umberto Rispoli, Journalism broke very poorly and raced last and widest as the field of five entered the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile San Diego.

Grade 1-placed Mirahmadi controlled the rated fractions of 23.34 and 47.47 seconds on the fast main track. He was challenged from the outside by Grade 1-placed The Cal Man and multiple Group 1 winner The Goat after six furlongs in 1:11.58.

Despite the rough start, Rispoli remained patient aboard odds-on Journalism, and they raced in the second flight, never too far off the leaders. They kicked for home from four wide, collared both The Cal Man and The Goat, grabbed the lead, and fended off a late challenge from multiple stakes-winner Shea Brennan to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Journalism, the 125-lb highweight who conceded between five and nine pounds to his rivals, returned $2.40 to win.

After the Preakness, this Journalism has been anything but yellow, taking on the best of the best in his seven subsequent starts, winning the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park, and finishing on the board in such prestigious Grade 1 races as the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, and the Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga.

Trained by Michael McCarthy for Bridlewood Farm, Coolmore, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5, and Robert LaPenta, Journalism has won half of his 14 career races, earning $4,770,755.

The bay colt by 2007 Preakness winner Curlin is expected to next race in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Pacific Classic Handicap at Del Mar on August 22.

*Napoleon Solo second in Grade 1 Haskell

Back on the East Coast, the 2026 Preakness winner, Napoleon Solo, gave a gallant effort, finishing second in the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Haskell Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the Monmouth Park strip.

Making his first start since capturing the Preakness, held this year at Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course is being rebuilt, Napoleon Solo broke to the lead under jockey Paco Lopez and set splits of 24.15 and 48.29 seconds while racing well off the inside.

Napoleon Solo took the inside pressure from Baby Vino on the second turn, and they raced six furlongs in 1:12.01. The two bumped turning into the stretch, with Baby Vino getting the better of Napoleon Solo by a half-length in 1:50.18 on a sealed, sloppy surface.

Iron Honor, the Preakness runner-up, finished third, 3 ½ lengths behind Napoleon Solo.

Napoleon Solo, who captured the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old, is trained by Chad Summers for Espoir USA, which purchased Napoleon Solo from Al Gold’s Gold Square LLC following the Preakness. A son of Liam’s Map, Napoleon Solo has won three of six starts and earned $1,760,520.

The post Preakness Hero Journalism Wins San Diego ‘Cap first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD – Between morning sets, I caught up with Jessica Lindsey, John Robb’s assistant trainer and a lifelong horse-racing enthusiast. Jessica has been instrumental in the development of some of Robb’s top horses, including multiple stakes-winner Anna’s Bandit, Romeo, Studlydoright, Princess Kokachin, and Fille d’Esprit.

Q: “Jessica, how long have you been doing this?”

A: “I’d say 25 years, with five of them with Robb. I started in the test barn at Colonial. From there, I walked hots for Ferris Allen. I just kept going.”

Jessica has been spotted saddling in the paddock and smiling in the winner’s circle, but she hasn’t forgotten how she got there, since her family wasn’t involved in racing.

“My parents got me into horses, thinking it would keep me away from the mall and boys,” she laughed. “It was the most expensive mistake they ever made.”

Jessica, having galloped and ponied, now spends her days as the assistant to longtime Maryland-based trainer John “Jerry” Robb. I asked Jessica for a little insight into her life as the “mother hen” to a full barn, including a group of young exercise riders, as well as all other barn responsibilities.

“I love the 2yos. It’s super exciting to watch them develop, but heartbreaking at the same time,” she said quietly. “It’s so good to know the family and each generation. It’s so special to know them from birth through their first steps on the racetrack. But it makes it harder. I’m more emotionally invested. It makes the claiming game harder. They are my family, like my kids.”

Her familiar smile and laugh took over. “What can I say? I’m a nut.”

Jessica spoke with a more serious tone, emphasizing the teamwork involved. “It’s a real group effort here, all for the benefit of the horses. It can be tough because outsiders often don’t see the full extent of everyone’s involvement. It’s literally everyone—the owners, the barn staff, and the farm workers—all working together,” she explained.

Q: What’s your advice for the younger generation?

A: “Work, work harder, and try to work under a veteran, an old-school guy who has been in the trenches. Start however you can, and listen, take it in. Jerry has more knowledge in his little toe than I’ll ever have. He might be tough, but whenever I need it, I have someone to answer for anything. He’s just one call away. I have a lifeline of support and information with him and Gina [Robb].”

About the Author:
As a jockey, Emily Fewster won 40 races at tracks including Colonial Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds, Laurel Park, Meadowlands, Pimlico, Timonium, and Yavapai Downs. She is an active supporter of Thoroughbred Aftercare and OTTB promotion. She now works as an equine appraiser, an exercise rider at Laurel Park, and contributes to TMJC Broadcasts as a handicapper and paddock analyst.

The post Catching Up with Jessica Lindsey first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—While Barbosa was away, Yedsit played.

After winning eight races over the past three Laurel Park cards and moving into a narrow lead in the jockey standings, red-hot Jeiron Barbosa was at Churchill Downs on Sunday to ride The Stork Club in the $225,000 Debutante Stakes.

That opened the door for Yedsit Hazlewood, and the teenage sensation kicked it down, winning five races on the final day of the meet to claim the championship.

Hazlewood began his march toward the title with a rallying victory aboard Vanilla ($4.60) in the fourth race for trainer Jamie Ness. About half an hour later, Hazlewood and Ness struck again, this time with Stronsino ($8), who returned from a year-plus layoff to wire the field in race five.

Moving on to the sixth race, Hazlewood spread the wealth, guiding Matthew’s Ticket ($8.80) to a facile maiden victory for trainer Phil Capuano. He then teamed again with Ness for the trainer’s third win of the card, as Spidey Man ($3.20) took no prisoners in the seventh. In a fitting end to the meet, Hazlewood wired the field aboard Pudge Boy Palace ($4) for his mentor, trainer Jose Corrales.

Originally from Panama, Hazlewood, 18, missed a couple of months during his first year in the saddle due to injuries from an automobile accident, yet still achieved 137 victories in 2025, earning $4,451,869. Those numbers helped him finish as the runner-up in last year’s Eclipse Award voting for Outstanding Apprentice Rider.

He earned his first riding title last summer at the Maryland State Fair Meet in Timonium and led the standings at the Laurel Park Fall, Winter, and Spring meetings.

Hazlewood also earned year-end honors as Maryland’s winningest jockey and currently leads the 2026 national standings in total winners.

With Laurel Park going dark for the next two months, Hazlewood will move his tack to Kentucky for the summer, where he will compete at Ellis Park.

*Jamie Ness captures training title

Ness began Sunday in a similar boat to his go-to rider, one race behind Brittany Russell in the trainer standings after she won three races Saturday.

After his own hat trick on Sunday, the veteran trainer secured his second training title in Maryland this year. Ness also won the Laurel Park winter meet and finished second to Russell in the spring.

Ness, 51, of Heron, South Carolina, has now earned nine training titles in Maryland. The 16th trainer in history to reach 4,000 victories in North America, he was the nation’s winningest trainer last year and is currently third in 2026, behind only Steve Asmussen and Brad Cox.

*Around the track:

*Maiden winners Rylnnslookinglucky and Matthew’s Ticket each earned a 5% bonus on Sunday. The bonus program, which began on March 1, rewards Maryland Million-eligible horses that win maiden races in the state. Only horses sired by Maryland Million stallions, conceived in Maryland, and fully nominated and certified for the Maryland Million program qualify. Stallions must have been nominated in the year the horse was conceived.

Rylnnslookinglucky is a 4-year-old filly by Madefromlucky out of Iflookscouldkill, by Louis Quatorze. Bred by Michael J. Harrison, Rylnnslookinglucky is owned by Harrison in partnership with Herradura Racing. Angel Cruz rode for trainer Kenny Cox.

Matthew’s Ticket is a 3-year-old gelding by Maryland sire Fortune Ticket out of Jazzy Java, by Nobiz Like Shobiz. Bred in New Jersey by Gina and Kelly Lupton, Matthew’s Ticket is owned by Mopo Racing and trained by Phil Capuano.

*Congratulations to Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, Steven Keil, and Joanne Shankle on finishing in a three-way tie for the owner’s title.

The post Yedsit Hazlewood Wins Five Races and Jockey Title first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—The last time trainer Ron Moquett won the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash was in 2015, when Gentlemen’s Bet won by disqualification.

Eleven years later, Moquett stood beaming in the Laurel Park winner’s circle after his 4-year-old gelding Hymn’s drama-free victory in Saturday’s 2026 edition of the $175,000 De Francis Dash for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

“When you look back at the winners, for a guy who grew up loving sprinters, it’s a marquee race,” Moquett said about the De Francis Dash. “It’s had its ups and downs, but it’s consistently been a top-tier sprint race. I’m very happy to win it. If the race had another $100,000 purse and was just called Something Sprint, it wouldn’t mean as much as it does carrying that name, so that’s cool.”

Hymn is now unbeaten in three starts since being gelded.

“We were a little slow to geld him because he’s so beautiful and we loved his family,” Moquett admitted. “We thought that if he ran like he looked, he had the potential to be something someone would breed to. It killed me to geld him, but I’d rather have a good gelding than a slow colt.”

Hymn is very good, as evidenced by his powerful stretch rally in the Dash, one of four stakes races on the program.

Faust and Celtic Contender sparred for the early lead through fractions of 23.10 and 46.91 seconds, with Wickedivine sitting a pocket trip just inside Hymn.

Celtic Contender and jockey Forest Boyce swept to the lead in the upper stretch, but Bejarano swung Hymn outside for a clear run, and Hymn unfurled his long stride.

He charged past Celtic Contender in the stretch and drew off impressively to win by 5 ½ lengths in 1:11.51 on the fast track. Celtic Contender nipped Wickeddivine by a head for second. Faust, Petingas Twin, and Pentathlon completed the order of finish.

Hymn was Bejarano’s second winner of the day. He piloted Mongolian Apple ($21.60) to a front-running victory in the fifth race.

“We thought he would be a little back off the pace with some of these,” Moquett said. “There are some really nice horses in there that can set some nice fractions. He’s naturally in that position, and the [outside] post position was advantageous for us.”

Hymn paid $5.40 to win as the betting favorite. Slam Notion, Haileysfirstnotion, Full Moon Madness, and Fire Pit were scratched out.

Bred by Fleur De Lis Stables, Hymn is a son of McKinzie out of the stakes-placed Salt Bae, by Paynter. He was a $140,000 yearling buyback and then sent to Moquett. Campaigned by Fleur De Lis, William Sparks, and Bret Jones, Hymn won his debut by four lengths last year but had trouble focusing on the task at hand.

“From the moment he walked into our barn, you could tell he had something on his mind,” Moquett said earlier this week. “He was calling out to every female horse and pony he had ever seen since he was 2 years old.”

Since being gelded, Hymn has put it together, winning a first-level allowance at Oaklawn on April 10 and a second-level heat at Churchill on May 16.

Hymn has won 4 of 13 starts, earning $408.639. Moquett mentioned the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga on June 25 as a potential next stop for Hymn.

*Barbadian Runner all heart in the Deputed Testamony

They should start calling him Barbadian Warrior.

Displaying the resiliency that helped him beat back local legend Post Time in last year’s Maryland Million Classic, Barbadian Runner parried a late thrust from Adero to win the $125,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles.

Owned by AJ Will Win Stables, trained by Henry Walters, and ridden by Forest Boyce, Barbadian Runner’s Cinderella story continued onward and upward.

Barbadian Runner, a $5,000 yearling purchase that has now earned $932,050, used his excellent tactical speed to sit just off pacesetter Catalytic’s splits of 25.42 and 50.48 seconds.

Catalytic’s rider, Sheldon Russell, tried to sneak away in the third quarter, clocked at 1:15.90, but Boyce would have none of it. She pushed the button, Barbadian Runner responded, and they opened a clear lead inside the three-sixteenths pole.

Adero loomed boldly and seemed to have the momentum to pass Barbadian Runner, but the gritty gelding refused to yield.

At the wire, Barbadian Runner won by a nose. Adero finished 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Catalytic. Xcellent Start, who placed fourth, was declared a non-starter after the stewards ruled he was held by an assistant starter at the gate. Cadet Corps and Duke of Duval followed. Jokestar, Warp Nine, and Sacred Thunder withdrew.

Barbadian Runner ran nine furlongs in 1:52.90 and paid $3.20 to his many backers.

“Those are nice horses, a solid group,” Boyce said. “Today, the dirt is so quick, and we needed to be close. Luckily, he’s willing to do it right now. I appreciate him stepping up to the plate and being ready to run it a little differently than he normally would.”

Barbadian Runner, the best Maryland-bred older dirt horse stabled at the grounds, is considered a throwback because he raced without a break longer than 45 days between his career debut, a fourth-place finish on June 30, 2024, and his second-place run behind graded stakes winner Post Time in the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes on December 20, 2025. Barbadian Runner has triumphed at distances ranging from 5 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles on both wet and fast tracks.

The Deputed Testamony was his third run in 2026.

“Fortunately, it was a slow enough pace,” Walters said. “I thought he’d have something left, and he did. He’s so versatile. If the early pace was fast, he’d kick in when he’s supposed to. He’s a very easy horse to manage.”

Bred by Shamrock Farm, Barbadian Runner is by Barbados and out of Quiet Run, by Northern Afleet. His dam is an unraced half-sister to Grade 3 winner It Happened Again.

A seven-time stakes winner, Barbadian Runner has won 9 of 23 races. While short-term plans are pending, Walters said defending Barbadian Runner’s Maryland Million Classic is a future goal.

The $150,000 Maryland Million Classic is held at Laurel Park on October 24.

*Around the track:

*Jockey Julian Pimentel won his first race since 2021, guiding It’s Electric ($13.80) to victory in the sixth race, a maiden special weight at 1 1/16 miles on turf. It was Pimentel’s ninth start since his comeback.

“I had been spending a lot of time with family and friends, taking care of myself at my home in Columbia,” Pimentel told TMJC’s Emily Fewster after the win. “My good friend and agent, Roniel Gerardo, was instrumental in getting me back into the saddle. He kept asking me to come back, and I reconsidered.”

Pimentel, who captured three graded stakes aboard the popular Ben’s Cat between 2012 and 2014, also won the Grade 3 General George Stakes in 2017 aboard Imperial Hint.

Pimentel rode his first North American winner in 2000 and was a finalist for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey the following year. Pimentel has won 1,807 races, and his mounts have earned $59,001,633.

*Trainer Brittany Russell and jockey Sheldon Russell won three races Saturday. Oracle of Beaufort ($9.20) was placed first via disqualification in the opening race. First-time starter Everday’s a Bonus ($6.80) uncorked a furious finish to win the third, and Maida ($5.00) powered away from her rivals in the $125,000 Alma North Stakes

*Laurel Park was proud to host Tom Hashimoto and Taka Morita, representatives of the Japan Racing Association. They appeared in the winner’s circle after Thundering (11.20) prevailed in the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup.

The Japan Racing Association Turf Cup underscores the close relationship between The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) and the Japan Racing Association (JRA).

On March 7, Bill Knauf, President and General Manager of TMJC, was present at Nakayama Racecourse to present the winner’s trophy for the Grade 3 Laurel Park Sho Nakayama Himba Stakes.

*Jockey Jeiron Barbosa rode two more winners, moving into first place in the Laurel Park jockey standings with only one day left in the meet. Barbosa prevailed aboard Probable Angle ($10.60) in the second race and Just Do Believe in the fourth. Yedsit Hazlewood is one win behind in second place. Jorge Ruiz is in third, four wins behind Barbosa.

*The race for the trainer’s title is also extremely tight. After Brittany Russell’s big day on Saturday, she moved into a one-win lead over Jamie Ness. Jose Corrales and Michael Trombetta are tied for third, two wins behind Russell.

*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. Sunday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.

*Sunday is the final day of the Laurel Park Preakness Meet. There will be mandatory payouts on all wagers with carryover potential, including both “Value Pick 5” bets, the Chesapeake Pick 6 Jackpot Wager, and the Jackpot Super High 5 (Race 6).

The post Hymn Sings Victory Tune in De Francis Dash first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

By Vinnie Perrone

LAUREL, MD–Four talented horses traveled 200 miles or more to try the $125,000 Alma North Stakes at Laurel Park, but none could approach the filly that walked from her backyard.

Maida, a racy 4-year-old filly stabled at Laurel, sauntered over from Brittany Russell’s barn and then tore through the Alma North with tremendous urgency. She popped to the lead from the outside post, thwarted all five chasers and drained the drama from the 6 1/2-furlong affair, finishing 10 1/2 lengths ahead of runner-up Grammy Girl and 14 lengths before third-place Benedetta.

The runaway bore gravitas given the fillies and mares she trounced: Grammy Girl (2-1), trained by Saffie Joseph, had arrived from New York off two straight graded stakes scores; Bam’s Bliss Kiss (9-2), from the Jorge Abreu barn, had won six straight, and New York stablemate Jody’s Pride (5-1) had a Grade 2 victory on her ledger. Traversing a fast track, each of them saw Maida’s black tail pull farther and farther ahead.

“She’s been training really well; I had a lot of confidence in her today,” said Russell, whose husband Sheldon rode the filly. “We always thought she was a very good horse.”

The evidence supported it. After a nondescript debut in the Pimlico mud on Black-Eyed Susan Day, Maida added blinkers and capped a three-race winning streak by dominating the $100,000 Weather Vane Stakes at Laurel last September. After she finished sixth in the Grade 2 Raven’s Run at Keeneland a month later, she got the winter off and resumed training this spring.

“Yeah, the blinkers have helped,” Brittany said. “Also, she’s walking out of her own stall [to race]. This is home. She’s good on this track.”

To be precise, three starts, three victories.

Favored at 3-2 for her first start in eight months, Maida blasted through quarter-mile fractions of 21.72 seconds, 45.76 and 1:11.72, stopped the clock in 1:18.44 and boosted her six-race earnings to $198,150 for breeder Harry Papaleo’s Goodfellas LLC. The bay filly has an inverted white triangle on her face that tapers to a stripe and a certain pedigree that gave Russell boundless hope from the outset.

Before she became Maryland’s preeminent trainer, Russell galloped graded stakes winner Eve Giselle for Tim Ritchey. In 2021, Papaleo sent Eve Giselle to the stallion Improbable, and Russell was thrilled to receive the resulting filly.

“When this filly showed up, she stood out right away,” Russell said. “It’s pretty cool.”

Six fillies and mares pursued the Alma North following the withdrawals of Trouble in Love, Onyx Ten and Hold Your Breath.

Russell said she’ll keep Maida sprinting and aim for a graded stakes beyond the filly’s home track.

The race’s namesake, 1971 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year Alma North, won the Grade 1 Matchmaker at Atlantic City in 1973 and retired late the next year with stakes victories at nine tracks and 55 on-the-board finishes from 78 starts.

*JRA Turf Cup Witnesses a Thundering Display

A threatening rainstorm never overtook Laurel Park this muggy afternoon, but Thundering did.

A Maryland-bred enigma owned and bred by Canadian Jal Dastur and based in New Jersey, Thundering set the pace under talented apprentice Yedsit Hazelwood and proceeded to win the $125,000 Japan Racing Association Turf Cup by a length and half over fast-closing Thundering Display, who got second by a nose over spunky 8-year-old What Say Thee. Crisper, age 7, finished fourth.

Thundering, a 4-year-old bay gelding with three white socks and a knack for close defeats, prospered from a sound plan well executed. Trainer Derek Ryan deemed the eight-horse lineup thin on speed and instructed Hazelwood to urge Thundering out of the gate. Jockey and horse obliged.

On a firm turf course, Thundering took the lead first time past the grandstand at 9-2 and held it through manageable fractions even as Nelson Avenue (6-1) and favored A Bourbon for Toby (9-5) encroached along the backstretch and into the far turn. With Hazelwood urging Thundering, A Bourbon for Toby briefly drew even outside under Forest Boyce but soon tired of the chase.

Truly Quality, meantime, trailed into the homestretch at 5-2 and didn’t immediately honor jockey Sheldon Russell’s cue to advance. The graded stakes winner from Jonathan Thomas’s Kentucky stable finally rallied between horses in midstretch but posed no threat to Thundering, who managed 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.21.

Thundering earned $75,000 with his third victory in 16 tries. His earnings, $236,418, could have been sweetened had he not been nosed out of first in Delaware Park’s Kent Stakes and beaten by a half-length in Woodbine’s Toronto Cup.

Trainer Ryan has saddled few horses at Laurel Park in a 30-year career, but he steered Thundering to Maryland after a prospective race at Monmouth Park didn’t fill and another at the imminent Colonial Downs meet drew too many.

“This was plan two,” he said.

Another wrinkle: Ryan removed the blinkers Thundering wore when he broke his maiden at 2 in Woodbine’s Display Stakes and almost all his other starts.

“I like ’em as natural as possible,” said Ryan, whose Jersey-bred sprint sensation Book’em Danno wears no blinkers.

Maryland-bred Thundering, by Mosler from the Street Cry mare Keep Right, was foaled at Country Life Farm in Belair. (Accordingly, Country Life principal Josh Pons made his way to the winner’s circle.) Thundering had raced in Canada, Delaware, New York, Florida and New Jersey but never Maryland.

Ryan said he has Thundering’s 2-year-old half-brother, Loyal Prince (by Cairo Prince), close to a debut in Florida.

Relationships defined the moment, the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup promoting a cooperative spirit between the Maryland Jockey Club and the JRA.

*Evan Trommer Wins Handicapping Challenge

Evan Trommer finished first among 133 horseplayers today in the De Francis Dash Day Handicapping Challenge, a $5,775 score that also earned him a seat in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series this fall.

Trommer, a 61-year-old retired distribution CEO from Sarasota, Fla., played two entries through Xpressbet and advanced late on one of them to take the lead before Laurel’s 11th-race finale. He uncharacteristically chose to wager nothing, he said, which probably won him the tournament.

“That was the best decision I made all day,” he said.

An accomplished tournament player, Trommer said he used “a stalking trip” in the De Francis challenge. He lagged until Laurel’s ninth race, when he nailed the Thundering-Truly Quality exacta that returned $37.40 for $2 and followed that with a $45 exacta play in the $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash. The $13.60 payoff, Hymn over Celtic Contender, gave him the lead entering the Laurel finale, a turf sprint for $16,000 maiden claimers.

Trommer didn’t like the favorites in the eight-horse field but couldn’t find a viable alternative. So he sat it out. My Captain won the race at 10-1, and none of Trommer’s pursuers played the 6-7-9 result in a manner to pass him.

The $33,250 prize pool included $11,250 in cash payouts for the top five finishers and seats, travel, and lodging for either the 2026 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge at Keeneland or the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas for the top three finishers.

The one-day tournament allowed handicappers to wager at Laurel Park or online through Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS and HPI. Participants paid $500 to enter and received a $250 bankroll for win, place, show, exacta and daily double wagers on all races at Laurel Park and select races at Monmouth Park. Entrants had to play at least five Laurel Park races and wager at least $50 bet per race.

The post Local Girl Makes Good: Maida Dazzles in Alma North first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—If horseplayers haven’t already, they might be wise to jump onto the “Barbosa Bandwagon.”

Since June 15, jockey Jeiron Barbosa’s mounts have won 12 of 28 starts, a whopping 43% strike rate. Horseplayers who blindly plunked two dollars on each of those horses were rewarded with a $4.06 ROI.

On Friday, Barbosa won three races at Laurel Park. It’s the third time in less than a month he’s achieved a hat trick here.

His big afternoon began in the second race aboard favored Final Engagement ($3) for trainer Jerry Robb. Barbosa angled All the Hardways ($19.20) to the inside at a crucial moment in the fourth race, and they drove home over the odds-on favorite Take a Hint for trainer Ferris Allen. Barbosa then gave a masterful ride aboard the talented but temperamental Maupansant in the sixth race. After Maupansant dumped Barbosa in the post parade, the jock remounted and took advantage of a hot pace to post the $42.80 upset for trainer Catie Keil.

Barbosa also won three races at Laurel Park on May 30 and again on June 21.

Barbosa, 22, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was one of three finalists for the 2022 Eclipse Award for champion apprentice jockey. That year, he captured the Laurel Park spring meet with 20 victories, tied Angel Cruz for top honors at the Laurel fall meet with 44 wins, and won the Pimlico fall meet with 12 wins.

With two days remaining in the Preakness Meet at Laurel Park, Barbosa’s recent hot streak has propelled him into a tie with Yedsit Hazlewood in the race for the Preakness Meet riding title. Both Hazlewood and Barbosa have 19 wins at the meet. Jorge Ruiz is third in the standings with 17 wins.

*Around the track:

Maryland-bred maiden winner Regal Engagement earned a 5% bonus on Friday. The bonus program, which began on March 1, rewards Maryland Million-eligible horses that win maiden races in the state. Only horses sired by Maryland Million stallions, conceived in Maryland, and fully nominated and certified for the Maryland Million program qualify. Stallions must have been nominated in the year the horse was conceived. Final Engagement is a 3-year-old filly by Engage, out of Les Miards, by Jazil. Bred by trainer Jerry and Gina Robb’s No Guts No Glory Farm, Final Engagement is owned in partnership by Not Guts No Glory Farm and Moonstruck Stables.

Trainer John Salzman Jr. and jockey Joe Rocco Jr. teamed up for two wins on Friday. They captured the opener with newly claimed Majestic Blue ($10.20), moving Salzman’s record in first starts off the claim to 14 of 36 (39%). Rocco and Salzman also won the day’s featured seventh race with Rerun Table ($3.20).

Live racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race card featuring the $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash and three $125,000 stakes races. There are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a bettor-friendly 12% takeout. Please note a $6,367.21 carryover into Saturday’s late “Value Pick 5” (races 7 through 11). There is also a special All-Stakes Pick 4 on races 8 through 11. Find the stakes advances here.

Laurel Park proudly hosts the De Francis Dash Day Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The event takes place Saturday, June 27, at Laurel Park or via Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, and HPI. The $500 contest ($250 entry fee, $250 bankroll) offers Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagering on the full schedule of live races at Laurel Park, plus select races at Monmouth Park. Contestants must play at least five (5) Laurel Park races, with a minimum $50 bet per race. The last race of the contest will be held at Laurel Park. Monmouth Park races are optional. There are no mandatory Monmouth Park races. Based on 120 entries, the total prize pool is $30,000, including one full seat to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge ($10,000 value) and two National Horseplayers Championship Prize Packs ($5,350 value each, each including a $400 flight voucher and a hotel stay). Additionally, the top five finishers will split $8,300 in prize money, with $4,150 going to the winner, $1,660 to the runner-up, $1,245 to third place, $830 to fourth place, and $415 to fifth place. All entry fees are returned as prizes. The listed prizes are estimates, and the actual prizes will depend on the final number of participants. For entry information and contest rules, visit here.

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 afternoon. Click here to view it.

Sunday is the final day of the Laurel Park Preakness Meet. There will be mandatory payouts on all wagers with carryover potential, including both “Value Pick 5” bets, the Chesapeake Pick 6 Jackpot Wager, and the Jackpot Super High 5 (Race 6).

The post Barbosa Wins Three More at Laurel Park first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—A competitive field of sprinters entered Saturday’s $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs at Laurel Park.

The De Francis Dash is the featured race on the 11-race program, along with three $125,000 stakes. The Deputed Testamony is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles; the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup is at nine furlongs on the Dahlia Turf Course; and the Alma North is for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs.

The first post time is 12 pm ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. Laurel Park also offers a special “All-Stakes” Pick 4 on races seven through ten.

Additionally, Laurel Park hosts the De Francis Dash Day Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The $500 contest ($250 entry fee, $250 bankroll) allows Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagers on the full schedule of live races at Laurel Park, plus select races at Monmouth Park. For entry information and contest rules, visit here.

Trainer Ron Moquett won the De Francis Dash in 2015 with Gentlemen’s Bet, and the race holds a special place in his heart.

“The De Francis is historical,” Moquett said. “It’s still my favorite trophy from winning a particular race. It was a classy trophy. If you grew up and saw the horses [that have won], they were historical, bad-ass horses.”

Moquett hopes to add Hymn’s name to the list of winners, which includes Hall of Famers Cherokee Run, Housebuster, Safely Kept, and Smoke Glacken.

Owned by Fleur de Lis Stables, William Sparks, and Bret Jones, Hymn showed ability from the start, winning his debut by four lengths at Oaklawn last year.

There was just one problem.

“From the time he walked into our barn, you could tell he had something on his mind,” Moquett said. “He was calling out to every female horse and pony he ever saw from the time he was 2 years old.”

After being gelded, Hymn crooned at a higher pitch, but he refused to sing the blues. Instead, he ran his two fastest races, winning a first-level allowance at Oaklawn on April 10 and a second-level race at Churchill on May 16.

“I think he’s a better horse since we gelded him because his focus is a little more consistent,” Moquett said.

Moquett briefly considered starting Hymn in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes at Laurel on May 16 but opted for the Churchill allowance.

“The reason I stayed there instead of going to the Maryland Sprint was that I didn’t have to worry about how he would travel or how he would handle another surface,” said Moquett, who still understands that Hymn is a work in progress.

While Moquett believes Hymn is more effective at seven-eighths, he is very pleased with the gelding’s training heading into the De Francis. Rafael Bejarano rides from the far outside post position.

Hall of Fame trainers Shug McGaughey and Steve Asmussen are set to compete in the De Francis Dash.

McGaughey conditions Pentathlon, a late-blooming 5-year-old by Speightstown. Owned by Phipps Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Woodford Racing, Pentathlon captured the Army Mule Stakes at Gulfstream on March 28 and finished a solid third in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Westchester Stakes last month.

A direct descendant of Hall of Famer Personal Ensign, Pentathlon has yet to win in two previous attempts at six furlongs. Sheldon Russell rides Pentathlon.

Asmussen, a two-time De Francis Dash winner, runs William and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Faust, who finished second in the Maryland Sprint and last of six against Eclipse Award winner Book’em Danno in Saratoga’s Grade 3 True North Stakes three weeks ago. Six furlongs is the colt’s preferred distance. Mychel Sanchez rides.

Lewis Family Racing Stable’s Celtic Contender finished second, a length behind, in last year’s De Francis Dash, but raced only once more in 2025 before going to the sidelines.

He returned with a flourish, taking a high-level allowance at Laurel on March 28, posting a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Hamilton Smith explained the layoff, saying that Celtic Contender “had a little foot problem. He hit something down there with his foot. We had to give him time for that. Naturally, a foot takes a lot longer to heal than a chip in the knee or something like that, but he came back 100%.”

Celtic Contender finished fourth as the favorite in the Maryland Sprint. Forest Boyce retains the mount.

Bonuccelli Racing’s Wickeddivine steps up in class after winning three consecutive races.

“He’s coming in great,” trainer Kenny Cox said on the “Maryland Racing Today” podcast, hosted by Frank Vespe. “It’s a tough ask, but I think he deserves a chance at this point. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him so far.” Hot-riding Jeiron Barbosa will ride Wickeddivine.

Grade 3 winner Full Moon Madness, multiple stakes-winner Slam Notion, Grade 2-placed Fire Pit, and stakes-winner Petingas Twin round out the quality field.

Trainer Gary Capuano reported that Haileysfirstnotion will scratch.

The race was named after the late Frank J. DeFrancis, who became Chief Executive Officer of Laurel Park in 1984. Before his death in August 1989, DeFrancis had put Laurel and Pimlico at the forefront of American racing.

Extensive facility renovations, including the innovative Sports Palaces at Laurel and Pimlico, were part of the De Francis operating mode, as were significant increases in advertising and promotional spending.

He also sought to market Maryland racing to horsemen across the country and internationally through events such as the revived Pimlico Special, an instant hit and one of the nation’s leading older horse races; the International Turf Festival, a five-race grass extravaganza in October; and the winter sprint weekend at Laurel, featuring the lucrative General George and Barbara Fritchie Handicaps.

*Barbadian Runner defends home turf in Deputed Testamony

AJ Will Win Stable’s Barbadian Runner, the best Maryland-bred older dirt horse stabled at the grounds, defends his home turf in the Deputed Testamony.

Trained by Henry Walters, Barbadian Runner, a $5,000 yearling that has earned $857,050, exits a five-length triumph in a high-level allowance at Laurel Park on May 30.

“He grew at the withers and filled out a little,” Walters said after that race about Barbadian Runner’s well-deserved winter break following a 3-year-old campaign in which he won half of his dozen starts.

The Barbados gelding finished a close second in his seasonal debut, a seven-furlong, two-turn allowance race at Charles Town on May 8.

“He was a little more tucked up for this race than he was when I ran him at Charles Town,” Walters said. “I guess that one race tuned him up.”

Walters believes Barbadian Runner’s determination is one of his best qualities, but the veteran trainer also marvels at the gelding’s training.

“[It’s] the way he relaxes and just breathes effortlessly,” Walters said admiringly. “Watching him gallop, he has a rhythm to his breathing, and he’s not stressed. He’s never disappointed me. Everything he’s ever done, he rises to the occasion.”

Forest Boyce rides Barbadian Runner.

Mike Rutherford’s Duke of Duval, a gray 5-year-old by Arrogate, met his second-level allowance last year and has since competed exclusively in graded stakes races for Asmussen. He finished fourth in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special at Laurel on May 15. Yedsit Hazlewood, Laurel Park’s leading rider, rides Duke of Duval.

Tami Bobo’s Catalytic finished second in the 2024 Florida Derby before being unplaced in the Kentucky Derby. Two years later, he won his first start for trainer Brittany Russell, a high-level allowance at Laurel on May 2.

“It took us a little time to get to know him,” Russell said after the win, impressed by the 5-year-old’s long stride. “Obviously, he’s a good horse. He has some back-class, and he’s been running in tough spots.”

Sheldon Russell rides Catalytic.

Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Jokestar returns to Laurel Park for the first time since winning the Post Time Stakes on Valentine’s Day. Since that start, the Practical Joke gelding finished a close second in Oaklawn’s Temperence Hill Stakes and fifth in Woodbine’s Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes, run on Tapeta.

Trainer Kevin Attard believes that distance is key for Jokestar, who seems to prefer nine furlongs or longer.

“He’s a big, rangy horse,” he said after the Post Time. “We always thought he had some ability. I really think he matured between three and four.”

Mario Gutierrez rides Jokestar.

Stakes-winners Adero, multiple Grade 3-placed Cadet Corps, and multiple stakes-placed performers Warp Nine and Xcellent Star complete the field.

Capuano said Sacred Thunder will await an allowance race at Laurel Park on Sunday.

The Deputed Testamony honors the last Maryland-bred winner of the Preakness Stakes, who upset the Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo in 1983. Deputed Testamony also won the 1983 Haskell and Federico Tesio.

*Truly Quality looks to get back on track

After two consecutive off-the-board finishes, Augustin Stables’ Truly Quality looks to get back on track in the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup.

A multiple Grade 2-winning 6-year-old by Quality Road, Truly Quality is trained by Jonathan Thomas.

“He was a slow-learning 2-year-old who started to find his stride at three,” Thomas explained. “As we’ve stretched him out, he got better. I probably waited a little too long to get him out to a marathon distance, but once we really got some real estate in front of him, he started to showcase his elite stamina.”

Thomas believes there are legitimate excuses for Truly Quality’s last two races.

“We learned over the winter that he loves Del Mar, and he does not care for Santa Anita, for whatever reason,” he said. “We felt he was a little below par [when fourth in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey], and then he got completely smashed in his last start at Keeneland [the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on April 16] coming out of the gate, dropped out of it, and left himself with an impossible task.”

Thomas considered running Truly Quality in either Delaware’s Cape Henlopen Stakes or Churchill’s Chorleywood Stakes, both on June 13, but opted for the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup.

“We wanted to find him a race to get him back on track,” Thomas said. “Look, [the distance] is probably a bit short for him, but Laurel has a really nice turf course. You can close well there. I’d like to give him a little confidence boost, and we can set our sights on something a little longer.”

Thomas cited the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on August 29 and the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup on November 27 as future goals. Truly Quality has won the last two editions of the Hollywood Turf Cup. Sheldon Russell will ride Truly Quality on Saturday.

Titletown Racing Stables’ A Bourbon for Toby appears to be entering the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup in top form for trainer Tom Morley.

The 4-year-old Bernardini colt won two consecutive races, finished third behind classy Integration in a second-level allowance at Aqueduct on May 7, then rallied to second in the Grade 3 Dinner Party Stakes over this course and distance nine days later. Boyce picks up the mount on A Bourbon for Toby.

Nelson Avenue, a multiple stakes-winner on dirt, along with stakes-winners What Say Thee, Crisper, and Belouni, multiple stakes-placed Thundering, stakes-placed Hardspun Reason, and Mackenzie’s Novva are also expected.

The Japan Racing Association Turf Cup highlights the close relationship between The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) and the Japan Racing Association (JRA).

On March 7, Bill Knauf, President and General Manager of TMJC, was on hand at Nakayama Racecourse to present the winner’s trophy for the Grade 3 Laurel Park Sho Nakayama Himba Stakes. Two JRA representatives are expected to attend the Japan Racing Association Turf Cup at Laurel Park.

*Grammy Girl seeks fourth straight win

Grammy Girl has won four of her last five starts, including three in a row, heading into the Alma North Stakes.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., the 5-year-old Mastery mare looms as an obvious strong contender after sweeping through two Grade 3 stakes in New York to kick off her 2026 campaign.

Grammy Girl is no stranger to Laurel Park, gamely prevailing in the Willa On the Move Stakes over this distance on November 22.

“We gave her time off [after that race],” Joseph said. “But when you give them time off, you never know how they’re going to come back, especially fillies. She’s come back just like she left off last year, and hopefully she can keep building on it.”

Joseph believes that Grammy Girl has the talent to face the top distaff sprinters. He mentioned Saratoga’s Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes on August 29 as a potential summer goal. Sanchez rides Grammy Girl.

Brittany and Sheldon Russell bring Goodfellas LLC’s Maida back to the races to start her 4-year-old campaign.

A daughter of Improbable, Maida dominated four other fillies to win the Weather Vane Stakes at Laurel last year.

“We think a lot of her,” Brittany Russell said after the Weather Vane. “She’s acted as if she were something good from the beginning.”

“She dragged me to the lead and traveled beautifully,” Sheldon Russell added. “She’s got a high cruising speed.”

Maida raced again after that big win, finishing a troubled sixth in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland on October 18.

Asmussen counters with Kaleem Shah’s consistent Benedetta. The multiple-stakes-winning daughter of City of Light has hit the board in 14 of 19 dirt starts, including a strong second-place finish in last month’s Skipat Stakes at Laurel. Vincent Cheminaud rides Benedetta.

Trainer Jorge Abreu entered two New York-based shippers. Jody’s Pride, owned by Parkland Thoroughbreds, Sportsmen Stable, and Avanti Stable, aims to reach the winner’s circle for the first time since the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes last year. Mad Dog Racing Stable’s Bam’s Bliss Kiss has won her last six races, including the restricted Biogio’s Rose Stakes at Aqueduct on April 19. Gutierrez rides Jody’s Pride, while Hazlewood rides Bam’s Bliss Kiss.

Barry Schwartz’s Love You More, the winner of Delaware’s Rehoboth Stakes on May 30, aims for her third consecutive victory. The fast stakes winner Hold Your Breath is expected to display strong early speed.

Trouble in Love and Onyx Ten are expected to scratch.

The post Competitive Field in Saturday’s De Francis Dash first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—The dependable and consistent Derbyness moved to the lead on the far turn, opened a clear lead, and just had enough left to fend off razor-sharp Preacha Meyers in Sunday’s co-featured ninth race, a second-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.

Derbyness broke from the advantageous inside post position and secured a tight pocket on the clubhouse turn as Go Joe Won set fractions of 24.18 and 48.55 seconds. Preacha Meyers prompted the pacesetter on the backstretch, but Derbyness grew aggressive when jockey Sheldon Russell eased him three wide and into the clear.

Derbyness pulled his way forward to confront Go Joe Won and dispatched that foe with minimal fuss after six furlongs in 1:13.04. At that juncture, it appeared that Derbyness was home and dry, but trainer Brittany Russell wasn’t counting her chickens just yet.

“He’s had a few frustrating moments,” she said in the winner’s circle. “Even today, it looks like he’s going to win for fun, but it always feels like he idles just a bit. Sheldon just said it’s when you let his head go.”

Derbyness began to shorten his stride slightly in the midstretch, while Preacha Meyers, seeking his fifth straight victory for trainer Jamie Ness, kept chugging along.

The wire came in the nick of time for Derbyness, who prevailed by a neck in 1:46.65 on the fast track. Preacha Meyers was 7 ½ lengths ahead of Indy Magic, with Go Joe Won and Straight to Water completing the order.

Secret Zipper scratched. Derbyness paid $4.60 as the betting favorite.

“I was happy with how Sheldon handled it,” Brittany Russell said. “I’ve seen ‘Derby’ in front by quite a few and let himself get nailed right on the line, so I had a flashback there.”

Bred in Maryland by Ness’s Jagger Inc. in partnership with Super C Racing, Derbyness is a 5-year-old gelding by Hoppertunity out of the multiple stakes-placed Up Hill Battle, by Street Magician.

He won three of eight starts for Ness before being claimed by Brittany Russell on behalf of Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group for $40,000 in 2024.

“He was a Maryland-bred with conditions,” Russell said, explaining the reason for the claim after Derbyness earned a state-sired allowance at Laurel last year.

Derbyness won his final two starts of 2025, then went to the shelf for ten months. Brittany Russell likes what she sees from the gelding since he’s returned to serious training.

“Physically, he looks better,” she said. “He’s stronger. I even noticed, walking into the paddock today, how good his coat looks. Sometimes, everything clicks at the right time, so hopefully that carries through the rest of the season.”

Derbyness has now won twice in four starts this year, and Brittany Russell cited the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic at Laurel on October 24 as a potential long-term objective.

“He’s been a fun horse. He’s been good to us. Since we claimed him, we’ve had a good time with him.”

*Jockey Jeiron Barbosa rides three winners

Jockey Jeiron Barbosa won three races on Sunday.

Barbosa, with eight wins in his last 19 starts since June 15, came from behind aboard trainer T J Aguirre’s Zen Dreams ($5.40) in the third race.

His second win on Father’s Day came in the sixth race with Hot Boss ($5.80), trained by Suzanne Stettinius.

Barbosa then captured the co-featured eighth race, a $40,000 optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the Kelso Turf Course, in a gate-to-wire fashion aboard Read On ($10.60) for trainer Lacey Gaudet.

“[Lacey] gave me simple instructions,” Barbosa said after Read On’s gutsy victory. “She said if he takes the lead, he takes the lead. If somebody goes and sends, stay behind them. I saw nobody go. [Zevon] took back a little bit, and I decided to go. When [Read On] is in front, he’s got a big heart.”

Barbosa’s aggressive split-second decision on the first turn paid dividends as Read On cleared to the lead, putting both Sticktothesystem and Zevon on a hard chase through an opening quarter in 23.87 seconds. Read On passed the half-mile in 47.70 seconds, then braced for multiple challenges.

Zevon took the first crack at the leader. Tapit Kissit Winit steadied between rivals on the second turn, angled outside, and loomed boldly. Can Group wound up a rally from the back of the pack.

It was all for naught, however, as Read On always found a little more to deny Can Group, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:34.74 on firm ground. Tapit Kissit Winit finished third, half a length behind Can Group.

“I’m just riding my race, and at the three-eighths, I knew I had a lot of horse,” Barbosa continued. “He picked it up. When I asked him in the stretch, he did everything. When he changed leads, he gave me a kick.”

Gaudet, who has won with 22% of her starters since February 1, claimed Read On, a 6-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, for $25,000 after the horse finished ninth at Turfway Park on March 21.

Read On, owned by Liberty House Racing, Team Gaudet, and Penwood Racing, was a strong investment. He won his first start for the partnership, a $20,000 claimer at Laurel on April 25, then was claimed for $40,000 this afternoon after taking the winner’s share of the $53,000 purse.

Barbosa, 22, was one of three finalists for the Eclipse Award for champion apprentice jockey in 2022. That year, he captured the Laurel Park spring meet with 20 victories, tied with Angel Cruz for top honors at the Laurel fall meet with 44 wins, and won the Pimlico fall meet with 12 wins.

In 2023, Barbosa repeated as champion rider at the Pimlico Fall Meeting.

He won three races earlier this year on the May 30 card at Laurel Park.

With three racing days remaining in the current Laurel meet, Barbosa is tied for second in the jockey standings with Jorge Ruiz. Yedsit Hazlewood leads with 19 wins.

*Around the track:

Laurel Park carded two steeplechase races on the Father’s Day program. Hold Out ($6.80) dominated the field in his steeplechase debut in the opening race, drawing away by 14 ½ lengths. Conor Tierney rode for trainer Meriwether Morris. Hold Out appears likely to head to Saratoga for steeplechase events later this summer. In the second race, Morning March ($61) pulled off a major upset for jockey Freddie Procter and trainer Katherine Neilson.

Live racing resumes Friday with an eight-race card. There are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. The first post time is 12 pm ET.

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. Friday’s guide is available Thursday afternoon. Click here to view it.

Laurel Park proudly hosts the De Francis Dash Day Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The event takes place Saturday, June 27, at Laurel Park or via Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, and HPI. The $500 contest ($250 entry fee, $250 bankroll) offers Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagering on the full schedule of live races at Laurel Park, plus select races at Monmouth Park. Contestants must play at least five (5) Laurel Park races, with a minimum $50 bet per race. The last race of the contest will be the final race at Laurel Park. Monmouth Park races are optional. There are no mandatory Monmouth Park races. Based on 120 entries, the total prize pool is $30,000, including one full seat to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge ($10,000 value) and two National Horseplayers Championship Prize Packs ($5,350 value each, each including a $400 flight voucher and a hotel stay). Additionally, the top five finishers will split $8,300 in prize money, with $4,150 going to the winner, $1,660 to the runner-up, $1,245 to third place, $830 to fourth place, and $415 to fifth place. All entry fees are returned as prizes. The listed prizes are estimates, and the actual prizes will depend on the final number of participants. For entry information and contest rules, visit 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.

The post Derbyness Grabs Roses in Sunday’s Co-Feature first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—The popular Witty became racing’s latest millionaire after rallying from behind a slow pace to win the $100,000 Ben’s Cat Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs on the Fort Marcy Turf Course.

The Ben’s Cat was the co-featured event on Saturday’s Laurel Park program, alongside the $100,000 Jameela Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs over the Fort Marcy. Both the Ben’s Cat and the Jameela Stakes are restricted to registered Maryland-bred or -sired and Virginia-bred or -sired runners.

Ridden by Jeiron Barbosa for breeder-trainer Elizabeth Merryman, Witty broke well and settled behind the leaders in the second flight as Had to Have Him set a glacial opening quarter in 23.56 seconds while racing outside Whenigettoheaven.

Barbosa inched Witty closer to Had to Have Him once that foe cleared Whenigettoheaven on the turn, and the field sprinted for home down the long stretch to a second-wire finish.

Had to Have Him was a stubborn rival, but Witty had his number, scoring by a half-length. Whenigettoheaven rallied for third, a head behind the runner-up. Tidewater and Thataway followed.

Witty, the odds-on favorite, returned $3.80 to win after covering the distance in 1:08.77 on firm going. Wickedivine and Brightshininglight were scratched.

“Liz told me before the race not to rush him,” Barbosa said. “He’s just a nice horse. He broke well this time, and I eased back a little. I tried to wait and be patient. At the three-eighths, I thought it was time to go. I asked my horse, and he did everything. He gave me a nice kick. When he passed them, he was just waiting for them a little bit. I switched my whip to the right to get him to lugging in a little bit. When he felt the other one, he kept going.”

Barbosa secured two wins on Saturday, with the last being aboard World On Fire.

Merryman, who also co-owns Witty with Marc Detampel, was rightly proud of her 7-year-old gelding.

“Absolutely amazing,” Merryman said. “He’s such a fun horse. He’s so cool. He makes all of us smile every day. We have a great team, and we all love him.”

Merryman credited Witty’s downtime from early September through the end of last year’s turf season, caused by a wrenched ankle, as a major reason the gelding has returned so sharp.

“He’s just been stronger and better all over, and it’s showing in that he doesn’t seem to need to spot them 20 lengths now,” she said of the gelding’s prior tendency to break poorly.

Witty’s story begins with Zeezee Zoomzoom, a broodmare Merryman acquired for free.

“A girl who used to ride for me, a lady named Kim Brette, was an awesome horseperson. It was like riding with your best friend every day,” Merryman said after Witty won his 2026 debut, a high-level off-the-turf allowance at Laurel on May 29. “She was in Florida working for a vet, and she had a friend who owned the mare. The mare had bowed a tendon, and they were looking for her to have a home, either as a broodmare or as a riding horse.”

Brette believed that Zeezee Zoomzoom would fit into Merryman’s breeding program.

“I ran the pedigree and thought I’d take a shot sight unseen,” she said. “We sent her to Kentucky and bred her to Mizzen Mast, so she came home to me carrying Caravel.”

Caravel was a revelation, winning 15 of 26 starts and earning $1,983,327. Merryman sold her for $500,000 in 2021. She later beat males in two Grade 1 turf sprints, the Jaipur Stakes at Belmont and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

Witty, a son of Great Notion, was foaled two years later. He was a stakes-winner on dirt at ages two and three and gradually shifted to turf racing about a year after nearly losing an eye to dirt kickback at Parx.

Witty captured the Ben’s Cat Stakes in 2023, when the race was run over five furlongs at Pimlico, then grabbed the Maryland Million Turf Sprint in his next start. He has now won stakes at Parx, Laurel, Delaware, Pimlico, and Colonial Downs.

Another of Zeezee Zoomzoom’s foals, the 4-year-old filly Somnium, won an allowance race at Laurel on June 12 and appears to be on the path to stakes.

After 36 starts, Witty has a record of 13 wins, 11 seconds, and two thirds, with earnings of $1,007,882.

Witty won the Van Clief Stakes at Colonial last year, and Merryman suggested a title defense might be in the cards. The $150,000 Van Clief, run at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, is scheduled for August 1.

*Mopo notches first stakes victory

Retired television personality Maury Povich is smiling somewhere.

“I’m not sure whether he’s in California or Wisconsin,” trainer Phil Capuano said after Povich, the owner of Mopo Racing, watched Mopo, the racehorse, win her stakes debut in the Jameela. “He texted me and said, ‘Wow, that was awesome.’”

Bet down to 9-10 odds, Mopo received a vigorous warm-up from jockey Forest Boyce and worked out an outside stalking trip as Malibu Hooch and Big Earn sped through the first quarter in 22.94 seconds.

“It’s been so speed-favoring today,” said Boyce, who has compiled a record of seven winners from 19 mounts since June 10 and won two races at Laurel on Saturday. “You don’t want to give them too much work out there.”

Big Earn pulled to the lead, but Mopo appeared poised to strike from a three-wide position. They moved to the fore, but were immediately confronted by Gift of Gab, who briefly took the lead before Mopo reasserted her dominance in the final 70 yards.

“She ran great,” Boyce added. “She’s a neat horse. It’s funny because I think [Gift of Gab] got in front of me for a jump or two. I decided to just hand-ride her [at that point], and then she drew away. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Mopo raced six furlongs in 1:08.50, finishing half a length ahead of Gift of Gab. Another 2 ½ lengths back, Big Earn finished third. Boujee Bubblez, Sporting Lady, Malibu Hooch, and Gold Digging Broad completed the order of finish. Conquerthosewecan was scratched.

Mopo returned $3.80 to win.

Mopo is the second stakes winner trained by Capuano, following Alwaysinahurry’s win in the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes in 2023.

Capuano hung out his shingle in 2023 after his uncle, Dale Capuano, retired. Dale Capuano, a legendary figure in Maryland racing, won 3,662 races, led all Maryland trainers in annual wins eight times, and captured 31 meet championships at Laurel and Pimlico.

Capuano’s father, Gary Capuano, is no slouch himself. He trained Captain Bodgit to win the Grade 1 Florida Derby and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial as a 3-year-old, then finished second by a head in the Kentucky Derby and third by a head in the Preakness Stakes.

Gary Capuano has won 1,457 races in his career, with his latest coming with juvenile debut runner Seven’s Nitro, one race after the Jameela.

“She’s always been game,” Phil Capuano said about Mopo. “Even when she broke her maiden at Pimlico last year, she got passed, but she just digs in and finds another gear. She’s tough.”

Mopo has also been very consistent throughout her career, with a record of 12 starts, three wins, and seven seconds. She’s won at distances ranging from 5 ½ furlongs to a flat mile on turf. Although it appears she’s found her niche lately as a sprinter, Capuano believes she can successfully stretch back out in distance.

“The next race I have lined up for her is the Peach Blossom, a Delaware-restricted allowance on July 25 at 7 ½ furlongs. I still think she can do anything, especially after her first start this year. On the gallop-out, she kept going pretty well and was hard to pull up. She trains like that every day. She goes around there three or four times, like it’s nothing for her. I don’t think stamina is an issue. It’s just finding the right company.”

*Around the track:

Ismerio Villalobos rode two winners on Saturday’s card. He expertly rated Let’s Dance Again ($23.20) to a gate-to-wire win in the third race for trainer Jonathan Maldonado. Villalobos then returned to win the sixth aboard Chilly Girl ($5.40) for trainer Kieron Magee.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a 10-race card featuring two steeplechase races. There are THREE “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. The first post time is 12 pm ET. The MIDDLE “Value Pick 5” (Races 3-7) includes a Mandatory Payout provision.

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. Sunday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.

Celebrate Father’s Day at Laurel Park with an unforgettable afternoon of live horse racing, hospitality, and prime race views. Treat Dad to a day at the races on Sunday with an all-inclusive Father’s Day experience featuring thrilling live racing, great food, a wager voucher, and a complimentary Old Fashioned upon arrival. For ticketing and more information, visit 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.

The post Witty Earns Millionaire Status in Ben’s Cat Stakes first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

At Laurel Park on Friday, South African-bred Isivunguvungu stormed down the stretch to edge a game Where’s Ray by half a length in a $56,000 allowance race at 5½ furlongs on the Fort Marcy Turf Course.

Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Jorge Ruiz, Isivunguvungu made his first start of the year after going unraced since a sixth-place finish in Colonial’s Van Clief Stakes on August 9.

“That was really cool,” said Motion’s assistant trainer, Ian Wilson. “We thought he needed a little more time to get him to the races this year, and it obviously worked out well today.”

A true globe-trotter, Isivunguvungu was bred by Narrow Creek Farm and made his first 15 starts in his home country, where he won two Group 1 sprints. He is a son of What a Winter out of Miss Tweedy, by Tiger Ridge.

During the summer of 2024, Isivunguvungu brought a strong reputation to Motion’s barn. He immediately captured Colonial’s Da Hoss Stakes, then finished seventh, two lengths behind, in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Motion brought Isivunguvungu back to the races for a 2025 campaign that included a trip to Dubai for the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint. After finishing tenth, he returned to the United States, where he finished off the board in two stakes races.

Wilson felt the Dubai trip might have sapped Isivunguvungu’s strength.

“Anytime you take a horse over there, it is going to take a little something off him. He’s not a young buck,” Wilson added.

Motion regrouped with the 8-year-old gelding. He entered Isivunguvungu in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on Preakness Saturday, but decided to give his charge one more month before the seasonal debut.

It was the right move.

Where’s Ray bounced out to the lead and was pressured by Charles Town raider Pleasenthanku through an opening quarter in 22.19, before opening up a clear lead turning into the stretch.

Ruiz never seemed concerned, however, and he set Isivunguvungu down for the drive after an outside-tracking trip. Where’s Ray dug his toes into the turf, but Isivunguvungu’s class won by a half-length. Where’s Ray held Incinerator at bay by a neck for second. Saxton, Sky’s Not Falling, Dorado, and Pleasnthanku completed the order of finish.

Isivunguvungu, the betting favorite, returned $5 to win after completing the distance in 1:01.70 over the firm going.

“I don’t think he could have won much easier,” Wilson said. “Jorge really let him do it on his own for the most part. He’s a stakes horse.”

*Around the track:

Angel Cruz rode two winners on Friday’s card. He guided Butler Road to a gate-to-wire win in the opening race for trainer Tim Keefe. Cruz then returned to take the sixth aboard Endless Vow for trainer Horacio DePaz.

Live racing resumes Saturday with a 10-race “Summerfest” card featuring two $100,000 stakes races. Both the Ben’s Cat and Jameela Stakes are restricted to Maryland- and Virginia-bred or -sired performers and are run at six furlongs on the Fort Marcy Turf Course. They are part of a series of races featuring Maryland-bred or -sired runners. Along with special Maryland Million bonuses for Maryland-sired horses, Laurel Park is offering Maryland Million “Win, and You’re In” spots for the first time to any eligible horse that wins any of those races. There are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. The first post time is 12 pm ET. Read the stakes advance here.

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. Click here to view it.

Celebrate Father’s Day at Laurel Park with an unforgettable afternoon of live horse racing, hospitality, and prime race views. Treat Dad to a day at the races on Sunday, June 21, with an all-inclusive Father’s Day experience featuring thrilling live racing, great food, a wager voucher, and a complimentary Old Fashioned upon arrival. For ticketing and more information, visit 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.

The post Isivunguvungu Storms Home in Friday Co-Feature first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.