R J’s Ice earns Maryland Million maiden bonus
LAUREL, MD—“It’s the hardest race I’ve ever won in my life,” said a tearful John Salzman Jr. after Where’s Ray was placed first by disqualification in Sunday’s co-featured third race at Laurel Park, a $53,000 second-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 5 ½ furlongs on the Kelso Turf Course.
Where’s Ray was the last starter saddled by Salzman’s brother, Tim, who passed away on February 7 at age 54 after a long battle with cancer.
“It was for him,” said Tim’s widow, Megan Salzman, who owns Where’s Ray. “It’s so hard, but I’m so grateful for this horse. This was the last one he picked out, and he loved this horse. He always had so much faith in this horse.”
Sent away the prohibitive favorite in the seven-horse field, Where’s Ray tracked the pace while racing three wide under jockey Jevian Toledo and made a comfortable bid for contention in the upper stretch.
Confronted from the inside by Cairo Surprise, Where’s Ray appeared to stall briefly as that rival drifted out in front of him. Once Toledo righted the ship, Where’s Ray rallied to miss by 1:02.05 over the firm grass.
After a stewards’ inquiry and a jockey’s objection lodged by Toledo, Where’s Ray was awarded the victory. He paid $3 to win.
Where’s Ray won his final three starts of 2025 under Tim Salzman’s name.
“He’s a super-nice horse,” John Salzman Jr. said. “I actually had him his last two starts when my brother wasn’t doing good. He’s so easy to train; he does everything right. I wasn’t sure I had him fit enough. I’ve only had him [back] five weeks. We rushed him here.”
Tim Salzman started his training career in 2003, winning with his sole starter that year. Over his career, he secured 425 wins and earned a total of $10,259,438.
Among his best runners were Bsharpsonata, a multiple Grade 2 winner, and Sensible Lady, a six-time stakes winner. Sensible Lady is honored annually at Laurel Park with the Sensible Lady Turf Dash Stakes.
Where’s Ray is a 6-year-old gelding by Mshawish, out of Edgehill Road by Old Forester. Bred in Kentucky by Susan Moulton, Where’s Ray was purchased for $10,000 as a short yearling.
Where’s Ray won his maiden in his fifth lifetime start, a six-furlong race on dirt, but he’s raced exclusively on turf since then.
The Salzmans dropped Where’s Ray in class last fall, and he responded by starting his current winning streak.
“He’s growing up,” Megan Salzman added. “Last year, early on, it seemed like he was always in trouble, too. He always tries. He loves what he does.”
Where’s Ray has won seven of 23 starts, earning $215,850.
*R J’s Ice earns Maryland Million maiden bonus
Maryland-bred maiden winner R J’s Ice earned a 5% bonus on Sunday. The bonus program, which began on March 1, rewards Maryland Million-eligible horses that win maiden races within 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.
R J’s Ice, a 3-year-old gelded half-brother to the 2024 Maryland Million Classic winner Brilliant Ice, is by Uncle Lino and out of Little Ice Patch, by Housebuster. A homebred owned by Crystal Park Stables, R J’s Ice is trained by Annette Eubanks.
*Around the track:
Trainer Graham Motion and jockey Mychel Sanchez combined for two turf winners on Sunday. They captured the opener with impressive debut winner Sassari ($3.40), who was bet like she couldn’t lose, then took the field on a merry chase from start to finish. In the co-featured seventh race, Motion and Sanchez teamed up with Grade 3 winner Italian Soiree ($5.40), who worked out an inside-out closer’s trip to prevail.
Live racing resumes Friday with a nine-race card. Additionally, Laurel Park offers two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate. To read the stakes advances, click 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. Friday’s guide is available Thursday evening. Click here to view it.
Laurel Park proudly hosts the Preakness Preview Day Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The event takes place on Saturday, April 18, at Laurel Park or via Xpressbet, TwinSpires, and TVG/4NJBETS. 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. Contestants must play at least five (5) races, with a minimum $50 bet per race. Based on 120 entries, the total prize pool is $30,000, which includes one full seat to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge ($10,000 value) and two National Handicapping Championship Prize Packs ($5,350 value, including a $400 flight voucher and hotel stay). Additionally, the top five finishers will split $9,300 in prize money, with $4,650 going to the winner, $1,860 to the runner-up, $1,395 to the third-place finisher, $930 to the fourth, and $465 to the fifth-place finisher. 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 complete rules and registration details, please visit here.
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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.
