Cruz, Hazlewood each win two races

LAUREL, MD—It could be argued that Cairo Surprise beat himself in his final start of 2025, the South Mountain Stakes on November 26 at Penn National.

That evening, Cairo Surprise shrugged off a pace rival, emerged with a stretch lead, then ducked out under Angel Cruz’s left-handed urging. That brief lapse in concentration cost Cairo Surprise dearly, as he was overtaken on the inside by favored winner Tough Guy Tony.

Trainer Cal Lynch gave Cairo Surprise the rest of his 2-year-old campaign off, and he returned as a new gelding with first-time Lasix in Saturday’s featured eighth race at Laurel Park, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds at 5 ½ furlongs.

Cairo Surprise, never out of the exacta in any of his four races last year, bobbled slightly leaving the starting gate, but Cruz soon found an excellent position, tracking a three-ply pace duel.

From the rail out, The Big Lep, Wall Art, and odds-on favorite Buds Notion scrapped for the lead through a quick opening quarter in 22.29 seconds.

Buds Notion surged to a brief lead inside the five-sixteenths pole, but Cruz had Cairo Surprise on the move, and they hooked the favorite at the furlong marker.

Cairo Surprise wasn’t challenged from there, winning by 3 ¾ lengths in 1:04.69 on a fast main track. Buds Notion finished second, 3 ½ lengths ahead of Our Notion, the only horse in the race with a start in the previous 94 days.

Wall Art and The Big Lep completed the order of finish. Our Day Will Come, Prince of Darkness, and Worker Bee scratched.

“In the three-eighths, I started getting on him because the favorite was in front of me,” Cruz explained. “I knew as soon as he moved and I got clear, I had a shot to go by him.”

Cairo Surprise returned $9.60 to win as the public’s second choice.

“He’s more mature,” said Cruz, who won two races on Saturday’s card. “Cal told me to take him back today, and that’s what I did. It worked out. The horse didn’t mind the dirt [kickback]. Cal gelded him, and he did a good job with the horse, and he was ready today.”

Foaled in New Jersey, Cairo Surprise is a homebred owned by Hope Haskell Jones. A son of Cairo Prince out of stakes-winning dirt miler Groovy Surprise (by Giant Surprise), Cairo Surprise won his maiden in his third start, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Penn National on October 23. He has earned $86,626.

*Around the track:

Had to Have Him, the winner of last year’s Laurel Dash and Maryland Million Turf Sprint, breezed four furlongs in 49.60 seconds on Saturday morning. John Salzman Jr. trains the 5-year-old gelding.

Candy Moonshine, who earned a stakes-placing by finishing third in last fall’s Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct, worked a half-mile in 50 seconds flat for trainer Michael Gorham.

Trainer Michael Trombetta’s Lonesome Road, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Mindframe, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80. A 4-year-old gelding by Maclean’s Music, Lonesome Road won his last two races by a combined 15 ¾ lengths.

Leading rider Yedsit Hazlewood scored a riding double. The 17-year-old apprentice jockey wired the field aboard trainer Jamie Ness’s Stress Reliever ($7) in the second race, then returned with My Girl Back Home ($2.60) for trainer Phil Capuano in the third.

Hazlewood leads Cruz by a 33-16 margin in the race for the meet’s riding title. Carlos Lopez and Martin Chuan are tied for third, each with nine wins.

On the trainer’s side of the ledger, Jose Corrales and Ness are tied for the lead with 11 wins each. Gary Capuano and Hugh McMahon have each won nine races.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race program. The first post is at 11:57 am ET, featuring two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout.

The FREE “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available every racing day. Get picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of handicappers. Sunday’s guide is available here.

Reserve your spot for our weekly “Bubbly Brunch Sundays.” Kick back with friends over delicious brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas at our vibrant Stone Bar Restaurant and Bar. Sunday Brunch begins at 11:00 am ET. Learn more here.

Grab a beer and settle in for Maryland Tapped, our celebration of the local craft beer scene. Enjoy $3 Maryland craft beers next weekend (Friday–Sunday). Learn more here.

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