Triple Crown Series Veterans Among 21 to 7F Sprint for 3-Year-Olds
July 1 Stakes Include $100,000 Laurel Dash, $75,000 Jameela on Turf
Live Action Returns to Laurel with Nine-Race Program Friday

LAUREL, MD – Multiple stakes-winning Maryland-bred Coffeewithchris and Grade 3 winner Raise Cain, both veterans of the Triple Crown series, are among 21 3-year-olds nominated to the $100,000 Concern Saturday, July 1 at Laurel Park.

The seven-furlong Concern is one of three stakes on the July 1 program, along with a pair of six-furlong turf sprints – the $100,000 Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and up and $75,000 Jameela for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and older.

Owned by trainer John Salzman Jr., Fred Wasserloos and Anthony Geruso, Coffeewithchris raced near the leaders for six furlongs before finishing seventh in the 148th Preakness Stakes, Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in his most recent start.

Coffeewithchris won the seven-furlong Heft at 2 and one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 18 in his second start at 3. The Ride On Curlin gelding has placed in three other stakes including seconds in the Spectacular Bid and Private Terms. He breezed four furlongs in 48 seconds June 17 at Laurel, the fastest of 49 horses.

Andrew and Raina Warren’s Raise Cain owns two wins from nine starts, a seven-furlong maiden special weight last fall at Keeneland second time out and the one-mile Gotham (G3) March 4 over a muddy Aqueduct racetrack. Following the Gotham he ran fifth to Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass (G1), eighth behind Mage in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and fourth in the Matt Winn (G3) June 11 at Ellis Park, won by Disarm.

Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey’s Prince of Jericho beat Coffeewithchris in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 18 at Laurel and ran second to him in the Heft and Miracle Wood. Stretched out around two turns for the first time in the Tesio, where he finished sixth, the Munnings colt cut back to six furlongs for the Chick Lang (G3) May 20 at Pimlico, rallying to be second by 1 ¾ lengths to Ryvit.

Other prominent Concern nominees are Dreaming of Kona, promoted winner of the Mucho Macho Man Jan. 1 at Gulfstream Park coming out of a victory in the six-furlong Tom Ridge over the all-weather at Presque Isle Downs; Grade 3-placed Fort Warren, a Pimlico allowance winner May 19 exiting the June 10 Woody Stephens (G1); Honeyquist, runner-up in three stakes including Laurel’s James F. Lewis III last fall; Lewis winner Recruiter, who also captured the Parx Juvenile Jan. 3 and was fourth in the Penn Mile (G2) June 2 in his turf debut; and Sheriff Ronnie, fourth behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Arabian Lion in the May 20 Sir Barton at Pimlico.

Grade 3 winners Gear Jockey and Slipstream and graded stakes-placed Thin White Duke and Voodoo Slip top 28 nominees to the Laurel Dash. Calumet Farm homebred Gear Jockey is winless in seven starts, the last six against graded company, since capturing the 2021 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G3) and has gone unraced since Aqueduct’s Turf Sprint Championship last November.

Jump Sucker Stable’s Slipstream won the six-furlong Futurity (G3) on the Belmont Park turf in the fall of 2021 and opened 2022 with a victory in the 5 ½-furlong Palisades on the grass at Keeneland, earning him a shot in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot. He was most recently third behind fellow Laurel Dash nominees Mid Day Image and Heaven Street in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance June 1 at Belmont.

Thin White Duke, bred and co-owned by Phil Gleaves, was third by a neck in last summer’s 5 ½-furlong Troy (G3) at Saratoga, returning to win the Lucky Coin over the same course and distance in his subsequent start. Voodoo Zip, by City Zip, was fourth in the Lucky Coin and ran second in the Belmont Turf Sprint (G3) held over a yielding Aqueduct turf in October.

Also nominated are five-time turf stakes winner Belgrano, fourth off a three-month layoff in the June 18 Get Serious at Monmouth Park; Arzak and multiple grass stakes winner Determined Kingdom, respectively second and sixth behind Remuda’s course-record optional claiming allowance triumph June 16 at Laurel; stakes winners Grateful Bred and Majestic d’Oro; and multiple dirt stakes winners Alwaysinahurry, Threes Over Deuces and Witty.

Most popular among horsemen with 29 nominations was the Jameela led by defending champion Spun Glass, most recently a rallying third by 1 ½ lengths in the five-furlong The Very One May 20 at Pimlico and Bosserati, a winner of three straight turf sprints including the $100,000 Stormy Blues June 18 at Laurel for owner-breeder Joel Politi.

Joanne Shankle-owned and trained Can the Queen is a two-time turf stakes winner exiting a front-running optional claiming allowance victory May 28 at Pimlico that is the program favorite in a five-furlong optional claimer Friday at Delaware Park. Other stakes winners nominated to the Jameela include Coconut Cake, My Thoughts, Malibu Beauty, Princess Kokachin and Street Lute, the latter three on dirt.

Three allowances, a pair of carryovers and an event for amateur riders highlight the return of live racing Friday at Laurel Park.

Post time for the first of nine races is 12:25 p.m.

A total of 110 horses were entered on the program, including 75 in five races scheduled for the Kelso and Fort Marcy turf courses, all featuring overflow fields.

Friday’s feature comes in Race 6, a second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track. The wide-open affair includes Respectfully, stretching out and returning to the dirt in her second race since being claimed by trainer Jamie Ness starting from outermost Post 12; Golden Effect, with four wins from nine tries at Laurel; My Flicker, racing first off the claim for trainer Lacey Gaudet; and stakes-placed Champagne Toast, making her 5-year-old debut in a return to allowance company following back-to-back stakes.

Race 7 is an open allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for one mile on the Kelso layout. The 2-1 program favorite is 5-year-old mare Downtown Katie, first or second in six consecutive starts including a season-opening restricted allowance victory May 4 at Laurel for trainer Mike Gorham. Among the competition are Murphy, a dirt stakes winner at 2 seeking her first turf win, and Thegirlfromireland, a Shamrock Farm homebred that graduated in a one-mile maiden special weight over older horses April 16 at Laurel.

Fillies and mares 3 and up are again in the spotlight in Race 8, an optional claiming allowance going about 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Major Houlihan was a Laurel maiden winner in March that has run second in successive starts, one to previously undefeated Goodgirl Badhabits. Ruthanne has hit the board in each of her three races, all as the favorite, beaten a half-length facing elders going sprinting six furlongs May 30 at Parx. Maryland’s leading trainer, Brittany Russell, sends out Just North, a Laurel maiden winner at the distance March 26.

After going unsolved during the last live program Sunday, there will be carryovers of $4,733.97 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) and $4,268.31 in the $1 Jackpot Super High Five (Race 6).

Race 3, sponsored by the Amateur Riders Club of America, is a maiden claiming event for fillies and mares ages 3, 4 and 5 scheduled for one mile on the Kelso turf that attracted an overflow field of 16. Favored at 9-5 on the morning line is 4-year-old filly Call Me Vivian, to be ridden in her season debut by Francisco Martinez for trainer Ed Merryman. Tanka Tough, who began the year with a pair of steeplechase races, has been fourth in back-to-back flat maiden events and gets the services of Michael Woodson, who won an amateur race last August at Laurel.