Gorham and Mena team up for a natural double
$6,876 carryover into Friday’s late “Value Pick 5"
Maryland Million Maiden Bonus Program Rewards Two Winners

LAUREL, MD—Xcellent Start rallied strongly on the inside under jockey Fredy Peltroche to upset Sunday’s featured seventh race at Laurel Park, a $40,000 optional claiming event for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles.

On paper, the race centered on Certified Loverboy, the odds-on favorite expected to set the pace. Certified Loverboy took an early lead under jockey Mychel Sanchez and set fractions of 24.33 and 48.72 seconds while being tracked by newly blinkered Hagrid’s Flame.

The chalk never looked entirely comfortable, however, and Hagrid’s Flame passed him without much fuss after six furlongs in 1:13.29. Hagrid’s Flame and jockey Martin Chuan appeared on their way to victory, but Xcellent Start had saved every inch of ground and stormed up the fence to score by a half-length in 1:53.61 on the fast track.

Hagrid’s Flame settled for second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Crossland. Take the Pledge finished fourth, followed by Certified Loverboy, Tops the Chart, and Cap Com.

“This horse is tough,” said the Charles Town-based Peltroche, who shipped up from West Virginia with a large contingent of owners representing Regulator Racing Stable. “He tries every race. He broke well, and there wasn’t much trouble in front of me. Perfect. Toward the five-eighths pole, he moved. At Charles Town, he races 6 ½ furlongs or seven-eighths. [He really loved] 1 1/8 miles [today].”

Bred in West Virginia by Williams Racing Corporation, Xcellent Start is a 6-year-old gelding by Upstart, out of Conquest Ms Curlin, by Curlin. His second dam, Chispiski, was a Grade 3 winner.

Xcellent Start showed ability from the very beginning, capturing his debut race over 4 ½ furlongs at Charles Town as a 2-year-old. He finished second in his second start, the $75,000 Henry Mercer Memorial Stakes, and was claimed for $10,000 by trainer Wade Sanderson on behalf of Regulator Racing after a sixth-place finish at Charles Town last year.

Xcellent Start made an impressive showing in 2025 by winning three straight races. He finished third in the $300,000 Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic on October 11 and secured second place in the $75,000 Randy Funkhouser Memorial Stakes on November 15.

Xcellent Start has won 11 of 41 starts, earning $307,866.

*Around the track:

Maryland-bred maiden winners Sunset Rising ($40.40) and Spice Gal ($12.80) each earned a 5% bonus for their respective victories. The bonus program, which began this afternoon, rewards Maryland Million-eligible horses that win maiden races in the state. Only horses by Maryland Million stallions, conceived in Maryland and fully nominated and certified to the Maryland Million program, are eligible. Stallions must have been nominated for the year the horse was conceived. Sunset Rising, by Golden Lad, was bred by Katherine Voss and Daniel McKenzie and is trained by McKenzie for MIH Affiliates. Spice Gal ($12.80), by Holy Boss, is a homebred owned by Lady Olivia at North Cliff and conditioned by Irvin Flores.

Trainer Michael Gorham and jockey Raul Mena teamed up for a riding double on Sunday. Their R Averie Lynn ($5.20) earned her 14th career win with a game pace-pressing score in the third race, and Yau Majesty ($15.80) then worked an inside-out closer’s trip to win the fourth.

Live racing resumes Friday with an eight-race program featuring two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. The first post is at 12:00 pm ET. There is a $6,876 carryover into the late “Value Pick 5” (races 4-8).

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. Friday’s guide will be available Thursday evening. Click here to view it.

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.

Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.