Racing News

Interest in Maryland Racing Continues to Grow

Total Handle to Climb from $355 Million to $425 Million
Attention Builds with Full Fields, Competitive Racing and Renovations
 
LAUREL, MD – Saturday’s Fall Festival of Racing at Laurel Park, which boasted a 19.6-percent increase in handle over the previous year, continued to showcase the growing interest in Thoroughbred racing in Maryland.
 

Borel Guides Ivan Fallunovalot to Victory in G3 De Francis Memorial Dash

Hall of Fame Rider Scores First Stakes Win since Returning to Saddle
 
LAUREL, MD – Calvin Borel built a successful career by sticking close to the rail, but the Hall of Fame jockey left the rail as soon as he could Saturday at Laurel Park while riding Ivan Fallunovalot in Saturday’s $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial (G3) sponsored by Maker’s Mark. 
            

Distance Game Changer for Name Changer in Richard W. Small Stakes

LAUREL, MD – For Colts Neck Stables’ Name Changer distance has been a game changer, making the Richard W. Small Stakes presented by Samsung Business an attractive target, even though the Alan Goldberg-trained 3-year-old would face older rivals in 1 1/8-mile stakes on Saturday’s Fall Festival of Racing program at Laurel Park.
 

El Areeb Goes the Distance in $100,000 James F. Lewis III

Tequilita’s Win a Family Affair in $100,000 Smart Halo
 
LAUREL, MD – Testing stakes waters for the first time, M M G Stables’ El Areeb broke running and never looked back, powering to a front-running 5 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 James F. Lewis III presented by Ourisman of Bowie Saturday at Laurel Park.
 

Three Carryovers on Laurel’s De Francis Program Saturday

LAUREL, MD – Laurel Park’s Fall Festival of Racing, featuring the De Francis (G3) Dash presented by Maker’s Mark, will have three carryovers.
 
The day kicks off with a $4,742.45 Super Hi 5 carryover in the first race, a 5 ½ furlong turf sprint featuring a full field of 12 with four on the also eligible list.
 
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a carryover of $16,278.14 while the Pick 5 has a carryover of $3,784.02.
 

Well-Traveled Golden Soul Seeks First Stakes Win in $100,000 Richard Small

Ivan Fallunovalot Can Make the Grade in $250,000 De Francis Dash (G3)
Never Gone South Returns to Races in $100,000 City of Laurel
Fall Turf Festival Weekend Closes Sunday with Full Fields
 
LAUREL, MD – Charles Fipke homebred Golden Soul, the 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up that has raced at nine tracks from California to Dubai, will make his Maryland debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Richard W. Small presented by Samsung Business at Laurel Park.

El Areeb Making Stakes Debut in $100,000 James F. Lewis III

Balanced Field of Nine Set for $100,000 Smart Halo
Fall Festival of Racing Features Seven Stakes Worth $825,000 Saturday
 
LAUREL, MD – Fresh off his impressive maiden victory last month, M M G Stables’ highly regarded El Areeb returns to Laurel Park for his stakes debut in Saturday’s $100,000 James F. Lewis III presented by Ourisman of Bowie.
 

Sharp Azteca Begins Comeback in Saturday's $100,000 City of Laurel

Multiple Graded Stakes-Placed Malibu Stacy Tops $100,000 Safely Kept
Saturday's Fall Festival of Racing Features Seven Stakes Worth $825,000
 
LAUREL, MD – Three months after his promising career was interrupted by a freak foot injury, Gelfenstein Farm’s Grade 3-winning speedster Sharp Azteca is slated to make his return to the races in Saturday's $100,000 City of Laurel presented by Fidelity First at Laurel Park.
 

X Y Jet Set to Soar in $250,000 De Francis Memorial Dash (G3)

Six-Furlong Sprint Highlights Seven Stakes Worth $825,000 Saturday
            
LAUREL, MD – Having recovered from spring knee surgery and with a Grade 1 tightener under his belt, Rockingham Ranch and Gelfenstein Farm’s multiple graded stakes winner X Y Jet continues his comeback in the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) presented by Maker’s Mark Saturday at Laurel Park.
 

Jockey Shaffer Breaks Ribs, Collarbone; Franklin Returns; Rainbow 6 Carryover $13,000 Sunday

Rainbow 6 Carryover $13,000 Sunday
            
LAUREL, MD - Saturday's first race was ruled a no contest and all wagers were refunded when jockey Sarah Shaffer fell from her mount Boston Strong crossing the finish line for the first time in the 1 1/16 mile turf race. Outriders had jockeys pull their mounts up on the backstretch as Shaffer was removed from the track.