Hello Beautiful

One-to-five favorite Hello Beautiful (Golden Lad) glided unopposed through the Laurel Park homestretch in the $100,000 Distaff S. to win a Maryland Million Day stakes for the third consecutive year while 12-1 frontrunner Prendimi (Dance With Ravens) uncorked a gritty display of tenacity to finally break through in his third attempt to win the  $150,000 Classic S., the feature event on Saturday's eight-stakes card for the offspring of in-state stallions. A trio of Maryland stallions registered two-win days on the 36th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million program: Great Notion, the...

Midlantic-based rider Sheldon Russell secured the 1,500th win of his career when he captured Pimlico Race Course's $100,000 Alma North S. with 1-9 favorite Hello Beautiful (Golden Lad) Saturday. The 4-year-old filly, who is owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables, is trained by Russell's wife, Brittany. "I'm just very happy that we got it out of the way, and for it to happen on Hello Beautiful," said Russell. "She's been a great filly throughout my career, she's given me some great wins....

Hello Hot Rod (Mosler), fresh off a gritty score in the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct last Sunday, will make his next appearance in the sales ring during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale. The 3-year-old (hip 672), owned by Dark Horse Racing and Brittany Russell and trained by Russell, was a late supplement to the two-day auction and will be consigned by Elite. Russell and Dark Horse Racing's Jodi Quinn already had a favorable impression of the son of Mosler before they purchased him for $10,000...

Brittany Russell had every reason to expect that she was going to have a good run at Laurel when the current meet began Oct. 8. She is a high-percentage trainer and knew that several of her horses were sitting on winning races. But the 31-year-old, who has been on her own for less than three years, never could have expected what was about to unfold. No one could have. Through Dec. 17, Russell has won 22 of her 42 starts at Laurel, putting her winning percentage at 52% for the...