Kieron Magee

On May 21, the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) reported on its website that the filly Devil Pays in Gold (Uncle Lino) tested positive for the banned substance Metformin in a race contested on Mar. 8 at Laurel. However, the ruling does not list a trainer, and for good reason. David Howard was listed as the trainer for the race, but he passed away seven days later, dying of a heart attack at age 45. He would not have known at the time that Devil Pays in Gold...

Five-pound apprentice J.G. Torrealba, riding in his first full meet in Maryland, won twice on Sunday's closing day card to capture his first career riding title at Laurel Park, while Kieron Magee defended his crown as the meet's leading trainer. Magee was winless with two seconds from four starters on Sunday's program, but held on to earn his second straight spring meet title, 11-10, over Jerry Robb, who had one winner in Sunday's opener. Over the 15-day spring meet, Magee won at least one race nine times, taking over the...

The winners of the seventh annual Renaissance Awards, hosted by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, will be announced each morning at 10:00 a.m. on Maryland Thoroughbred social media platforms beginning Feb. 26 and continuing through Saturday, Mar. 2. Awards will be given for the top Maryland owner, trainer, jockey, dirt horses, turf horses, claimer, Maryland stallion, broodmare and breeder and champion Maryland-breds of 2023. Special awards will be presented to Pimlico and Laurel Park Backstretch Employees of the Year.   The announcement schedule is...

Veteran trainer Kieron Magee and five-pound apprentice jockey Axel Concepcion claimed their respective meet titles as Laurel Park closed its spring meet Sunday. Magee, 62, entered the eight-race, closing-day program without a starter, but an 11-8 lead over Jamie Ness in the trainer standings. Hugh McMahon won twice Sunday to pass Ness for second, while Brittany Russell wound up fourth with seven wins. "It feels great because I'm down to 25 horses. To pull off a training title with 25 horses, that takes some doing," Magee said. "I lost a...