Laurel Park

5th-Laurel, $46,000, Msw, 10-29, 2yo, f, 1m (off turf), 1:41.41, sy, 5 1/2 lengths. GHERARDINI (f, 2, Bernardini--Brush Hour, by Broad Brush) was sent off the 3-2 choice in this maiden rained off the grass and onto a Zeta-affected main track at Laurel and sustained a rally for the better part of 3 1/2 furlongs to graduate by an impressive 5 1/2 lengths. Away clearly last beneath Sheldon Russell, the $150,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was ridden quietly from about third last before being asked to improve a long way...

Great Notion, Maryland's annual leading sire by earnings since 2018, showcased the prowess of his progeny on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program at Laurel Park Saturday by accounting for four of the eight winners of stakes carded for the offspring of stallions standing in Maryland. The grand slam marks the 11th consecutive year that Great Notion has sired at least one winner on Maryland Million day. Not to be outdone, jockey Sheldon Russell blasted home a quartet of winners as well, three of them in stakes. He captured...

The Maryland Jockey Club has been the green light by state and county officials to reopen Laurel Park to the public on a limited basis beginning with the Thursday, Oct. 15 program. The move stems from gaining approval from Anne Arundel County, where Laurel Park is located, in addition to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's revised executive order issued Sept. 28, which allows up to 250 spectators at state racetracks. Laurel Park opened its calendar year-ending fall meet Oct. 8, five days after the conclusion of the six-day Preakness Meet at...

Even as Pimlico Race Course opened Sept. 24 for its two-weekend, GI Preakness S. mini-meet, work was being done at Laurel Park to prepare for a return to a four-day weekly schedule when the Oct. 8-Dec. 31 meet resumes there. "It's all systems go up here at Pimlico. We're trying to get the old mare looking good for NBC, and we're looking forward to a really good event," Sal Sinatra, the president of the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which owns both tracks, told Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) members during Thursday's...

The summer meet at Laurel Park wrapped up Saturday with jockey Horacio Karamanos just holding his lead over Jevian Toledo to win the riding title in spite of failing to reach the winner's circle Saturday while Toledo won twice. Karamanos won 42-41 over Toledo. He ranked second in purse earnings with more than $1.35 million, while Toledo tallied $1.52 million. "I kept finishing second today," said Karamanos. "I couldn't win. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't have the luck. That's what happened to me today. But it's the game....

'TDN Rising Star' Happy Saver (Super Saver) ran his record to a perfect three-for-three with a workmanlike success in Monday's Federico Tesio S. at Laurel. The 1-5 chalk was off well enough and took up an outside stalking role as Monday Morning Qb (Imagining) called the plays up front. Put to an all-out drive by Trevor McCarthy, the Wertheimer homebred took a few strides to hit his top gear, but he reeled in the pacesetter a furlong down and edged clear. An impressive debut winner on the Belmont S. undercard...

The Maryland Jockey Club will require all jockeys who rode during the abbreviated meet at Colonial Downs to undergo a 14-day quarantine period beginning Aug. 13 and a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before returning to any MJC facility. The same protocols are in place for all dormitory residents who were at Colonial Downs. Colonial Downs announced it was ending its 2020 meeting Friday due to coronavirus concerns. "The MJC considers the health and safety of our team, horsemen and riders as our number one focus," MJC President...

Laurel Park has annonced a Labor Day weekend stakes line-up worth $900,000. The nine stakes on offer include the Federico Tesio, a 'Win and In' for the GI Preakness S., and the Weber City, a 'Win and In' for the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. Both races will be held Monday, Sept. 7. The Labor Day card will also feature three races on the turf--the Henry Clark S. and Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and up, and the All Along S. for fillies and mares. There will be four $100,000 stakes Saturday,...

The Maryland Equine Safety, Health and Welfare Advisory Committee, which falls under the Maryland Racing Commission, has approved a plan for post-race video endoscopies of all starters in 2-year-old races in the state through the end of the year. Details of the survey study designed to determine the extent of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging were released Tuesday morning by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and follows Sunday's announcement of an agreement to card Lasix-free 2-year-old races in the state through Dec. 31. Private veterinarians who practice at Laurel will conduct the...

The Maryland Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review Committee has approved the Maryland Racing Commission's emergency regulation that will facilitate Lasix-free 2-year-old races, it was announced Sunday evening. No races for juveniles have been held in Maryland this year due to a stalemate between the state's racing factions over the use of the anti-bleeder medication. It was announced on July 16 that The Maryland Jockey Club, The Stronach Group and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association had reached an agreement for a Lasix-free pilot program through 2023. While no 2-year-old races are...

The GoFundMe account set up to support jockey Rosario Montanez, injured in a spill at Laurel, surpassed its goal of $20,000 less than 24 hours after it was created. Montanez, 28, suffered multiple fractures to his back in a first-race spill at the Maryland track July 17, and underwent successful surgery the following morning at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Agent Joe Rocco, Sr. said Montanez also injured his neck in the accident. Laurel trainer Brittany Russell launched the fundraiser the same day to help with medical...

Laurel-based jockey Sheldon Russell, who leads the current summer meet, will miss at least two months with a broken right wrist suffered in a gate mishap Thursday at Delaware Park. Agent Marty Leonard said the 32-year-old Russell was hurt after being unseated by his mount Maliceinthepalace (Palace Malice), a 3-year-old filly trained by Michael Gorham, as the horses were loading for Delaware's third race. She would go on to run fourth under Alex Cintron. "Walking into the gate the horse just reared up and he came off," Leonard said. "When...