From a Maryland Jockey Club release
With one week remaining in the winter meeting, four trainers have a chance to win the Laurel Park title. The stand ends March 29 with live racing scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
[boxify cols_use =”2″ cols =”5″ position =”right” order =”none” box_spacing =”5″ padding =”3″ background_color =”GRAY” background_opacity =”10″ border_width =”1″ border_color =”BLUE” border_style =”solid” height =”185″ ]LAUREL PARK LEADING TRAINERS- Claudio Gonzalez — 18 wins
- Juan Vazquez — 18 wins
- Kieron Magee — 18 wins
- Hugh McMahon — 17 wins
- Michael Trombetta — 13 wins[/boxify]Claudio Gonzalez capped off a four-win week with a victory by Simmadownnow ($2.60) in Saturday’s fourth race to move into a first place tie with 18 victories. During the month of March, the Gonzalez barn has won eight races from 25 starters.
“The horses are doing good and I am putting them in the right spots,” said Gonzalez, who is wintering in Maryland for the second straight year. “I am going to try to enter as many runners as I can to win the title.”
One race later, Kieron Magee saddled his 18th winner of the meet when Peaceadaaction ($7) earned his 13th career victory. The barn went three-for-seven this week.
Juan Vazquez, Claudio Gonzalez, Kieron Magee, Hugh McMahon. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
“If you would have told me January 1 I would be in this situation I would have told you ‘you were smoking your socks’,” Magee said. “I am thrilled, but it is going to be hard for me to keep pace with these guys next week. I just don’t have the horses. Things have been really consistent in the barn since the fall of 2012 and I have to thank my wife. She holds things together.”
Juan Vazquez also has 18 victories but was just one-of-13 this week.
Hugh McMahon took home victories in the first two races Saturday afternoon: Busterrama ($4-race 1) and Trippi’s Secret ($3.20-race 2) and has 17 trips to the winners’ circle.
