Lady Sabelia won the 2015 running of the G2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap, the highlight of the Laurel Park winter meet. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
The Maryland Jockey Club announced today that renovated Laurel Park will offer a stakes schedule during its winter meet of $1.95 million highlighted by the $300,000 Barbara Fritchie (G2), $250,000 General George Handicap (G3), and “Win & You’re In” races for the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) and $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2).
The schedule begins Saturday, Jan. 2 with four $75,000 stakes and runs through April 23 with the $100,000 Henry Clark Stakes. The Maryland Jockey Club has also shaken things up by making the $100,000 Federico Tesio, for three-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, a “Win & You’re In” for the May 21 Preakness Stakes and the $100,000 Weber City Miss, at 1 1/16 miles, a “Win & You’re In” for the May 20 Black-Eyed Susan. Both races will be run Saturday April 9.
“We’re excited about the next several months at Laurel Park,” said Sal Sinatra, President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. “Making the Tesio and Weber City Miss ‘Win & You’re In’ races will bring some extra attention to those races and that day of racing. We believe it’s another way of giving horsemen in Maryland and throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast more options. We believe it will also continue building our brand throughout the country, a brand we believe has tremendous potential and growth.”
The highlight of the winter stakes schedule will be the weekend of Feb. 13-15 with the $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Saturday, Feb. 13 for fillies and mares at seven furlongs and the $250,000 General George for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs Monday, Feb. 15.
The Fritchie will highlight a program on the 13th that includes the $75,000 John B. Campbell at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up and the $75,000 Maryland Racing Media for fillies and mares three and up at 1 1/16 miles. The General George will highlight a program on Presidents Day that includes the $75,000 Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds at a mile and the $75,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.
On March 12, Laurel will feature sophomores and races that could serve as prep races for the Tesio and Weber City Miss. The $75,000 Private Terms for 3-year-olds will be contested at a 1 1/16 miles while the $75,000 Caesar’s Wish for 3-year-old fillies will be run at a mile.
The full stakes schedule can be found at Laurel Park’s website.
