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Laurel Park to offer robust summer stakes schedule

by | May 24, 2017 | Breaking, Maryland, MD Racing, Racing

Cavalary charge. Photo by Laurie Asseo.

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

Highlighted by a program of six stakes on Saturday, June 24, Laurel Park will offer 21 stakes worth $1.6 million in purses during its summer meet which opens Friday, June 9.

The 33-day summer stand, which will feature Laurel’s world-class turf course, will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through August 20. Racing shifts to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium Aug. 25 to Labor Day, Sept. 4.

Interest in Maryland racing and Laurel’s renovated facility continues to grow. The recently-concluded winter meet saw total handle, in-state handle, average daily handle and export handle all increase more than 20 percent.

“We’re looking forward to the summer meet at Laurel Park,” said Sal Sinatra, President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. “We have a competitive stakes schedule, a world-class turf course that will attract large fields, and we continue to get great support from horsemen throughout the country.”

Three-year-old fillies will go seven furlongs in the $75,000 Alma North Stakes Saturday, June 17 to kick off the summer stakes schedule. The following weekend features a program of six $75,000 turf stakes – the Mister Diz and Jameela at six furlongs for Maryland-bred/sired horses, and the Edward Evans and Nellie Mae Cox at one mile and White Oak Farm and M. Tyson Gilpin at 5 ½ furlongs for Virginia-bred/sired horses.

The richest stakes of the meet is the $100,000 Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf Saturday, July 15. Also that day will be the $75,000 Caveat for 3-year-olds and $75,000 Pearl Necklace for 3-year-old fillies, both restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses, at 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

Other open stakes are the $75,000 Concern for 3-year-olds Saturday, July 22 and the $75,000 Polynesian and $75,000 Twixt, both for 3-year-olds and up, Saturday Aug. 12. All three races are run at seven furlongs.

The stakes program wraps up Saturday, Aug. 19 with four $75,000 stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses – the Star de Naskra for 3-year-olds and Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs on dirt, and the Find for 3-year-olds and up and All Brandy for females 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Eight stakes for Virginia-bred/sired horses are scheduled for the summer meet, pending final administrative authorization by the Maryland Racing Commission and Maryland Jockey Club.