Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: NIMITZ CLASS. In Saturday’s Native Dancer Stakes, Pennsylvania-bred Nimitz Class continued his dominant run at Laurel Park with a 2 3/4-length win. He battled with Nostalgic Run on the lead in the early stages, then moved to the front with six furlongs left to go and drew clear from there. He led by six lengths in the stretch, but American d’Oro rallied late to cut the margin a bit. Nimitz Class previously won the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes, the John B. Campbell Stakes, and the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes on this track. He’s now 9-for-15 lifetime with earnings of $414,480. Bred by owner Tom Coulter’s Arrowwood Farm, he’s trained by Bruce Kravets and ridden by Jevian Toledo.

SECOND STAR: TWISTED RIDE. Another Pennsylvania-bred star shone at Parx on Monday. Twisted Ride won his fourth in a row, and second straight stakes, in the Page McKenney Handicap. He dueled with Smooth B in the early stages, then shook off that rival and opened up a clear lead late. Favored Uncle Ernie closed stoutly late and made things very interesting, but the wire came in time for Twisted Ride. He’s won the Fishtown Stakes in his prior start, and has earned $184,240 on the season. He was bred by Bob and Sue Krengel’s Kasey K Racing Stable, who co-owns him with Michael Day and Final Turn Racing Stable LLC. Andy Hernandez had the mount for trainer Michael Moore.

THIRD STAR: STAGE LEFT. David Jacobson shipped two runners to Laurel on Saturday for the off-the-grass King T. Leatherbury Stakes. One of those runners, Stage Left, got the job done under Jeiron Barbosa. He made a four-wide move to the front on the turn and kicked clear late for a 2 1/2-length win. He had gotten better with every start since joining the Jacobson barn earlier this year, and put it all together for his first victory of the season. He covered 5 1/2 furlongs on a drying-out track labeled “good” in 1:03.83.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: NIMITZ CLASS. The party’s still going strong for this impressive Pennsylvania-bred.

SECOND STAR: STAGE LEFT. David Jacobson got his first stakes win since 2018 with this one.

THIRD STAR: GOODGIRL BADHABITS. Cruised a first-level allowance field of fellow 3-year-old fillies on Saturday for Brittany Russell and Jevian Toledo; now a perfect 2-for-2 without having been asked to run.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: LIGHTNIN RUNNER. Got up in the last jump to win the It’s Binn Too Long Stakes on Saturday in her 3-year-old debut, for her second career stakes victory.

SECOND STAR: RUSTYS GFIVEFIFTY. Laurel Park shipper overcame a wide trip to beat a second-level allowance field earlier on the Saturday card.

THIRD STAR: ODIE. Picked up his third straight victory in an impressive gate-to-wire effort in first-level company on Thursday.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: TWISTED RIDE. This son of Northview stallion Great Notion has established himself as one of the region’s top sprinters.

SECOND STAR: MORNING MATCHA. Made her 4-year-old debut a winning one in Monday’s Unique Bella Stakes, as part of a Butch Reid trifecta. .

THIRD STAR: LUIS OCASIO. Rode three winners from as many mounts on Tuesday’s card.