Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: PACO LOPEZ. Lopez enjoyed huge success at Parx last Wednesday, guiding home six winners from eight mounts. He started his day with a pair of winners, as he won race 3 with hard-knocking Wagon Boss, trained by Scott Lake, and race 4 aboard Robert Mosco-trained Rush Center. After a runner-up finish in race 5, Lopez bounced back to win race 6 aboard Red Wind, trained by Claudio Gonzalez. He finished third in the 7th race, then got a natural hat trick with Pistol Liz Ablazen in race 8, for trainer Butch Reid, Bafeed in race 9 for Lake, and the 10th race with Tim Woolley-trained Lacco Ameno.

SECOND STAR: TRAIN TO ARTEMUS. Saturday’s feature at Monmouth Park was the Goldwood Stakes, for fillies and mares sprinting on the grass. Lopez won this one as well, as he guided Kelly Breen-trained Train to Artemus to a 1 3/4-length victory. She got a great trip stalking a duel between Glitter Up and Sweet Temperament, then pounced on the leaders in the two-path and drew off. She ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.44, for her fourth win of the year and her third in stakes company. M and W Stables LLC are the winning owners.

THIRD STAR: JAIME RODRIGUEZ. Just ten days after getting his 2,000th career win, Rodriguez moved to the front of the Laurel Park riding standings with a four-win Sunday. He started his day with a win, winning race 1 aboard Horacio de Paz trainee Vocalize. He then won race 5 with Bernard Dunham-trained Afandi, then completed the hat trick in race 7 with Stern Chaser. Rodriguez didn’t waste much time completing the grand slam, as he won the 8th race on Biogenic Babe, trained by Jamie Ness. Through the first three weeks of the Laurel summer season, Rodriguez has the lead in the rider standings with 12 wins from 53 mounts. He’s also the leading rider at Delaware Park, having ridden 15 winners at that track.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: JAIME RODRIGUEZ. Could he win two riding titles at the two tracks at the same time?

SECOND STAR: DOCTOR JEFF. Went gate-to-wire to beat a crack second-level field in a grass sprint on Saturday.

THIRD STAR: RESPECTFULLY. The outside post was no problem as she blew away a second-level sprint field in the slop on Friday.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: AXEL CONCEPCION. Turned a natural hat trick on Thursday and added two more winners on Friday for good measure.

SECOND STAR: NEVER COMPROMISE. Earned his third straight win and fifth of the season on Saturday with a win over West Virginia-bred starter optional claiming foes.

THIRD STAR: MAGGIE’S GIRL. Improved to 2-for-2 with a sharp allowance win on Saturday.

Delaware Park

FIRST STAR: MY BEAUTIFUL BELLE. Drew off to win a third-level sprint on Thursday for her first of the year.

SECOND STAR: RUN POPPY. Beat Delaware-certified 3-year-olds with a sharp gate-to-wire win on Thursday.

THIRD STAR: POLTERER. Converted a great stalking trip in a first-level contest into his fourth win of the year on Friday.

Monmouth Park

FIRST STAR: TRAIN TO ARTEMUS. She’s quietly become a major player in the filly and mare grass sprint division.

SECOND STAR: POWER IN NUMBERS. Prevailed in Sunday’s off-the-grass Tale of the Cat Stakes as the odds-on choice.

THIRD STAR: SYSTEMIC CHANGE. Rode the rail to victory in a second-level contest on Sunday.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: PACO LOPEZ. Had one of the best days of an excellent career last Wednesday.

SECOND STAR: WAGON BOSS. One of Lopez’s winners came on this hard-knocking 10-year-old, who got his third win of the year from 10 starts and his 16th lifetime win in 89 tries.

THIRD STAR: PISTOL LIZ ABLAZEN. Another of Lopez’s wins came on this stakes-placed filly, who finally earned the first win of her 4-year-old season with an impressive a victory in a second-level contest.