Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: KING KUMBALAY. The Richard W. Small Stakes, for older males at 1 1/8 miles at Laurel Park on Saturday, It looked like a wide-open race on paper, and lived up to expectations, with a bevy of contenders lined up across the track at the top of the stretch. King Kumbalay, shipping from Parx for Butch Reid, split horses in the stretch and drew off late to win by 1 3/4 lengths for his second stakes win of the year. The 5-year-old Pennsylvania-bred, bred by Jonathan Sheppard. won the Alphabet Soup Handicap earlier in the year, and was stakes-placed two other times. Abner Adorno had the winning mount.

SECOND STAR: POST TIME. He had to work harder than usual, but Post Time picked up his first open stakes victory earlier on Laurel’s Saturday card, taking the City of Laurel Stakes by a head. He rated off the pace as usual and made his move on the turn, but met a stiff challenge in Ninetyprcentmaddie, who rode a rail that had been advantageous in recent days. Even though Ninetypercentmaddie drifted in the stretch, Post Time managed to work his way by, and got up to win and oblige his 2-5 backers. He’s now 5-for-6 lifetime and 4-for-4 on the Laurel Park main track, with his only defeat coming in the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland in October, where he was third. Sheldon Russell was aboard for Hillwood Stable LLC and Brittany Russell.

THIRD STAR: INTREPID DAYDREAM. The Politely Stakes for Maryland-bred or Maryland-sired fillies and mares, served as the co-feature of Laurel’s Friday card. Off three consecutive wins, most recently the Maryland Million Distaff, Intrepid Daydream went off as the 1-5 favorite in the six-horse field. She crushed the field by 5 1/4 lengths, running six furlongs in a sharp 1:10.85. The Larry Fowler Jr. homebred filly also won the Shine Again Stakes and the Tax Free Shopping Distaff allowance as part of her streak. Jevian Toledo was aboard, as one of his four Friday winners, for trainer Gary Capuano.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: KING KUMABLAY. Once he found clear sailing in the stretch, he was gone.

SECOND STAR: POST TIME. This rising star keeps rising.

THIRD STAR: INTREPID DAYDREAM. She’s finally displaying the potential she had shown hints of for a while.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: JUBAWITHATWIST. Drew off to win Saturday’s West Virginia Futurity and clinch the title of champion West Virginia-bred 2-year-old male.

SECOND STAR: MAGGIE’S GIRL. Earned her sixth win of the yea in eight starts earlier on Saturday’s card, taking an allowance contest in gate-to-wire style as the 1-5 favorite.

THIRD STAR: OVERLY CRITICAL. Took a first-level dash on Wednesday for Michael Jones and Orlando Bocachica for his third win in his last four starts.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: MASROUR. After seeing his four-race winning streak snapped last out, he bounced back to win a first-level sprint on Monday by chasing down favored Cold Feet in the stretch.

SECOND STAR: ABNER ADORNO. As a warm-up to his Richard W. Small win, he won three races on Tuesday’s card.

THIRD STAR: DREAM CHASER. One of those wins came on this Pennsylvania-bred Gary Barber homebred, who overcame a wide trip to take a first-level allowance on Wednesday for her second consecutive victory.

Honorable Mention

The speedy Carmelina ran her record to 3-for-4 on the main track with an 8 3/4-length win in the Thanksgiving eve Shamrock Rose Stakes at Penn National for 2-year-old Pennsylvania-bred fillies. Trained by Butch Reid for Cash Is King LLC and LC Racing LLC, she led throughout under Mychel Sanchez and got the six furlongs in 1:10.09. Her only main-track defeat to date came in Saratoga’s Grade 3 Schuylerville… Other stakes winners that evening at Penn National included Laughing Boy, who earned his first win of the year in the $50,000 Chocolate Town, and Majestic Creed, who won the $50,000 Susquehanna Valley by over seven lengths… Jevian Toledo earned the 100th stakes win of his career…