A 5 ½-furlong sprint for Maryland-bred/sired 4-year-olds and up serves to highlight a nine-race program as the Maryland Jockey Club lifts the curtain on 2024 with Friday’s opening of the Heritage Meet at Laurel Park.

The 38-day winter stand is scheduled to run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Saturday, March 30, with a 12:25 p.m. post time. There will be no live racing on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Mens Grille Racing’s 4-year-old Noah Chance, unraced since finishing second in a turf allowance against his elders last May, is the 9-5 program favorite in his comeback, running for the first time as a gelding and drawing outside all but one of his six rivals. Contending from the rail is 57 Strong’s Take a Hint, third or better in all eight of his 2023 starts, two of them Delaware Park wins. He has been second in each of three tries at Laurel.

Brittany Russell, who made history in 2023 as the first female to lead Maryland’s annual trainer standings in wins at Laurel and Pimlico Race Course, has two horses entered Friday. Bode’s Maker will make his 9-year-old debut in his first race off a $40,000 claim in Race 2, an optional claimer for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. In Race 6, she’ll send out 4-year-old Hurrying Home, a $300,000 yearling that is winless in three previous tries on turf and one on the all-weather at Turfway Park.

Jockey Jaime Rodriguez won three individual meet titles and led all riders in wins in his first full year in Maryland and is named in seven races Friday, six of nine races Saturday and four of nine races Sunday.

Saturday’s co-features are 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowances in Race 5 for 4-year-olds and up and Race 7 for fillies and mares 4 and older. Russell entered 4-year-old colt Mindtap, a $725,000 yearling that graduated by 7 ½ lengths in a Dec. 5 maiden special weight at Parx in his first start since coming over from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, while maiden winner Balantyne will be racing first time since last April and first for trainer Jonathan Thomas.

Russell also has a main contender in Race 7 in Northern Glow, bred and owned by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds that exits an allowance win over her elders going 1 1/16 miles Dec. 8 at Laurel. Among her rivals are Gold Digging Broad, promoted winner of the All Brandy on turf last summer; Abidale, an eight-time winner including two straight, and Jamie Ness-trained stablemate Bossyness.

A one-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up highlights Sunday’s card, led by Ness stablemates Speedyness, third as the favorite in the Maryland Juvenile Dec. 2 at Laurel, and Brysons Option, who adds Lasix for the first time and runs for a $62,5000 tag off a waiver maiden claiming victory Dec. 16. New York-based trainer Carlos Martin sends in Dune Road, a 2 ½-length maiden claiming winner Dec. 8 at Aqueduct in his lone start.

Highlighted by a Winter Carnival program featuring the Barbara Fritchie (G3) and General George (G3) for older sprinters, as well as the start of Maryland’s series for 3-year-olds leading up to the 149^th Preakness Stakes (G1), Laurel Park will offer 17 stakes worth $1.8 million in purses during the Heritage Meet.

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