Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: CIRCLE P. Saturday’s Not For Love Stakes, for Maryland-restricted runners at six furlongs, was one of the most exciting races of the Laurel Park season thus far. Speedyness, most recently the winner of the John Campbell Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, was sent away as the 11-10 favorite, and looked fast enough to easily clear to the rail and the lead. However, S S Sinatra, breaking from post position two, wouldn’t let him get away easily, and the two rivals battled through a sharp opening quarter of 22.68 and a backbreaking half mile of 45.52. They continued to duel in the stretch, while Circle P, the 5-1 third choice, enjoyed a great trip off of them. He made his move in the stretch, but both S S Sinatra and Speedyness were relentless and refused to let that rival by. Circle P got up in the last jump to win by a nose over S S Sinatra, with Speedyness a half-length back in third. The Not For Love marked Circle P’s fourth lifetime win and second in stakes company, following a win in the 2023 Maryland Juvenile Stakes. He was bred in Maryland by Marathon Farms Inc. and is owned by DeSales 85 LLC, trained by Flint Stites, and was ridden by Angel Cruz.

SECOND STAR: BABY DUKES. Parx hosted a pair of stakes races around two turns for 3-year-olds on Sunday. The City of Brotherly Love Stakes, for the boys, went to Baby Dukes, who earned it the hard way on the front end. The 13-10 favorite set the early pace and was relentlessly hounded by Right Wing Runner, who applied steady pressure. Right Wing Runner stuck a head in front in the stretch, but Baby Dukes fought back from along the rail and prevailed by three-quarters of a length. This was Baby Duke’s first stakes victory, after finishing stakes-placed twice as a 2-year-old last year. He was bred in Pennsylvania by the Riddles, and was ridden by Eliseo Ruiz for owners Cash is King LLC and LC Racing and trainer Butch Reid.

THIRD STAR: STICKWITHTHECOLORS. The filly and mare equivalent of the Not For Love Stakes, the Conniver Stakes, drew a competitive field of nine traveling seven furlongs. Stickwiththecolors, who had shown blazing early speed against softer in her last few starts, took this field gate-to-wire and won by a neck at 10-1. This half-sister to 2022 Maryland Million Classic winner Ournationonparade, bred and owned by Jay Williamson, has now won five times in 10 starts, nine of them at Laurel, with earnings of $196,135. She’s trained by John Salzman Jr. and was ridden by Jevian Toledo.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: CIRCLE P. All of the top three finishers ran great, but Circle P found himself in the winner’s circle.

SECOND STAR: STICKWITHTHECOLORS. This filly is one to keep on your Maryland Million watch list.

THIRD STAR: SHERIFF RONNIE. Continued his form streak with a sharp second-level victory on Sunday; he’s now won three of his last four races.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: HAMMER. Sat the trip, took control in the stretch, and held on to win a second-level dash on Thursday, for his second consecutive win.

SECOND STAR: HEY BOOTS. Defeated starter allowance foes once again to begin the Thursday program; he’s now won five times in his last seven starts.

THIRD STAR: FLYIN MAYAN. Rallied from off the pace to take an allowance sprint on Saturday, for his second win in four lifetime starts.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: BABY DUKES. Finally picked up the elusive stakes win on Tuesday.

SECOND STAR: BURNER ACCOUNT. Led all the way to pull off a 23-1 upset in the Main Line Stakes for 3-year-old fillies earlier on the Tuesday program.

THIRD STAR: JAMIE DREAMS. Went gate-to-wire to win a second-level route on Monday.