Laurel Park’s New Year’s Eve Stakes Draw 132 Nominations

Laurel Park’s New Year’s Eve Stakes Draw 132 Nominations

Graded Stakes Winners Stallwalkin’ Dude, By the Moon, Hot City Girl Among Nominees
 
LAUREL, MD – A total of 132 horses were nominated to five stakes worth $475,000 in purses that help comprise the New Year’s Eve program that wraps up the 52-day fall meet at Laurel Park on Saturday, Dec. 31.
 
Libby’s Tail, second by a head in the Frizette (G1) Oct. 8 at Belmont Park, is among 30 nominees for the $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. She is joined by stakes winners Clairvoyant Lady and Yorkiepoo Princess; Star Super, Candycoated Dame and Squan’s Kingdom, 2-3-4, respectively, in the Smart Halo Nov. 16; stakes-placed Fear No Evil, Lucky in Malibu; New York-based maiden winners Bride Street and Come Dancing; and Liz’s Cable Girl, who broke her maiden by 10 ¾ lengths Nov. 28 at Parx.
 
The $100,000 Marylander for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs attracted 26 nominations, led by impressive James Lewis III Stakes winner El Areeb; Greatbullsoffire, whose multiple stakes wins include the Maryland Juvenile Futurity Dec. 10; O Dionysus, who upset Greatbullsoffire in the Christopher Elser Memorial Nov. 12 at Parx; Swyford Stakes winner Undulated; Two Charley’s and High Roller, 2-3, respectively, in the James Lewis; stakes-placed Bonus Points, Boys from Boston, Heat Dome, The Walk; Laurel maiden winners Bellows, Blackjack Buster and Irish War Cry; and Alan’s Legacy, who broke his maiden by 22 ½ lengths in his fourth career start Nov. 26 at Parx.
 
Stallwalkin’ Dude, whose 48-race career includes multiple stakes wins topped by the Bold Ruler (G3) Oct. 29 and nearly $1.2 million in purse earnings, is among 27 3-year-olds and up nominated to the $100,000 Dave’s Friend at six furlongs. Also nominated are Fall Highweight (G3) winner Heaven’s Runway; Just Jack, upset winner of the Howard Bender Memorial Dec. 10 at Laurel; multiple stakes winners Abiding Star, Bodhisattva, 
 
Chublicious, Never Gone South, Sonny Inspired; Maryland Million Sprint winner Nicaradalic Rocks; De Francis Dash (G3) runner-up Rockinn On Bye; All Star Red, third in the Maryland Sprint Handicap (G3) May 21; Grade 2-placed Chief Lion; multiple Grade 3-placed colt Classy Class; and stakes-placed Big Guy Ian, Drama King, Final Prospect, Measured, Sir Rockport and Voluntario.
 
The $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for females 3 and up at one mile attracted 27 nominations including defending champion Athena; By the Moon, whose multiple graded stakes wins include the 2014 Frizette (G1); Go for Wand (G3) winner Highway Star and runner-up High Ridge Road; Grade 3 winner Hot City Girl, most recently third off a four-month layoff in the Willa On the Move Dec. 10 at Laurel; stakes winners Flatterywillgetyou, Jules N Rome, Mecke’s Madalyn, She’s Hot Wired and Southern Girl; stakes-placed Burn Control, Cayman Croc, La Inesperada, Little Cyclone, and Love Came to Town; abd Etiquette, a 10-length maiden winner Sept. 17 at Laurel for trainer Graham Motion.
 
Rounding out the stakes action is the $75,000 Jennings for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up. Among the 22 nominees for the one-mile stakes are two-time defending Maryland Million Classic winner Admirals War Chest, second in last year’s Jennings; multiple stakes winner John Jones, whose four-race win streak was snapped when third in the Claiming Crown Jewel Dec. 3; 2015 Maryland Juvenile Futurity winner Ravenheart; and Who Stole My Sock, who upset the Maryland Million Starter Handicap at odds of 40-1 Oct. 22.
 
After being closed Christmas Day, Sunday Dec. 25, Laurel will host a special program on Monday, Dec. 26 and conclude the fall meet on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 30 and 31. The winter-spring meet kicks off Sunday, Jan. 1.