Double Airo loves life at Laurel
LAUREL, MD—Seven years ago, jockey Sheldon Russell guided Lexitonian to an 18-1 upset victory in the Concern Stakes at Laurel Park.
At Laurel on Saturday, Russell gave a masterful ride aboard one of Lexitonian’s sons as Jack Rabbitness surged along the rail in the upper stretch to win the co-featured third race, a $37,000 waiver maiden for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
“You’re lucky I’m your husband,” Russell lovingly told trainer Brittany Russell after the hard-fought win. “I’m physically exhausted.”
Sheldon Russell definitely earned this victory.
Jack Rabbitness settled into the inside pocket as Mischief Mind controlled fractions of 24.18 and 48.56 seconds. When Mischief Mind drifted off the rail entering the stretch, Sheldon Russell made the winning move. He sent Jack Rabbitness through, and they worked hard to the wire, besting late-kicking Court Night by a neck in 1:48.93 on a good track.
“I feel like the ability is there,” Sheldon said. “It’s only his fourth run. I feel like he’s still learning. It was tight inside, but it was spotty. It was go-stop, go-stop. I had no option but to force him through there. It looked like he idled, but when we hit the wire, he saw the other horses and galloped out like a fresh horse.”
Tiz a God finished third, 1 ½ lengths behind the runner-up. Concho, Mischief Mind, favored Herecomesthecptn, Roll On Onyx, and Big News followed.
Jack Rabbitness paid $8,40 to win.
Maryland-bred gelding Jack Rabbitness, out of Love in Her Eyes (by Not This Time), was bred by trainer Jamie Ness’s Jagger Inc. He raced three times for Ness, finishing on the board in his second and third starts.
After Jack Rabbitness finished second in a one-turn mile on October 16, Brittany Russell claimed him for $25,000 from trainer Gary Aisquith.
Brittany said she liked Jack Rabbitness’s pedigree and looks when she claimed him. “First of all, he’s a Maryland-bred, so there are options. Even if he’s just a horse, there are still ways to make money with him. He’s still learning. To be fair, he’s been pretty straightforward since we claimed him. I think he just needs mileage and time to figure things out.”
Aisquith knows what it’s like to campaign talented horses, having owned Breeders’ Cup winners Monomoy Girl and Uni in partnership with Michael Dubb and others. Since fall 2024, Aisquith and Brittany Russell have claimed six horses, and all six won on their first start following the claim.
“Just let me know when you play the lottery,” Sheldon Russell told Aisquith in the winner’s circle.
*Double Airo loves life at Laurel
Double Airo made it five wins in six tries at Laurel Park with a gate-to-wire victory in the co-featured ninth race, a six-furlong event for fillies and mares with an Equibase Rating of 75 or less at the time of entry.
After the post parade concluded, Jockey Carlos Lopez gave Double Airo a vigorous warm-up, and Double Airo was sharp from the opening bell.
She snatched the lead from her rail post without much fuss, controlled fractions of 22.75 and 46.64, then dug deep to fend off Sassafrassness’s late kick, scoring by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:12.04.
Sassafrassness rallied wide for second, 4 ¼ lengths ahead of Kilo Road. Golden Rocket, Pinotslilgirl, who was bumped hard while advancing inside on the turn, and Chasing Sunsets completed the order of finish.
Double Airo, the betting favorite, paid $5.40 to win.
“Carlos rides the filly really good,” said trainer Robbie Bailes.
“He told me to break, get into position, slow down, and that’s it,” Lopez said. “When I [asked] her, she took off.”
Bred in Pennsylvania by PA Stallions, Double Airo is by Airoforce. She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed dirt sprinter Doublebarrelvinny. Their second dam, Skating, finished third in Monmouth’s Little Silver Stakes at one mile on turf.
Purchased by Eric Rizer for $3,000 as a weanling, Double Airo earned a stakes placing at two, finishing third in Parx’s $100,000 Miss Behaviour Stakes. She won three races last year and three more in 2026. Today’s race was her first since August 7, but Bailes said nothing physical was amiss.
“We were having trouble finding races,” Bailes said. “Trust me, we didn’t want to wait that long.”
Double Airo has won 7 of 20 starts, earning $236,336.
*Around the track:
Lopez and Bailes swept the late Daily Double when first-time starter Continentaldrifter ($8.40) prompted and pounced to win the finale.
Jockey Jose Batista rode two winners on Saturday. In the fourth race, he sat the pocket aboard first-time starter Coach Holtz ($7), eased out into the stretch, and drove home best for trainer Cal Lynch. Trainer Hugh McMahon claimed Coach Holtz for $25,000. Batista then rallied on the outside aboard Can Am Winner ($7) to win the seventh race for trainer Ned Allard.
Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race program. Gates open at 11 am ET, and the first post is at 12:00 pm ET. Two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. Sunday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.
Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.
Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.
Visit the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center in Reisterstown on Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 8 pm for a special screening of “Pimlico from the Heart.” Produced by Eclipse Award-winning racing writer John Scheinmann and featuring fellow Eclipse Award-winning racing writer Vinnie Perrone, the film follows the two friends as they revisit the historic Pimlico racetrack one final time before its demolition, reminiscing about the horses, people, and events that made “Old Hilltop” so special. Reserve your spot here.