LAUREL, MD. 03-21-13---Multiple stakes winner Bold Affair leads four less accomplished Maryland-bred fillies and mares into Saturday’s Conniver Stakes. The daughter of Two Punch captured this race a year ago, the first of five stakes victories during her 4-year-old campaign. 

Bold Affair, the 2-5 morning line favorite, then won the Primonetta, Skipat, Maryland Million Distaff Handicap, Geisha in 2012 and took the What a Summer in her 2013 debut. Overall, the Howard Wolfendale trainee is 10-of-17 lifetime, with seven stakes scores, for earnings of $599,540.

Abel Castellano will be aboard for the 11^th consecutive race.

“She looks like a stand out in here,” Castellano said. “I was very happy about how she won last time out and think the seven-furlong distance is perfect for her.”

Exacta players can link Bold Affair on top of a pair of Larry Murray trained runners: 2011 Twixt Stakes winner Access to Charlie (6-1) and 2011 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship runner-up More Than A Cruise (8-1) or sharp recent claimers Citi Point (12-1) and Calcutta Cat (20-1).

LAUREL PARK TO CELEBRATE LEATHERBURY’S 80^TH BIRTHDAY SATURDAY

Saturday afternoon will also include an early birthday celebration for legendary trainer King Leatherbury, who turns 80 on Tuesday, March 26. The tribute will include a presentation in the winners’ circle after the third race. Birthday cake will be available for fans after the winner’s circle ceremony in the Grandstand (in front of Longshots) and in the Clubhouse (in front of the Horse Wizard). All fans will receive a complimentary button.

Leatherbury has 52 training titles at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course on his resume, winning 24 of 28 meets at Laurel from 1981 to 1996 and winning or sharing 26 of 35 meets at Pimlico from 1974 to 1997. He had four consecutive 300-win campaigns in the mid-1970’s and was the nation’s leading conditioner in 1977 and 1978. He currently ranks fourth on the all-time win list with 6,373 career winners, yet is not a member of the Racing Hall of Fame.

“I think the individuals involved in placing the names on the Hall of Fame nomination ballot need to wake up and exam his record,” said Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron, who rode for Leatherbury in the mid- 1970’s. “They don’t even have to dig deep on how incredibly successful this man has been and what an influence on Maryland racing he has been all these years. I know emotion doesn’t get you in the Hall of Fame but success does and he has done it.”

The Maryland native rankssecond in the current Laurel Park winter meet standings, with 15 victories from 56 starters, after Manito won for the third time this year in Thursday afternoon’s 8^th race.

About Laurel Park

Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.