Nominations released for Feb. 15 stakes
Jaime Lugo Jr. rides first North American winner

LAUREL, MD – Jockey Jaime Rodriguez was impressed by Change My World’s tenacity after the colt rallied to win Sunday’s featured sixth race at Laurel Park, a $47,000 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.

“He loved the dirt in his face,” said Rodriguez, Maryland’s leading jockey by wins for the past two seasons. “The more the dirt hit him, he got more aggressive on the bridle. Once I put him in the clear, he just exploded.”

Change My World saved ground in midpack as odds-on favorite Alias battled for the early lead with 32-1 longshot Suremeanttobe through fractions of 22.61 and 46.08 seconds over the fast track.

Rodriguez eased outside at the three-eighths to split rivals, peeked behind to see if any closers were looming, and then maneuvered Change My World for a final three-wide bid. They forged past the pacesetters to score by 3 ½ lengths in 1:12.05. Summerinthecountry rallied inside for second, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Alias.

Trained by Mary Eppler, Change My World returned $19.80 to win as the fourth betting choice.

“He broke pretty good,” said Rodriguez, who won three races on the program. “They put blinkers on today. [Mary] told me to let the speed go and just sit off them. I had a lot of horse at the three-eighths pole.”

A World of Trouble half-brother to Grade 3-winning synthetic sprinter Purely Hot and stakes-placed dirt sprinter Steamy Hot, Change My World was bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Pineau and is owned by the Mary Eppler Racing Stable and Triple Tree Stable. His second dam, Wood So, won the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap..

Change My World finished a troubled third in his career debut on Nov. 16, then placed behind Alias when fifth in a maiden special weight on Dec. 15. Eppler added Lasix and blinkers for the first time on Sunday.

“We thought he was going to be alright, and he’s starting to prove it,” said winning assistant trainer Troy Robb. “We added the blinkers. He’s a colt. He pays attention to everything but what he’s doing. Today, [the blinkers] helped him out.”

Nominations released for Feb. 15 stakes

Laurel Park released nominations for four stakes races scheduled for Feb. 15.

Graded stakes winners Coastal Mission and Repo Rocks are among the 26 nominees for the $200,000 General George Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward at seven furlongs.

Millionaire Coastal Mission finished fourth in Aqueduct’s Toboggan Stakes on Feb. 1 for trainer Jeff Runco. Repo Rocks, a 10-time winner with $994,246 in lifetime earnings, recently finished fourth to fellow General George nominee Prince of Jericho in Laurel’s Fire Plug Stakes on Jan. 18. Trained by Jamie Ness, Repo Rocks received a 111 Beyer Speed Figure when winning the Grade 3 Toboggan at Aqueduct in 2023.

Multiple stakes-winners Celtic Contender and Top Gunner, stakes-winner Quint’s Brew, and impressive allowance winners Worcester, Wild Vine, Mr. Antonelli, Crazy Mason, Cyclone Mischief, and Suga Steve all add spice to the General George nomination list.

Jody’s Pride, second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2023, and most recently a close third in last month’s Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes at Gulfstream, leads the 18 nominations for the $200,000 Barbara Fritchie Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs. Trained by Jorge Abreu, Jody’s Pride is a multiple stakes-winner around one turn.

Irish Maxima, trained by John Servis, has captured four of her last five races, including Parx’s Mrs. Claus Stakes on New Year’s Eve. Irish Maxima took the field gate-to-wire that day, won the race by 13 ¾ lengths, and received a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Ms. Bucchero won her final two starts last year for trainer Diane Morici, both against stakes company. The speedy filly lasted to take the What a Summer Stakes at six furlongs on Jan. 18, besting fellow Barbara Fritchie nominee St. Benedict’s Prep by a nose. Multiple stakes-winners Miss Harriett and Opus Forty Two, as well as stakes-winner Spencerian, are among the notable nominations.

Repo Rocks, Wild Vine, and Quint’s Brew were cross-nominated to the $100,000 James B. Campbell Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles. Grade 2 winner Instant Coffee joins multiple stakes-winners Armando R, Film Star and Offaly Cool, and Maryland Million Classic winner Brilliant Ice among the 17 nominees.

The $100,000 Nellie Morse Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles attracted 17 nominations. Multiple stakes-winners Miss New York, Call Another Play, Saddle Up Jessie, and cross-entered Opus Forty Two would figure prominently along with recent Carousel Stakes heroine Sea Dancer.

Around the track:

Jockey Jaime Lugo Jr rode his first winner in North America when he rallied from off the pace aboard My Mamba in today’s third race. A native of Venezuela, Lugo was the regular pilot aboard Mi Querida Emma, who captured the Filly Triple Crown in Venezuela in 2023…General George nominee Celtic Contender breezed a half-mile in 49 seconds on Sunday morning. A 4-year-old colt by Irish War Cry, Celtic Contender captured the restricted Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 21…Hittheroadjak, nominated to the General George and James B. Campbell and stakes-placed in his last two starts, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.80 for trainer Rudy Sanchez-Salomon…Safe Trust, thrice stakes-placed last year, worked a half-mile in 50 seconds flat for trainer Jose Corrales. The 3-year-old filly by Mosler ran second in the restricted Maryland Juvenile Filly Stakes on Dec. 7…Live racing resumes on Friday, Feb. 7. The first post time is 12:25 p.m. ET.