Christmastide Day Stakes Attract 151 Nominations
Christmastide Day Stakes Attract 151 Nominations
Six Stakes Worth $550,000 in Purses Saturday, Dec. 29
Multiple Graded Winner Something Awesome Tops 31 in Dave’s Friend
LAUREL, MD – Laurel Park will wrap up its 2018 stakes schedule Saturday, Dec. 29 with a Christmastide Day program of six stakes worth $550,000 in purses which attracted a total of 151 nominations.
Six days remain in Laurel’s calendar year-ending fall meet, which closes with a special New Year’s Eve program Monday, Dec. 31. In addition to Dec. 29, there will also be live racing Saturday, Dec. 22; Sunday, Dec. 23; and Wednesday, Dec. 26.
Laurel will be dark on Monday, Dec. 24 and Tuesday, Dec. 25, but will offer simulcasting on Thursday, Dec. 27 and Friday, Dec. 28. Laurel’s 2019 winter meet opens Tuesday, Jan. 1.
Juveniles will take center stage in the $100,000 Heft for 2-year-olds and the $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs, joining the $100,000 Dave’s Friend at six furlongs and the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares at one mile, both for 3-year-olds and up.
Maryland-bred/sired horses will be featured in the $75,000 Jennings for 3-year-olds and up at one mile and the $75,000 Politely for fillies and mares 3 and older at six furlongs.
Multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Something Awesome, a candidate for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park, tops 31 horses nominated to the Dave’s Friend. Also prominent among nominees are fellow graded-stakes winners Always Sunshine and Life in Shambles and multiple stakes winners Altissimo, Cautious Giant, Laki and Lewisfield.
Ms Locust Point, the 2018 Barbara Fritchie (G2) winner who suffered her first Laurel loss in five tries when second in the Nov. 24 Willa On the Move off a four-month layoff, leads 29 nominees to the Thirty Eight Go Go. Also nominated are Grade 2-placed Sara Street, unraced since finishing fourth in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 18; and multiple stakes winners Lake Ponchatrain, Midnight Disguise, Rose Tree, Sower and Yorkiepoo Princess.
The Heft, won two years ago by multiple graded-stakes winner Irish War Cry when it was run as the Marylander and last year by eventual Preakness (G1) starter Diamond King, drew 26 nominations led by the top three finishers from the Dec. 8 Maryland Juvenile Futurity – winner Alwaysmining; runner-up Our Braintrust, winner of the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park; and James F. Lewis III winner Scrap Copper.
Also among the nominees are Laurel Futurity winner Order and Law and the trio of Press Virginia, Wildwood Vacation and Win Win Win, each undefeated through two starts and yet to test stakes company.
Topping 31 nominees to the Gin Talking are Money Fromheaven, No Mo Lady and Belial, who ran first, second and third, respectively, in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Dec. 8. Also nominated are Smart Halo runner-up Our Super Freak, unbeaten stakes winner Please Flatter Me and Kaylasaurus, a 12 ¼-length maiden special weight winner Nov. 29 at Penn National.
Multiple stakes winners Crabcakes and Limited View and defending champion My Magician top 18 nominees to the Politely, while the Jennings’ 16 nominations include 2016 and 2017 Jennings winner John Jones; 2017 Maryland Million Classic winner Bonus Points; Laki; and multiple stakes winners Sonny Inspired and Talk Show Man.
