LAUREL, MD. 03-22-14---With one week remaining in the winter meeting, four trainers have a chance to win the Laurel Park title. The stand ends March 29 with live racing scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Claudio Gonzalez capped off a four-win week with a victory by Simmadownnow ($2.60) in Saturday’s fourth race to move into a first place tie with 18 victories. During the month of March, the Gonzalez barn has won eight races from 25 starters.

“The horses are doing good and I am putting them in the right spots,” said Gonzalez, who is wintering in Maryland for the second straight year. “I am going to try to enter as many runners as I can to win the title.”

One race later, Kieron Magee saddled his 18^th winner of the meet when Peaceadaaction ($7) earned his 13^th career victory. The barn went three-for-seven this week.

“If you would have told me January 1 I would be in this situation I would have told you ‘you were smoking your socks’,” Magee said. “I am thrilled, but it is going to be hard for me to keep pace with these guys next week. I just don’t have the horses. Things have been really consistent in the barn since the fall of 2012 and I have to thank my wife. She holds things together.”

Juan Vazquez also has 18 victories but was just one-of-13 this week.

Hugh McMahon took home victories in the first two races Saturday afternoon: Busterrama ($4-race 1) and Trippi’s Secret ($3.20-race 2) and has 17 trips to the winners’ circle.

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.