Live Racing Returns to Laurel with Spring Meet Opener April 8
Live Racing Returns to Laurel with Spring Meet Opener April 8
Maythehorsebwithu Breezes for Tesio on Busy Saturday at Laurel
LAUREL, MD – A pair of allowance events help spice up a nine-race program as live racing returns to Laurel Park Thursday, April 8 to kick off its 16-day spring meet.
First race post time is 12:40 p.m.
A total of 83 horses were entered on the program, an average of 9.22 starters per race. The feature comes in Race 6, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going around two turns at about 1 1/16 miles.
Among the overflow field of 11 are 2019 Remsen (G2) winner Shotski, most recently third in a similar spot Feb. 25 at Laurel; Silent Malice, riding a two-race win streak; Oxide, a winner of three of his last five races; Mischief Afoot and Awesome DJ, both exiting Laurel’s Harrison E. Johnson Memorial March 13; 2020 A Huevo Stakes winner V.I.P. Ticket; and stakes-placed Dinar.
Race 8 is an entry-level allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting seven furlongs that drew a field of nine including 2020 Malvern Rose runner-up Remain Anonymous, second in each of her three 2021 starts; Tweet Away Robin, who had a two-race win streak snapped last out March 20 at Laurel; and Queen of Tomorrow for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, whose last starter at Laurel came March 7.
Laurel’s spring meet runs Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through May 2. Saturday, April 24 is the Spring Stakes Spectacular featuring seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses led by the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds and $125,000 Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies.
The 1 1/8-mile Tesio is a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico Race Course. The Weber City Miss, at about 1 1/16 miles, is a ‘Win and In’ event for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) on Preakness eve, May 14, at Pimlico.
There will be special post times of 12:15 p.m. for both the Spring Stakes Spectacular and Kentucky Derby (G1) day, Saturday, May 1.
Maythehorsebwithu Breezes for Tesio on Busy Saturday at Laurel
Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables’ Maythehorsebwithu, easy winner of the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 20, returned to the work tab with an easy half-mile breeze in 50.40 seconds over Laurel Park’s main track Saturday.
It was the first work for the sophomore son of 2009 Whitney (G1) winner Bullsbay since running second in the March 13 Private Terms at Laurel, his two-turn debut, beaten a half-length by 21-1 long shot Shackled Love.
Maythehorsebwithu, nominated to the Triple Crown by the final March 29 deadline, is being pointed to the $125,000 Federico Tesio April 24 at Laurel, a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico Race Course.
Joel Politi’s Littlestitious, who snapped favored Street Lute’s five-stakes win streak in the one-mile Beyond the Wire March 13 at Laurel, went a half-mile in 50.20 seconds Saturday. The 3-year-old filly, possible for the $125,000 Weber City Miss April 24, also breezed the same distance in an identical time March 27.
The Weber City Miss is a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 14 at Pimlico.
Hillside Equestrian Meadows’ Laki, a six-time career stakes winner including the 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3), breezed four furlongs in 49.20 seconds. It was his first timed work since running third in the General George (G3) Feb. 20 at Laurel.