Stakes-winner takes Howard E. Wolfendale Memorial Race
LAUREL, MD—Ridden expertly by Carlos Lopez, Adero splashed his way up the inside to win Friday’s featured seventh race, “The Howard E. Wolfendale Memorial,” a $56,000 high-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up over one mile on a sealed, sloppy dirt track.
Named after the extremely popular and talented Maryland trainer who passed away on July 2 at age 69, Friday’s allowance race was the highlight of the Opening Day of the Laurel Park Fall Meet.
Trained by Jamie Ness for Madison Avenue Racing Stable and Morris Kernan Jr., Adero broke from the far outside post in the eight-horse field and then moved in to stalk the pace between rivals as Derbyness set fractions of 24.71, 47.93, and 1:11.90 under jockey Sheldon Russell.
Lopez maneuvered Adero closer to the fence entering the turn, and they scooted through inside Derbyness with slightly more than two furlongs remaining. Adero snatched the lead for good with three-sixteenths of a mile to go, and they drew off to prevail by 4 ¼ lengths in 1:36.42.
Derbyness hung tough for second, 3 ½ lengths ahead of Shaft’s Bullet. Favored Zero Blitz, previously unbeaten in six starts at Laurel Park but untested at a mile, finished fourth. Power Grid, Worcester, Union Fleet, and Top Manipulator followed.
“The horse always does much better going outside, but today I saw the room inside,” Lopez said. “I wanted to keep him closer to the speed with the long stretch, and when I asked, he gave me everything right away. He finished very well.”
A 6-year-old gelding by American Freedom, Adero was bred in Kentucky by Sun Valley Farm. A $15,000 short yearling purchase, he sold for $37,000 as a yearling and was bought back for $18,000 as a 2-year-old in training.
Adero made the first 32 starts of his career for trainer John Servis and proved to be a durable, classy campaigner, winning the $75,000 Mayor’s Mile at Parx in 2024. The following year, he finished third in two stakes races there and was claimed by Ness for $50,000 after an eighth-place finish at Parx earlier this spring.
Adero quickly proved valuable to his new connections by winning an $80,000 optional claimer at Parx on June 8 and then narrowly finishing second in the $125,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel just 19 days later.
Adero next finished fourth in Colonial’s $100,000 Yorktown Stakes on July 25, then ran a well-beaten fourth in a high-level allowance race there last month.
Howard Wolfendale grew up in Mars, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb, and began training thoroughbreds in 1977. In 1989, he was named the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association’s outstanding trainer.
Wolfendale was known for getting the most out of his stock. He finished in the top 100 for most annual victories six times, including in 2006, when he won 115 races, achieved a 31% strike rate, and earned $1,995,449 in purse money.
Wolfendale achieved several milestones at Laurel Park. He saddled his first winner here in 1977, earned his 1,000th win in 2005, and celebrated his 1,500th win at the track in 2015.
He retired in 2020 after capturing 1,525 races in 7,124 starts, a 21% win rate. His horses earned $22,136,929.
Wolfendale won three Maryland Million races, including the 2003 Maryland Million Sprint with Michael’s Pride and the 2007 Maryland Million Turf Sprint with Happy Surprise.
His best horse was Bold Affair, a Maryland-bred daughter of Two Punch. Bold Affair won several stakes races, including a dominant 13 ¼-length victory in the 2012 Maryland Million Distaff.
*Around the track:
Jockey Jorge Ruiz notched a riding double on Friday’s card. Known for his prowess with turf runners, Ruiz gave High View ($14) a perfect pocket trip in the sixth race and then guided Marvelous Mo ($13) to a courageous win in the finale.
Live racing resumes Saturday with a nine-race card featuring two $100,000 stakes races for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs on the Fort Marcy Turf Course. The Sensible Lady Turf Dash is for fillies and mares. There are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout. The first post time is 12 pm ET. Read the stakes advance here.
Laurel Park is honored to host a special First Responders Day on Saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11 with a meaningful afternoon of remembrance, gratitude, and community. Together, we will honor those lost, recognize the courage and sacrifice of first responders, and thank the local heroes who continue to serve our communities every day. For more information, click here.
Guests will receive a commemorative pin while supplies last. A special tribute to first responders will take place in the winner’s circle at approximately 2 pm ET.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It provides picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias info, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s team of handicappers. Saturday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.
Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.
Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.