LAUREL, MD—Prince of Peace walked into the Laurel Park paddock Friday afternoon, looking for a fight.
Peering through his blinkers, he glared maliciously at the patrons, then stomped around the paddock, a bundle of coiled energy. His trainer, Robbie Bailes, couldn’t keep him in the saddling enclosure, so he saddled Prince of Peace while the colt circled the walking ring.
Tasked with breaking from the inside post in the featured seventh race, a $49,000 first-level allowance for 2-year-olds at six furlongs, Prince of Peace didn’t get the best start under jockey Jevian Toledo, who quickly eased him to the outside, leaving him to race three wide in midpack.
Up front, Winslow dazzled with his early speed, completing the opening quarter in 22.42 seconds, two lengths clear of Grind It Out. Winslow repelled that challenge after a half-mile in 45.81 seconds, then took a clear lead into the stretch.
Toledo urged Prince of Peace along inside the five-sixteenths pole, but the gray colt didn’t respond immediately, so the jockey wheeled him wide. Prince of Peace then unfurled his long stride and gained inch by inch on Winslow, passing the pacesetter in the final 150 yards to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:11.27 over the fast track.
Winslow ran a winning race but settled for second, 6¾ lengths ahead of Harewood. Grind It Out, Day Made, Uncle Gene, and Frost Rocket followed.
The odds-on favorite, Prince of Peace, paid $3.80 to win. Vekoma Moon and Time to Groove scratched.
“He’s a handful,” admitted Bailes, who won two races on Friday’s card, and is 9 for 25 since October 4. “We’ve been working with him a lot, and he’s getting there. Mentally, he’s getting there on the track. Paddock? It’s a little bit slower.”
Noting that the track may have favored speed and the inside in the last few days, Bailes thought Prince of Peace “might get third” after the poor start and wide bid, and was pleasantly surprised by the strong late surge.
“I thought he would be right on top of them, but he broke really bad,” Bailes said. “Toledo said he didn’t like the dirt [in his face], and as soon as he got him out, he came charging.”
Foaled in Virginia, Prince of Peace is a homebred owned by Steven Smith and Chris Kuhn. He is by Cairo Prince out of Jewell’s Song (by Uncaptured). His dam is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Elusive Lady
Prince of Peace raced four times over the summer at Colonial Downs, winning a restricted maiden special weight at 5 ½ furlongs in his final try there on September 3. The following month, he finished second in the $100,000 James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel.
“He’s getting better and better,” Bailes concluded. “We’re going to have some fun with him.”
*Around the track:
Jockey Jorge Ruiz rode two turf winners on Friday. Ruiz rallied from off the pace in the day’s opener aboard Light de Night ($19.60) for trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. In the third race, Ruiz pushed the pace aboard Quadra ($9.80) for trainer Michael Trombetta.
Live racing resumes Saturday with a ten-race program. Gates open at 11 am ET, and the first post time is 12:05 pm ET. Two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.
The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. The Saturday 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.
Visit the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center in Reisterstown on Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 8 pm for a special screening of “Pimlico from the Heart.” Produced by Eclipse Award-winning racing writer John Scheinmann and featuring fellow Eclipse Award-winning racing writer Vinnie Perrone, the film follows the two friends as they revisit the historic Pimlico racetrack one final time before its demolition, reminiscing about the horses, people, and events that made “Old Hilltop” so special. Reserve your spot here.