Stronach 5 Returns Friday with Races from Florida, California
Laurel Park Scheduled to Begin Spring Meet Thursday, April 8
Laurel Park Open for Simulcasting Easter Sunday, April 4

LAUREL, MD – Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables’ stakes winner Maythehorsebwithu, among the newest Triple Crown nominees, is scheduled to return to the worktab this weekend ahead of an anticipated start in the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds Saturday, April 24 at Laurel Park.

The 1 1/8-mile Tesio, a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico Race Course, was pushed back from its original April 17 date on Laurel’s Spring Stakes Spectacular program of seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses.

Maythehorsebwithu, by 2009 Whitney (G1) winner Bullsbay, has alternated running first and second over the past five starts, mostly recently beaten a half-length as the favorite in the about 1 1/16-mile Private Terms March 13, his first try around two turns.

“He’s doing great. He was tired for a couple days, but nothing major,” trainer Brittany Russell said. “He’s back rocking on now and he should work probably Saturday. Everything’s good.”

Second by a neck to multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 16 at Laurel, Maythehorsebwithu bounced back to win the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 20 by four lengths, with Kenny Had a Notion third.

Maythehorsebwithu was one of nine late Triple Crown nominees at a cost of $6,000 by the March 29 deadline. Pre nominees can still supplement to Triple Crown races at entry time for a cost of $50,000 to the Belmont (G1), $100,000 to the Preakness and $200,000 to the Kentucky Derby (G1).

“He ran great in defeat last time,” Russell said. “He hasn’t given us a bad run so you kind of have to respect that and give him a shot.”

Russell said she also anticipates nominating Whereshetoldmetogo and Yodel E.A. Who to the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley for 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs. Whereshetoldmetogo has won three straight stakes, including the Whiteley in November 2020 and March 13 Not For Love, while Yodel E.A. Who was most recently fourth in the March 27 Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream Park.

The April 24 Spring Stakes Spectacular program includes seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses. Nominations for all stakes are due Saturday, April 3 with entries being drawn Wednesday, April 21.

Meanwhile, multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful is doing well and awaiting a return to the shedrow. The 4-year-old filly was sent to Bruce Jackson at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. following a fifth-place finish in the Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) Feb. 20.

“She’s great. She was scheduled to come back in April 1st but the [quarantine] has messed us up a bit,” Russell said. “She’s going to gallop up there with Bruce until our gates open up and hopefully when she comes back in to us she’ll be able to rock right on.”

Stronach 5 Returns Friday with Races from Florida, California

The national weekly Stronach 5 wager, hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club, returns Friday, April 2 with racing from Florida and California.

Offering an industry-low 12 percent takeout, the Stronach 5 begins at 4:50 p.m. EST with Race 8 from Gulfstream Park. It continues with Santa Anita’s Race 3 (5:13), Gulfstream’s Race 9 (5:40) and Santa Anita’s Race 4 (5:44) before concluding with Race 4 from Golden Gate Fields (5:59).

Laurel Park will open its spring meet Thursday, April 8 for a 16-day stand that runs through Sunday, May 2.

Live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with a first-race post of 12:40 p.m. Post time moves to 12:15 p.m. for the Spring Stakes Spectacular program Saturday, April 24 and Kentucky Derby (G1) day from Churchill Downs Saturday, May 1.

Entries for Laurel’s April 8 opening day program will be taken Saturday, April 3.

The Spring Stakes Spectacular program includes 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 Tesio is a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 146th Preakness Stakes May 15, and the Weber City Miss is a ‘Win and In’ event for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 14, both at Pimlico Race Course.

Also part of the program are the first stakes scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course – the $100,000 Henry S. Clark for 3-year-olds and up and $100,000 Dahlia for fillies and mares 3 and older, both at 1 1/16 miles, and $100,000 King T. Leatherbury for 3-year-olds and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs.

Rounding out the stakes program are a pair of sprints, the $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs and $100,000 Primonetta for females 3 and older going six furlongs

Laurel Park Open for Simulcasting Easter Sunday, April 4

Laurel Park will be open for simulcasting and a full card Latin American Racing Channel program on Easter Sunday, April 4.

Live racing, currently on pause in Maryland through Saturday, April 3, was not scheduled for Easter Sunday at Laurel.

Laurel and Pimlico Race Course are closed for simulcasting on Mondays and Tuesdays, but Maryland’s off-track betting sites at Greenmount Station, Timonium, Perryville, Boonsboro, Frederick, Horseshoe Casino and MGM National Harbor Racebook remain open seven days a week.