Jockey Gomez Rides Three Consecutive Winners
Rainbow 6 Carryover for Return of Live Racing  Thursday, Feb. 28

LAUREL, MD – Joseph Besecker’s Mr. Brix swept to the lead on the far turn and powered through the stretch to splash home a 2 ½-length winner of Sunday’s featured third race at Laurel Park.

It was the second of three straight wins on the day for jockey Kevin Gomez and first victory in five starts for Mr. Brix since being claimed for $50,000 last fall by Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland’s leading trainer in 2017 and 2018.

The winning time in the $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up was 1:15.40 over a sloppy, sealed main track, just .33 off the 6 ½-furlong track record set by Correjon Feb. 3.

Eastern Bay was quickest from the gate and went the opening quarter-mile in 22.09 seconds, with Mr. Brix settled in second followed by 6-5 favorite Sheikh of Sheikhs, second by a half-length in the Fire Plug Stakes Jan. 12 last out, and Measured. After a half in 44.57, Mr. Brix secured a two-wide lead on the turn and was never in doubt earning his seventh win in 31 career starts.

“This horse, I thought in this field he was going to be tough because when he competes, he’s always there. Plus he’s gray, and all the gray horses love the slop,” Gonzalez said. “I want to take a couple days and talk to the owner and see what we can do next. It all depends on how he comes back.”

In Sunday’s co-feature, August Dawn Farm’s Majestic Won ($4.40) registered her third victory in four starts in Race 4, a $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance for females 4 and older, running 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.61 for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.

Marla Salzman’s Sip of Sunshine ($14.20) returned to the winner’s circle in Race 7, a $42,000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies, rallying up the rail to win in 1:04.96 for 5 ½ furlongs. Trained by John Salzman Jr., she won three in a row last fall at Laurel.

Notes: In addition to Mr. Brix, jockey Kevin Gomez also won Race 2 on I’mthetapitnow ($5.20) and Race 4 with Spooky Tooth ($9). Jockey Jorge Ruiz rode back-to-back winners in Race 6 on Two Sixteen ($10.60) and Race 7 on Sip of Sunshine … There will be a jackpot carryover of $3,397.07 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 when live racing returns to Laurel with an eighth-race program Thursday, Feb. 28 starting at 12:30 p.m. Multiple tickets were sold with all six winners Sunday, each worth $1,167.50.