LAUREL, MD. 01-03-15---Somraj Singh’s Never Stop Looking hadn’t won a race since last January but past performances were of little matter over the wet going in this race as he steered wide into the stretch and ran down his foes to win the $100,000 Fire Plug Stakes, the second of four $100,000 stakes races Saturday afternoon at Laurel Park.

Roimes Chirinos held the reins on the son of Langfuhr for trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Their stretch running heroics got them home a neck in front of Smash and Grab, with fast closer Cutty Shark another neck back in third. Bakken, the overwhelming 2-5 favorite sped to the lead but steadily faded to sixth.

“I told Claudio I wanted to ride this horse back because he tried hard and was real close to winning,” Chirinos said. “I knew this race was going to be tough with lots of speed but I have a lot of confidence in my horse. He picked it up nicely off the turn and ran hard to the finish.”

The win was the second on the card for Gonzalez, who won the recently completed Laurel Park fall training title.

“I told the jockey to wait and make one big run,” Gonzalez said. “This horse really needed his last race. I knew he’d like the wet track and today was his day. Coming into the race we were very worried about the three horse (Bakken) because he had run in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.”

The winner paid $51 and topped a $288.20 exacta and $622.50 trifecta.

About Laurel Park
Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.