Stakes Winners Marengo Road, Sunny Ridge Nominated for Private Terms
Stakes Winners Marengo Road, Sunny Ridge Nominated for Private Terms
Great Soul, Mo d'Amour Nominated for Caesar's Wish
St. Paddy's Day Roast, Champions Tourney March 12
Maryland Racing Mourns Former Trainer Michael T. Beck
LAUREL, MD - Miracle Wood winner Marengo Road, Withers (G3) winner Sunny Ridge and Maryland Juvenile Futurity runner-up Flash McCaul lead a list of 31 nominees to the $75,000 Private Terms to be run Saturday, March 12 at Laurel Park.
The Private Terms, for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 mile, will be the co-feature along with the $75,000 Caesar's Wish for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. The Caesar's Wish drew 21 nominees led by Wide Country winner Great Soul and Busher Stakes winner Mo d'Amour.
Racing returns to Laurel Park Friday, March 11 with a first race post of 1:10 p.m.
The Private Terms is the last major prep for the $100,000 Federico Tesio April 9. For the first time the Tesio will be a ‘Win & You’re In” race for the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico May 21.
The first four finishers of the Miracle Wood have been nominated to the Private Terms. Finishing behind Marengo Road in the Miracle Wood were (in order) Charmed Victory, Frank Whiteley winner Never Gone South and Street Heat. Sunny Ridge won the Withers in his 3-year-old debut at Aqueduct Jan. 30. The Holy Bull colt was second in November in the Delta Jackpot (G2) and second in the Champagne (G1) in October.
Great Soul, trained by Timothy Keefe, comes into the Caesar's Wish off a victory in the Wide Country. Along with Mo d'Amour, trainer Todd Pletcher nominated Miss Meteor and Sophia's Song, both last-out winners at Gulfstream Park. In all, Pletcher nominated seven to the Caesar's Wish.
St. Paddy's Day Roast, Champions Tourney March 12
Along with the Private Terms and Caesar's Wish, Laurel will feature the St. Paddy's Day Pig Roast and the Champions Handicapping Tournament Saturday, March 12.
Laurel will offer traditional Irish fare, a pig roast on the apron and two free drink tickets for $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Music will be provided by the Kilkenny Trio and Bagpiper.
The Champions Handicapping Tournament has more than $33,000 in prizes as well as berths to the National Handicapping Championship, The Big One and the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.
Maryland Racing Mourns Former Trainer Michael T. Beck Dead
Multiple Stakes-winning trainer Michael 'Tank' Beck passed away Sunday, Feb. 28 in Ocala. He was 46.
Beck, an Elkridge native and graduate of Baltimore's Mount Saint Joseph High School who was working as a farm manager in Ocala, got into racing in the late 1980s when he and his brother Kenny started The Snooze Stable. After learning the business from the ground up from Maryland-based trainers, Beck took out his trainer's license in 1997. He won 180 races between 1997-2012. He won three stakes races at Charles Town with Big Becker.
Beck is survived by his son Jacob and brother Kenny.
