LAUREL, MD. 12-01-12---Morris Bailey’s Whiskey Romeo bobbled at the start but quickly recovered, charged to the front and kept that advantage the rest of the way to win the $101,500 Marylander Stakes for 2-year-olds at Laurel Park. 

Racing seven furlongs for the first time after winning his first two starts, the son of Forestry covered the distance in 1:25.10, beating Amerigo Vespucci by 2-1/4 lengths. Their 1-2 finish was a duplication of Laurel Park’s James F. Lewis Stakes last month, where the top two also finished first and second, respectively.

“He was standing great at the gate. I think he just broke so sharp he just lost his foot, “said winning jockey Stewart Elliott. “I was really impressed the way he recovered and still took me to the lead without even trying. Once that happened, he was on his way. I had plenty of horse. He can run.”

Whiskey Romeo is trained by Tony Dutrow. 

“It’s pretty obvious he’s a talented colt,” Dutrow said. “He faced adversity today which was great because all of them are going to be exposed to that sooner or later but we are happy because he didn’t have any trouble going seven furlongs and we can go forward with his ability to get more than six furlongs.”

The winner paid $2.20 as the 1-9 betting favorite.

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.