Phlash Phelps, John Jones Tangle in Independence Day Feature
Celebrate July 4 with Red, White & Brews, $30,667 Rainbow 6 Carryover
Nominations for July 14 Stakes Program Close Friday, July 5

LAUREL, MD – Win Win Win, exiting the 2019 Triple Crown series, and multiple stakes winner Cordmaker head a group of Maryland-based horses that will be on the road for out-of-town stakes engagements this weekend.

Live Oak Plantation homebred Win Win Win is entered to make his turf debut in his first start since the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1) in Thursday’s one-mile Manila Stakes at Belmont Park. The Mike Trombetta trainee drew Post 7 in a field of nine 3-year-olds.

Laurel Park-based Julian Pimentel, aboard for six of Win Win Win’s eight starts, has the mount. They are listed in the program as the 7-2 second choice.

Bred in Florida, Win Win Win, by Japanese sire Hat Trick, won his first two career races last fall at Laurel before finishing second behind Alwaysmining in the Heft Stakes. He opened his sophomore season with a track record-setting victory in the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes in January at Tampa Bay Downs before running third in the Tampa Derby (G2) and second in the Blue Grass (G2).

Win Win Win ran 10th but was placed ninth following the disqualification of first-place finisher Maximum Security in Louisville, then raced wide on both turns and wound up eighth in the Preakness. He has worked four times since, on both the dirt and synthetic tracks at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., as well as a bullet half-mile move in 50.40 over Laurel’s world-class turf course June 23.

Hillwood Stable’s Cordmaker, a half-length winner of the seven-furlong Polynesian Stakes June 16 at Laurel in his most recent start, will return to graded company for Saturday’s Suburban (G2), set for 1 ¼ miles over Belmont’s main track.

Maryland-bred Cordmaker, a 4-year-old son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, closed from far back to be third, two necks behind winner Tenfold, in his previous start, the May 17 Pimlico Special (G3), extended this year from 1 3/16 to 1 ¼ miles.

“He came out [of the last race] great. I’m taking him to Belmont for the Suburban. We’re going to go up there and try it,” Laurel-based trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “He ran a big race going a mile and a quarter in the Pimlico Special. His numbers, if that means anything, they’re about as good as the ones that are going to be running in there. We’ll ship him in at night, like we used to do, when it’s quiet. He’s good.”

On Friday, The Elkstone Group’s homebred Top Line Growth returns to stakes company in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. Trained by Kelly Rubley at Fair Hill, the 3-year-old Tapizar gelding is two-for-three lifetime, both wins coming at Laurel – a 9 ½-length debut romp April 22 and a similarly impressive eight-length allowance score June 8.

In between, Top Line Growth encountered early trouble in the 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton May 18 at Pimlico and wound up last of five. The winner, King for a Day, went on to take the Pegasus Stakes June 16 at Monmouth Park, while runner-up Tone Broke was third in Canada’s version of the Kentucky Derby, the June 29 Queen’s Plate at Woodbine.

Pimentel rides Top Line Growth from Post 6 in a field of 12 where they are the co-third choice at 6-1 on the morning line.

Top Line Growth’s stablemate, Runnymede Racing’s multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old Alwaysmining, is under consideration for the $500,000 Indiana Derby (G2) July 13 at Indiana Grand, contested at 1 1/16 miles.

Alwaysmining won six straight races, the last five in stakes, before finishing 11th in the Preakness after being in striking position nearing the stretch. He came back to run a troubled fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer Stakes June 8 at Belmont, but was promoted to third following the disqualification of Still Dreaming for interference.

Phlash Phelps, John Jones Square Off in Independence Day Feature

A $47,000 third-level optional claiming allowance featuring multiple stakes winners Phlash Phelps and John Jones figures to provide some fireworks as live racing returns to Laurel with a special July 4 holiday program.

Post time for the first of nine races is 1:10 p.m. Independence Day marks the start of a Thursday through Sunday schedule at Laurel for the remainder of its 43-day summer meet, which closes Sunday, Aug. 19.

A two-time winner of the Maryland Million Turf, Phlash Phelps enters the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up over the Exceller turf course having finished seventh in the Dixie (G2) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course, won in his comeback by a Catholic Boy, a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf.

“He came out of it well. He just was I think a little bit over his head against that horse, but you have no place to run a horse like him. You’ve got to kind of go for it,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “Last year I only got to run him like three times, and then when it came to the Maryland Million he was a little short.”

Phlash Phelps ran second to Talk Show Man in his bid to become the Maryland Million Turf’s first three-time winner last fall. In his most recent works, the 8-year-old gelding went 1:01.40 June 7 and 1:02 June 20.

“I didn’t really give [my exercise rider] a time that day, and he had worked pretty quick the time before so I wanted to back him up a little bit,” Jenkins said. “He’s doing very well. I think it’s a good spot.”

Favored at 7-5 in the program among a field of seven, Phlash Phelps will carry regular rider Victor Carrasco from Post 3.

Breaking alongside in Post 4 will be Matt Schera’s John Jones, the lone horse in a field of seven running for a $50,000 tag. Trained by Lacey Gaudet, the 7-year-old gelding owns a field-best 10 wins from 36 career starts, the most recent coming in a one-mile optional claimer on dirt Jan. 26 at Laurel in his season opener.

John Jones is 1-for-8 lifetime on the grass, the lone victory coming over late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben’s Cat in the 2016 Mister Diz Stakes. Jorge Vargas Jr., Maryland’s leading rider in 2018, will be aboard for the first time. They are listed at 6-1.

The 125-pound topweight and 9-2 second choice on the morning line is Newtown Anner Stud’s 4-year-old Tapit colt Dark Templar, winner of a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer June 16 at Monmouth Park in his grass debut. Morgans Ford Farm’s River Deep won the 2018 Hansel Stakes for Virginia-breds on the Laurel turf.

Celebrate July 4 with Red, White & Brews, $30,667 Rainbow 6 Carryover

Fans can celebrate Independence Day at Laurel Park with a carryover jackpot of $30,667.24 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and the inaugural Red, White & Brews, offering food and drink specials, prizes, and raffles to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

From noon to 5 p.m. in the grandstand there will be $2 hot dogs and draft beer, $3 bottled beer and $5 double cheeseburgers, with ‘Merica Mules and snack specials also available.

Prizes and swag bags from local breweries will be raffled off, with all proceeds going to benefit the PDJF.

The Rainbow 6 spans Races 4-9, three scheduled for Laurel’s world-class turf course.

Laurel returns with a nine-race program Friday, July 5 where the feature comes in Race 4, a $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the Exceller turf course that drew a field of eight led by Grade 3 winner Ghost Hunter.

A 9-year-old son of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, Ghost Hunter is 21-for-62 lifetime with $827,963 in earnings. Trained by Jamie Ness, he is two-for-three in 2019, sandwiching narrow wins going 1 1/16 and one mile around a May 23 loss at Pimlico.

Nominations for July 14 Stakes Program Close Friday, July 5

Nominations close Friday, July 5 for Laurel’s program of five stakes worth $400,000 in purses set to be run Sunday, July 14.

Richest of the stakes is the $100,000 Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf, won last year by Miz Mayhem.

Also on the schedule are a quartet of $75,000 stakes – the Concern for 3-year-olds and Twixt for fillies and mares 3 and up, both at seven furlongs on dirt, and the Ben’s Cat for 3-year-olds and up and Jameela for females 3 and older, each for Maryland-bred/sired horses sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the grass.

For more information or to nominate call the racing office at 301.725.0400 or 800.638.1859. Nominations can be e-mailed to stakes coordinator Coley Blind at cblind@marylandracing.com