With no one in position to catch him, Claudio Gonzalez entered the final weekend of Laurel Park's extended summer meet ensured of winning its training title, but the 43-year-old cancer survivor didn't stop there.
Gonzalez sent out Robert D. Bone's 4-year-old gelding Galerio ($3.40) for his third win of the summer and sixth in nine starts dating back to February, holding off late-running long shot Crouchelli for a nose victory in Thursday's featured fourth race.
The entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up was the 27th win from 138 starters at the meet for Gonzalez, who will wind up tops in both categories as well as purse earnings, with $979,170 and counting. He has horses entered in two of nine races on Friday's card and four of nine races on Saturday's finale.
Damon Dilodovico was blanked with his only starter Thursday and remains second with 16 wins. Jamie Ness captured Race 7 Thursday with Bustin Hearts ($5.40) to move into a tie for third with Jose Corrales at 15 wins.
Gonzalez has now won 10 of the last 11 meets in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2017 spring stand and owns or shares 13 titles overall. He has led the state in overall victories three consecutive years (2017-19).
“What can I say? It's a really good feeling because there are a lot of good trainers here with a lot of experience. That's why it feels good, and my whole team feels like me,” Gonzalez said. “They're working hard. They do all the hard work – my assistants, grooms, hotwalkers, exercise riders, blacksmith. Everybody works hard to make sure things go good.”
Gonzalez notched eight multi-win days during the meet, including an Aug. 13 hat trick with a trio of sophomore fillies – Landing Zone, Queen of Tomorrow and Polished Copper. The latter two are among six horses to win at least twice at the meet for Gonzalez, led by Galerio, Eastern Bay and Harpers First Ride with three each.
Laurel's summer meet began May 30 following a 2 ½-month pause in Maryland's live racing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Gonzalez, who led a truncated winter stand with 40 wins, went 9-for-65 to start the summer before going on an 18-for-73 run since July 18.
“Every day we come and pay attention to every little thing. Little things make the difference sometimes,” Gonzalez said. “That's what I explain to everybody. We have to pay attention to everything and we're going to be OK.”
Three of Gonzalez's wins came in stakes over Labor Day weekend – the $100,000 Deputed Testamony with Harpers First Ride and $100,000 Polynesian with Eastern Bay Sept. 5, and the $100,000 Laurel Dash with Completed Pass Sept. 7.
All three horses are being pointed to stakes over Preakness weekend at Pimlico Race Course – Harpers First Ride in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) Oct. 2, and Eastern Bay in the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) and defending champion Completed Pass in the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint on the Oct. 3 undercard of the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1).
Gonzalez expects to run multiple stakes winner Lebda in the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) Oct. 1 and has a candidate for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), this year on the Preakness undercard, in 3-year-old filly Fly On Angel, upset winner of the Charles Town Oaks (G3) Aug. 28.
“They're all doing really good. They came back real good. You never know how tough it's going to be, but my horses are going to be ready,” Gonzalez said. “It's special. The Preakness is the biggest race we have here in the Maryland and it would be special to do good that weekend.”
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