Laurel Park Closing To Patrons Beginning Friday, Owners And Horsemen Still Permitted

Laurel Park will close to the general public effective 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, but will continue to accommodate owners and other licensed horsemen who wish to attend the races.

The current Maryland Jockey Club COVID-19 protocols and procedures will remain in effect for all participants and owners during live racing. The grandstand will remain open during the races with the current access privileges. Further details will be released as they become available.

Pimlico Race Course will remain open for full-card simulcasting under COVID-19 restrictions, as will the eight Maryland Jockey Club-operated off-track betting facilities in Maryland: the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, Long Shot's in Frederick, G Boone's Restaurant and Bar in Boonsboro, Greenmount Station in Hampstead, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore; MGM National Harbor Casino in Fort Washington; Hollywood Casino Perryville, and Riverboat on the Potomac off the the coast of Colonial Beach, Va.

Maryland Jockey Club earlier in November tightened protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic by closing to riders who aren't based at Laurel Park and limiting access to the backstretch.

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Laurel Park to Temporarily Close to Public

In response to current state COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park will temporarily close to the public, effective Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. ET, but will continue to accommodate owners and other licensed horsemen who wish to attend the races.

Live racing will continue as scheduled Thursday through Sunday for the remaining days in November, and Thursday through Saturday in December with a special Sunday, Dec. 27 program. There will be no racing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25.

All off-track betting venues will remain open.

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Malibu Mischief Runs Win Streak To Six With Easy Laurel Park Score

Malibu Mischief, a 4-year-old filly owned and trained by Rudy Rodriguez, extended her win streak to six races in impressive fashion by flirting with a track record in her latest triumph Sunday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

Sent off at 1-5 in the third-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up, Malibu Mischief ($2.60) led every step of the way in overpowering her rivals to win by five lengths under a hand ride from jockey Trevor McCarthy.

The winning time of 1:02.48 over a fast main track was just .28 off the course record of 1:02.20 set by 6-year-old Siralfredthegreat Oct. 6, 2018.

“Rudy said make sure you get her away from there and get her away hard because she loves the lead and she doesn't always get away the best,” McCarthy said. “When we broke so good and we were out there loose, I said, 'Man, she is smoking but she is so comfortable.' She's just got a high cruising speed. I think her performance speaks for itself. She really just kind of kicked away from a good group of horses.”

Breaking from the far outside in a field reduced to five by the early scratch of Charles Town Oaks (G2) winner Fly On Angel, Malibu Mischief rocketed to the front and quickly opened up on her rivals through fractions of 22.44 and 44.73 seconds. I'm the Talent stalked the leader but was unable to keep up and Malibu Mischief rounded the turn well in command and drew off through the stretch with little urging.

“They actually sprung the gate when I was yelling 'No,' and when she saw that latch, she was like, 'See ya,'” McCarthy said. “She's just so fast, and even when I got to a comfortable lead and I just went to go little easier, she wanted to go. I was just trying to keep her happy. When she hit the turn I thought, 'Man, she is rolling,' and every time I tried to just nurse her she was like, 'No, let me go.'”

The win was the second straight at Laurel for Malibu Mischief following a second-level spot going the same distance Oct. 23 originally carded for the turf. The New York-based Rodriguez spent $12,500 to claim the bay daughter of Goldencents who improved to 10-for-22 lifetime.

Malibu Mischief's streak began June 7 at Belmont Park, her first start since being eased March 8 at Aqueduct prior to the pause in racing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Rodriguez haltered her July 10 and has won races at Saratoga, Delaware and two in a row at Laurel by 22 ¼ combined lengths.

“I was worried because last time she broke a step slow, but when she broke on top today I said it looked like we were in pretty good position. That's her weapon and that's what she wants to do,” Rodriguez said. “She's been a nice little claim. The first time we try to claim her she pulled up and they voided the claim. Then I let her go a couple times more and said, 'I'm going to claim her,' and thank God it's working out good.”

Rodriguez said he will keep all options open when seeking a return spot for Malibu Mischief.

“I just wanted to win the starter allowance with her but she did it so good and came back so good out of the race. When I ship her to Delaware she did very, very good so I took her to Laurel and she did even better. Now it looks like she can take a step up,” Rodriguez said. “I have to take a look and see where she fits. It looks like we got a filly with a nice future.”

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Jersey-Bred No Cents Invades Laurel For James F. Lewis III Win; Street Lute Takes Smart Halo

Isabelle de Tomaso and Hope Jones' homebred No Cents, making his local and stakes debut off back-to-back wins out of town, corralled favored Dalton in mid-stretch and edged past for a comfortable 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 James F. Lewis III at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The ninth running of the Lewis was the second of two six-furlong juvenile sprint stakes on the Salute to Veterans Day program, preceded by the 24th renewal of the $100,000 Smart Halo for fillies, won by Street Lute.

No Cents ($10.80) completed the distance in 1:09.16 over a fast main track to give jockey Trevor McCarthy his third straight Lewis win and fourth overall. He also finished first with eventual graded-stakes winner El Areeb in 2016, Scrap Copper in 2018 and Newstome in 2019. Winning trainer Cal Lynch also trained El Areeb.

“I definitely wanted to leave a little something in the tank and not overdo it with him. He's a 2-year-old so hopefully we'll have a bright future with him,” McCarthy said of No Cents. “Cal seems to always have these colts ready, so big credit to him. It's just a huge privilege to me. They made me look good today.”

Dalton, beaten a neck when second to subsequent Nashua (G3) winner Pickin' Time last out, showed good early foot and established the lead before Lugamo, riding a two-race win streak, worked over from his outside post to be in front after a quarter-mile in 22.05 seconds. McCarthy settled No Cents in fifth and was still looking at a wall of horses when the field rounded the far turn.

Lugamo maintained a slim margin after a half in 45.02 but was quickly overtaken by Dalton at the top of the stretch. At that point, McCarthy tipped No Cents to the middle of the track and set his sights on Dalton, steadily gaining ground before wresting the lead away inside the eighth pole.

It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Lugamo in third and another three to Texas Basin, followed by Heir Port, Kenny Had a Notion, Singlino and Fearless Fly. Kenny Had a Notion had won his two previous races, both in Laurel stakes, one each on the turf and dirt.

“We had a great trip. We had a good break and I was happy to get a good position and be able to follow [Dalton]. That was kind of my target to run with, so it was nice,” McCarthy said. “We were able to save ground and get a nice little breather and when we came past the five-sixteenths pole, I was just being patient with him. I knew I had a ton of horse underneath me and I was just kind of seeing where [Dalton] went.

“As soon as I tipped outside of him I just gave him a nice target to run at,” he added. “When I wanted him to finish up strong, he did, and when I wanted him to take a little bit of a break at the wire when I knew I kind of had it, he settled down. He's very push-button. He does everything you want him to do.”

A bay son of Goldencents out of the Petitionville mare Faker, No Cents made each of his first three starts in New Jersey, where he was bred. Second by a length in debut Aug. 29, he won a maiden special weight against state-breds Sept. 27 before a game neck open allowance triumph Oct. 21.

The $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity for state-bred/sired horses Dec. 5 and $100,000 Heft Dec. 26 are the final two stakes for 2-year-olds at Laurel in 2020.

Street Lute Delivers in $100,000 Smart Halo Victory
Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, beaten at the wire in the Maryland Million Lassie in her previous start, slipped through a seam on the inside around the turn and quickly separated from the field to rebound with a 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Smart Halo.

It was the second career Smart Halo win for trainer Jerry Robb following Lake Sebago in 2014, and first for jockey Xavier Perez. The winning time was 1:09.85.

The Lassie Oct. 24 at Laurel, where she came up a neck short of Miss Nondescript, was the first career loss for Street Lute ($5) following a pair of wins, including a front-running five-length score in the Small Wonder Stakes Sept 26 at Delaware Park.

“It's definitely a little bit of redemption. In the Maryland Million she had to chase the speed and hold off closers, and she didn't see the horse coming or I think she might have won that race,” Robb said. “She thinks she won it, so we tell her she did.”

Street Lute rated in third in the early going Saturday as 30-1 longshot Donnybrook Girl broke running and zipped the opening quarter-mile in 21.69 seconds pressed by recent maiden winner Be Sneaky. Perez stayed patient and took advantage of a narrow opening midway around the turn to establish the lead, drawing clear once straightened for home. Out of Sorts trailed the field in the early going, ranged up on the far outside and closed steadily down the center of the track for second, with Be Sneaky another length back in third.

Prodigy Doll, Swirling Dancer, Docs Seven, Donnybrook Girl and Supreme Blessing completed the order of finish.

“The instructions were to try and get a good break and see. I thought [Prodigy Doll] might go and she didn't. You definitely don't know what they're going to do so you have to leave it up to the jockeys,” Robb said. “He let [Donnybrook Girl] go and laid right off of her and somehow he got through. It worked out perfect.”

Robb said the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship for state-bred/sired fillies Dec. 5 at Laurel will be the next likely target for Street Lute.

“We'll keep her in Maryland for now,” he said. “The Juvenile will probably be next.”

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