Maryland Jockey Club | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weather Forces Laurel To Postpone Friday Card; Stronach 5 Cancelled

A winter storm bringing freezing rain, snow and ice to the Mid-Atlantic region has caused the Maryland Jockey Club to postpone live racing Friday at Laurel Park and bring back the 10-race program in its entirety Thursday, Feb. 25.

The MJC's OTB network, including Pimlico Race Course, will remain open for simulcasting.

In addition, the weekly national Stronach 5 wager has been cancelled. Laurel was to have hosted the first and third legs of the Stronach 5, which also included races from Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields.

Three allowance races were part of Friday's card, including the return to Maryland of Grade 2 winner Shotski in Race 8, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up going about 1 1/16 miles. Dudley Square, a Jan. 22 allowance winner at Laurel for trainer Todd Pletcher, is the 8-5 program favorite.

Mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 33 degrees are forecast for Saturday's Winter Sprintfest, a nine-race program featuring six stakes worth $900,000 in purses co-headlined by the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for females and $250,000 General George (G3).

Also on the program are the $100,000 Miracle Wood going one mile for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs, and $100,000 John B. Campbell and $100,000 Nellie Morse for older horses, both at about 1 1/16 miles, the latter for females.

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Finalists Announced For 2020 Maryland Thoroughbred Industry Renaissance Awards

The fourth annual Renaissance Awards, a cooperative effort between the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club, will look a bit different this year as the top Maryland owner, trainer and jockey, Maryland stallion, broodmare and breeder, as well as the champion Maryland-breds of 2020 will be presented virtually this month. Special awards will be presented to Pimlico and Laurel Backstretch Employees of the Year as well as to an industry Unsung Hero.

The Renaissance Awards were created to recognize the best of Maryland racing and breeding from the previous year. Finalists will be highlighted the week of Feb. 15, with champions and industry award winners announced throughout the week of Feb. 22, via the Maryland Horse Breeders Association's social media accounts and website.

The following are finalists in the award categories.

(Award finalists listed alphabetically)

Maryland-bred champion 2-year-old male: After Five (bred by Mary E. Eppler Racing Stable Inc. and A. Leonard Pineau; owned by Breeze Easy LLC); Jaxon Traveler (bred by Dr. and Mrs. A. Leonard Pineau; owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner); Singlino (bred by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC; owned by John E. Worsley)

Maryland-bred champion 2-year-old filly: Juror Number Four (bred by Classic Thoroughbred XXIX; owned by Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC); Miss Nondescript (bred and owned by Barak Farm); Street Lute (bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman; owned by Lucky 7 Stables)

Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male: Field Pass (bred by Mark Brown Grier; owned by Three Diamonds Farm); Fiya (bred by Ann W. Merryman; owned by Robert Masiello); Monday Morning Qb (bred by Bowman and Higgins Stable and Cary Frommer; owned by Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC)

Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly: Hello Beautiful (bred by Hillwood Stables; owned by Madaket Stables LLC, Mark Frasetto, Mark Parkinson, K-mac Stables and Magic City Stables); Project Whiskey (bred by Dark Hollow Farm; owned by Cash is King LLC and LC Racing); Sharing (bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable [Antony Beck])

Maryland-bred champion older male: Harpers First Ride (bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by MCA Racing Stable LLC); Knicks Go (bred by Angie Moore; owned by Korea Racing Authority); Laki (bred by Tom Michaels and Lorna Baker; owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows)

Maryland-bred champion older female: Blamed (bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Cleber J. Massey); Majestic Reason (bred by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC and Ellen Charles; owned by Hillwood Stable LLC and Richard L. Golden); Never Enough Time (bred and owned by R. Larry Johnson)

Maryland-bred champion sprinter: Fiya (bred by Ann W. Merryman; owned by Robert Masiello); Laki (bred by Tom Michaels and Lorna Baker; owned by Hillside Equestrian Meadows); Whereshetoldmetogo (bred by David H. Wade; owned by Madaket Stables LLC, Ten Strike Racing, Michael E. Kisber and Black Cloud Stable LLC)

Maryland-bred champion turf runner: Field Pass (bred by Mark Brown Grier; owned by Three Diamonds Farm); Fiya (bred by Ann W. Merryman; owned by Robert Masiello); Sharing (bred by Sagamore Farm; owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable [Antony Beck])

Owner of the Year: Robert Bone, Men's Grille, Michael Scheffres

Trainer of the Year: Claudio A. Gonzalez, Brittany Russell, Mike Trombetta

Jockey of the Year: Trevor McCarthy, Sheldon Russell, Jevian Toledo

Breeder of the Year: Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Angie Moore, Sagamore Farm

Broodmare of the Year: Barouchka, Love's Reason, Over the Moon, Uniformly Yours

Stallion of the Year: Bourbon Courage, Golden Lad, Great Notion

MTHA Unsung Hero Award: Victor Carrasco

Pimlico Backstretch Employee of the Year: Edgar Gallegos

Laurel Backstretch Employee of the Year: Antonio Lopez Salazar

The post Finalists Announced For 2020 Maryland Thoroughbred Industry Renaissance Awards appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Laurel Cancels Sunday

Laurel Park was forced to cancel racing Sunday for a second straight day due to winter weather. On Saturday it pushed back its Winter Sprintfest program, featuring the GIII Runhappy Barbara Fritchie S. and GIII General George S., until next Saturday, Feb. 20. Racing is currently scheduled to be held on Monday, Presidents Day, with a first post of 12:25 p.m.

The post Laurel Cancels Sunday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Over 350 Winning Tickets Pay Out $511.70 In Friday’s Stronach 5

Even with only one winner returning more than $5.40, the 354 winning tickets on Friday's Stronach 5 were each worth $511.70.

The popular Stronach 5 featured races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields as well as an industry-low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5 began with Prince James winning Laurel's eighth race, the opening leg of the sequence, and returning $5.40. Hyperfocus won Gulfstream's seventh race, the second leg, and returned $10.20, while Laurel's ninth race, the third leg of the sequence, was won by favored Company Clown ($3.80).

The Stronach 5 headed west for Santa Anita's third race, the fourth leg of the sequence, and even-money favorite Disko Fever ($4.20) running away from her competition. The Stronach 5 wrapped up with Golden Gate's second race and the 6-5 favorite Wildly Dramatic ($4.40) winning easily.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One – Laurel Park 8th Race: Prince James $5.40
Leg Two – Gulfstream Park 7th Race: Hyperfocus $10.20
Leg Three – Laurel Park 9th Race: Company Clown $3.80
Leg Four – Santa Anita Park 3rd Race: Disko Fever $4.20
Leg Five – Golden Gate Fields 2nd Race: Wildly Dramatic $4.40

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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