Laurel Park: Alternative trainer stats through April 19

Afleet Willy won the Native Dancer Stakes for trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Photo by Dottie Miller.

by Chelsea Lowman

Claudio Gonzalez’s win total and the number of points he’s amassed in our alternative trainer rankings both have changed since our previous ranking two weeks back, but his place on top has not.

The 323.35 points that Gonzalez possessed earlier in the month have now surged up to 335.64 points. That leaves him nearly 60 points ahead of Hugh McMahon, who now sits in second with 277.23 points. Just behind McMahon comes Tim Keefe in third, with 276.56 points to date. The rise in points that McMahon (third two weeks back) and Keefe (sixth in our last standings) have experienced since our last check-in has allowed them to surpass Dale Capuano. Previously second in terms of points, Capuano now resides in fourth, with 273.10. Phil Schoenthal, with 271.46 points, is fifth in the rankings.

Our ratings system combines wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment. It is formulated to highlight trainers who win frequently in big races, along with those who can strike with a solid percentage of runners. The top trainer in each category receives 100 points, meaning that a trainer who can lead a colony in all four categories will earn a perfect score of 400.

We applied this method to every trainer at Laurel Park who has made at least 30 starts and walked away with at least one victory.

Gonzalez has racked up four victories at Laurel Park since April 5, rising from 28 wins to 32. His winning ways have given him a clear lead over Kieron Magee, who continues to hold his spot in second in terms of wins. With three additional victories since our last ranking, Magee has jumped from 15 wins to 18, keeping him just ahead of Hugh McMahon, who sits in third with 16 victories to his name.

The advantage Gonzalez possesses in the rankings is built not only on his clear lead in wins but also in his strong performance in two other metrics. He is second in win percentage (24.06), just behind Capuano, and also second in earnings per start ($6,894), a bit behind Keefe.

Capuano may have dropped a couple of spots in the point standings, but he remains on top with the highest win percentage. His strike rate of 26.92 percent places him just ahead of Gonzalez, his nearest rival. Capuano is also fourth in wins, with 14 but has not won at the central Maryland track since our last rankings April 5.

Keefe made the biggest move this week, jumping from sixth to third. He leads the colony with $7,834 earnings per start, less than $1,000 ahead of Gonzalez. He also is third with a win rate of 21.95 percent.

The top five in earnings per start is rounded out by Michael Trombetta ($6,861), Phil Schoenthal ($6,496), and Hamilton Smith with $6,397 earnings per start.

Schoenthal continues to lead the colony in terms of wagering ROI. A two-dollar win wager on each of his horses would have produced a return to date of $2.78, down from his previous ROI of $3.02, but is still enough to keep him comfortably ahead of Anthony Farrior ($2.54), McMahon ($2.26), Kenny Decker ($2.16), and Gary Capuano ($2.00), who complete the top five.

The rankings include all races run through April 5, 2018.

LAUREL PARK TRAINER RANKINGS