Page McKenney rolled to victory in the Harrison Johnson Memorial Stakes today at Laurel. Photo by The Racing Biz.

Page McKenney is the morning line favorite in the Richard W. Small Stakes. Photo by The Racing Biz.

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

Second in last year’s race behind Stormin Monarcho, Maryland-based multiple stakes winner Page McKenney will make his 40th career start in the $100,000 Richard W. Small Stakes for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Adam Staple and Jalin Stable’s 5-year-old gelding won the Robellino Stakes and was second by a nose in the Roanoke Stakes facing fellow Pennsylvania-breds in his past two starts. His last wins against open company were back-to-back stakes triumphs over the winter at Laurel, the John B. Campbell and Henry Johnson Memorial, each at 1 1/8 miles.

Page McKenney, who was bred in Pennsylvania by Dr. James Bryant and his wife Linda Davis — the Ja and lin of Jalin Stable — is currently ranked fifth on the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll.

 

“He’s doing great right now,” trainer Mary Eppler said. “He’s very happy and he’s training well.”

Claimed for $16,000 in April 2013, Page McKenney has 12 wins, 12 seconds, four thirds and $860,178 in purse earnings over his career, and has not finished off the board since April 25, 2014, a span of 19 consecutive starts. The stretch includes five stakes victories, a second in the Pimlico Special (G3) and thirds in the Cornhusker Handicap (G3) and Charles Town Classic (G2) this year.

Page McKenney will break from post 8 in the nine-horse field with regular rider Horacio Karamanos at topweight of 124 pounds.