Laurel stakes to be qualifiers for Santa Anita G1 events

Sharp Azteca won the 2016 City of Laurel Stakes. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
Two of the four stakes on Laurel Park’s Saturday, Nov. 30 program will serve as ‘Win and In’ qualifiers for a pair of Grade 1 races at Santa Anita Park next month, the Maryland Jockey Club announced today.
Winners of the $100,000 Force the Pass City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Imagining Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs, will earn automatic entry into the $300,000 Malibu (G1) and $300,000 La Brea (G1), respectively, on Wednesday, Dec. 26, opening day of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet.
Both the Malibu and La Brea are contested at seven furlongs. If the winner of Laurel’s races go in either race, they will be given a $2,500 stipend toward travel costs.
“The Maryland Jockey Club is excited to have this incentive for not only our owners and trainers stabled in Maryland, but also the Mid-Atlantic Region,” said Laurel’s Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “I would like to thank Santa Anita for working with us and making this great incentive possible.”
Laurel will host four $100,000 stakes on Nov. 30. The City of Laurel and Safely Kept will be joined by the Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles and the Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares 3 and older going about 1 1/16 miles.
LATEST MARYLAND NEWS
Laurel Park: Latest jockey and trainer stats
Which Laurel Park jockeys and trainers are having a good meet? Who’s doing better than you’d think? Or heating up now? Answers within.
Great Notion colt takes top honors at MHBA Yearling Show
A Great Notion colt took the top spot and the Merryman family dominated at Sunday’s 91st annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association Yearling Show.
Md-breds Mindframe, Romeo take Churchill stakes
Maryland-breds thrived in Kentucky, with Mindframe winning the G1 Stephen Foster and 2yo Romeo upsetting the Bashford Manor.
LRL: Bouncer takes allowance feature, 4 tie for jockey lead
When Bouncer took Sunday’s allowance feature at Laurel Park, it created a 4-way tie atop the jockey standings leaderboard for the spring meet.
Laurel Park picks and ponderings: June 29, 2025
We provide full-card picks and analysis for this afternoon’s races at Laurel Park.
LRL: Wolfie’s Dynaghost romps in PG County
Wolfie’s Dynaghost posted a dominant front-running score in Saturday’s Prince George’s County Stakes at Laurel Park.