“When the overnight came out I thought my agent [Marty Leonard] had gotten me on some decent live mounts,” Russell said. “We got some really good trips today. [I’m] very fortunate, very blessed to have these owners and trainers still giving me these opportunities. Three stakes wins today is a huge day. I’m just very, very grateful.”

The capper came with Prince of Jericho, who dominated a field that included winter rival and Preakness entrant Coffeewithchris, winning by nearly five lengths in 1:23.16 for seven furlongs on a fast main track. Prince of Jericho is trained by Russell’s wife Brittany Russell for Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey. It was his first start since a stellar second-place finish in the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes on the Preakness undercard.

“We shortened him back up that day and he seemed to handle the six furlongs great. I came back and told Brittany, ‘Look, if I had a clean trip that day, I think I would have been right there,” Russell said. “He’d trained forward coming into this race so we knew the seven-eighths would be perfect. We had a good little trip [today] and we’re just happy that he bounced out of that last race and he’s back in form. He’s a very straightforward horse. I’m just happy to get him back into the winner’s circle today.”

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One race prior, Russell had had a similarly straightforward trip to win the Laurel Dash. Aboard the ultra-speedy Fore Harp, trained by Butch Reid for LC Racing, James Bonner, and Wellesley Stable, Russell went straight to the front and led by more than a length at every call en route to a two-length score in 1:11.29 for six furlongs on a turf course rated good.

The Pennsylvania-bred Fore Harp is now 2-for-2 in 2023 and has six wins from 18 career starts. The Dash was his first attempt at stakes company.

“We got another great ride from Sheldon Russell. He got to the front and stayed there,” Bonner said. “It’s taken [Fore Harp] a while to figure out he’s a turf horse. Butch has done a great job nursing him along to this point.”

Reid was not at Laurel. Instead, he saddled Foggy Night to a 14-1 upset in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks that same afternoon.

In the day’s first stake, the Jameela for Maryland-bred or -sired fillies and mares, Russell and Coconut Cake rallied from last of 10 to win by three parts of a length in 1:12.28 for six furlongs on the turf. It was something of an upset for Coconut Cake, who was 5.70-1; she has done her best work around two turns.

“We thought she fit in here. It’s better than the 5 ½ [last time], the extra half-furlong. I think the softer turf maybe helped us a little bit as well. It was a little bit tiring for horses that were running on the front,” winning trainer Tim Keefe said. “Sheldon, as usual, gave her a great ride, saved all the ground and came running. At the eighth pole I was hoping to get a piece of it, but he came through and got it all.”

Coconut Cake is owned by Keefe in partnership with N R S Stable and James Chambers. The Maryland-bred Bandbox mare now has six wins from 24 career outings. The win was her second stakes triumph, coming in her third start since her first stakes win, in last fall’s Maryland Million Ladies.