LRL: Competitive fields for Clark, Dahlia, Leatherbury
Intriguing contests part of Preakness Preview Day
The Biz
April 17, 2026
Laurel Park’s turf stakes season gets underway Saturday, April 18 with three stakes races that offer a mix of proven class, fresh faces, and horses looking to turn the page.
In the $100,000, one-mile Dahlia Stakes for fillies and mares, trainer Graham Motion will try to get Ribaltagaia back to her best. The French-bred mare flashed a strong late kick winning her debut overseas but most recently was caught after setting the pace in the Violet Stakes in August at Monmouth Park.
Motion would prefer a different trip this time.
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“In a perfect world, you’d love to get her cover,” he said in a Laurel Park release. “That’s why they brought her over from Europe. It was always difficult for her to get cover because she’s kind of a keen filly. She’s built like a colt. I was surprised she was beaten [in the Violet] the way she trained. Hopefully, I’ve got her fit enough this weekend.”
Ribaltagaia returns off a steady series of works following minor issues, but she’ll have to deal with sharp rivals including the speedy Summerintahoe, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, and Curlin’s Angel, who showed a powerful late run in her debut win but then was the beaten favorite in a pair of Saratoga allowances before heading to the sidelines.
The King T. Leatherbury Stakes, a $100,000, 5 ½-furlong turf sprint, is as deep as it is large, featuring 13 runners and nine prior stakes winners. Among them is Chasing Liberty, making his 4-year-old debut for trainer Rob Atras after a troubled trip in the Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson.
“He broke a little slow at Kentucky Downs. It was kind of unfortunate because he made a big run there,” Atras said. “He’s a pretty cool horse. He shows up every time.”
Maryland standout Had to Have Him returns off a pair of local stakes wins to close out 2025 and has been training sharply for trainer John Salzman, Jr. Defending champ Fore Harp looks to repeat. Doncho, an ultra-speedy pace factor with stakes credentials, is the slight, 9-2 morning-line choice in a race honoring the late Hall of Famer King T. Leatherbury.
Atras also saddles Neat in the $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes at one mile, where the multiple graded winner tries to rebound from a frustrating 2025 campaign filled with traffic trouble. His recent comeback run, when fourth but beaten just a half-length in a Fair Grounds allowance, offered encouragement.
“I thought that was a great return effort and something we could build on,” Atras said.
Neat meets improving rivals including Motion’s Cruise the Nile, a three-race winner who is undefeated on turf and synthetic and is stepping into stakes company for the first time, and the well-bred King Size, who appears to be rounding into form after overcoming early setbacks.
“We had some problems with him, so we missed his 2-year-old year,” Motion said of Cruise the Nile. “His owner has been incredibly patient. He was always a horse that we liked a lot.”
Together, the Dahlia, King T. Leatherbury, and Henry S. Clark stakes provide a strong and competitive launch to Laurel’s spring turf season.
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