Quint’s Brew, Slam Notion square off in General George
Quint’s Brew must turn tables to defend crown
Press Release
February 13, 2026
Paul Berube, Karen Linnell, and Heather Hunter’s Quint’s Brew returns to Laurel Park to defend his General George Stakes title in Saturday’s $200,000 listed race for 4-year-olds and older, run over seven furlongs.
But to do it, he’ll have to turn the tables on Slam Notion, who bested him in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes Dec. 20.
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The General George is one of four stakes on the ten-race card, which also features the $200,000 Barbara Fritchie for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, the $100,000 Post Time for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, and the $100,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. First post is 12:00 pm ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout.
Trained by Ned Allard, Quint’s Brew, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Mosler, has never finished outside the exacta in his nine previous starts. He burst onto the scene early in 2025, capturing the restricted Jennings Stakes by eight lengths and later scoring a popular victory in the General George.
Those two stalwart efforts convinced Allard to seek tougher competition in New York, and Quint’s Brew responded with close second-place finishes in both the Grade 2 Carter Stakes and the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes.
Following the May 4 Westchester, Quint’s Brew went on the shelf for the summer.
“We had a minor issue, but we decided to give him a little time off because he had run very hard,” Allard said before Quint’s Brew’s return race, the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes at Laurel on December 20.
Quint’s Brew ran gallantly despite the layoff, finishing second in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.
“That was the worst racing luck I’ve had in a long time,” Allard said. “He was sitting behind the three top horses, and when we looked to swing around them at the half-mile pole, we had nowhere to go for nearly a quarter to three-eighths of a mile. The rider had to worry about clipping heels. He had a ton of horse. I think I ran the best horse, but the best horse doesn’t always win.”
Quint’s Brew worked hard in the 2026 edition of the Jennings, settling behind the early leaders before tipping to the outside under jockey Yedsit Hazlewood. After swapping back to his left lead in mid-stretch, Quint’s Brew gamely pipped Blue Kingdom at the wire.
“That was a good effort,” Allard said in the winner’s circle. “He bobbled a little today, but it probably worked to his advantage.”
Quint’s Brew completed his preparations for this year’s General George, breezing five furlongs in 1:02 at his Delaware base last Saturday.
“We’ve had a bout of really lousy weather,” Allard said on Wednesday morning. “We haven’t missed any training, but we’ve had days when we had to go a little easy. Everybody’s in the same boat. There’s nobody in this area that’s had any better luck than Delaware Park, as far as [Parx] or Laurel. He breezed real well for this race. He’s looking good. He’s feeling good. Now, he just has to get the job done.”
Quint’s Brew is 9-5 on the morning line and will have hot-riding apprentice Yedsit Hazlewood up.
Eric Rizer’s Slam Notion enters the General George in razor-sharp form, having won four of his last five starts, including the restricted Maryland Million Sprint on October 11 and the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.
Slam Notion, a 4-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Great Notion, is trained by Robbie Bailes and will be ridden by Jevian Toledo.
“Every time he runs, he keeps getting better and better,” Toledo told The Maryland Jockey Club’s Mackenzie Pfeiffer in a video interview. “He’ll do whatever you want. You ask him to slow down, and he’ll slow down. You ask him to pick it up, and he’ll pick it up.”
Slam Notion is 9-2 on the morning line.
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