Plenty of racing action took place throughout the Mid-Atlantic this past week.

Here’s a look at the “three stars” of each track:

REGION’S BEST

FIRST STAR: TAJ MAHAL. This Brittany Russell trainee punched his ticket to the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, winning the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park in a dominant performance. There was some doubt as to if he could make the rail and the lead from the far outside post position, but he did so by the time they hit the first turn. He opened up a 10-length lead up the backstretch while setting moderate fractions, and from there, the race was over. He cruised under the wire 8 1/4 lengths in front, with the Gary Capuano-trained duo of Wild Warrior and Let’s Go Lando second and third, respectively. He ran 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:52.92, improving to 3-for-3 lifetime with two stakes wins. He’s owned by the SF Racing/Starlight Racing-led conglomerate, trained by Brittany Russell, and ridden by Sheldon Russell.

SECOND STAR: CRUISE THE NILE. One race prior on the Laurel Saturday card, a Jersey-bred future star captured the Henry Clark Stakes at a mile on the grass. Cruise the Nile, in his stakes debut, was sent off as the 6-5 favorite following an impressive second-level allowance win at Gulfstream Park in his previous start. After taking that field gate-to-wire, he chose to come from off the pace in the Henry Clark, racing in sixth place in the early stages while a few paths off the inside. He kicked in into gear in the stretch and prevailed by three-quarters of a length, going the distance in 1:33.58, a new record for a mile on the Dahlia course. He’s a Hope Jones homebred trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Mychel Sanchez.

THIRD STAR: OUTLAW KID. A wide-open field of 13 met at Laurel on Saturday in the King Leatherbury Stakes, hours after a memorial service was held for the legendary Maryland trainer. Outlaw Kid saved all the ground and rallied up in the inside in the stretch to win by a neck. He sat off a contested early pace, then outkicked fellow closers Whenigettoheaven and Chasing Liberty to make his 2026 debut a winning one. He also set a Dahlia course track record for 5 1/2 furlongs, going the distance in 1:01.59. Jorge Ruiz was up for owners R.A. Hill Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds and trainer George Weaver.

SECOND STAR: TRUST ISSUES. Lasted through an early duel and drew away to win a first-level allowance sprint on Wednesday.

THIRD STAR: MALIBU WARRIOR. Made a wide move on the turn and kicked on to win a Pennsylvania-bred allowance sprint on Wednesday for his third consecutive win.