River Gal won the Jamestown Stakes today at Laurel Park, the latest in an equine family that’s been very good to Morgan’s Ford Farm.
Sometimes, winning is a thrill. Sometimes it’s a relief. Both reactions were on display this past weekend at Laurel Park.
Jockey Sheldon Russell won two Virginia-bred stakes at Laurel Park on Sunday, and Arnaud Delacour trained the first three finishers in the Brookmeade.
Three-year-old Altamura won her fourth consecutive race in the Oakley Stakes but was vanned off after taking a bad step in the gallop-out.
Several turf stakes on the De Francis Dash undercard went to longshots, but favorite Hello Don Julio held serve in the Laurel Turf Cup.
Trainer King T. Leatherbury logged the 6,500th win of his career when Happy Lantern scored at 16-1 at Laurel Park.
Switzerland’s victory in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash capped a three-stakes win Saturday for jockey Feargal Lynch.
The Mary Eppler-trained Oak Bluffs has been a bit under the radar in the MATCH Series, but with a win in the Laurel Dash Saturday, he could secure the overall championship.
Laki and Lewisfield — one-two in their MATCH Series division, each with a chance at the overall title — reconvene Saturday in a rugged renewal of the De Francis Dash.
The Michael Stidham-trained Elsa, who won easily at first asking at Laurel Park, is favored in Saturday’s grassy Selima Stakes.