Laurel Park: Alternative trainer stats through June 28

Laki, trained by Damon Dilodovico. Photo by Laurie Asseo.

by Chelsea Lowman

Kelly Rubley has been off to a strong start since the beginning of the new meet at Laurel Park and leads the colony of trainers with 371.43 points in our alternative rankings. And the winning trend doesn’t end there. Rubley is also on top in terms of win percentage (41.67%), earnings per start ($9,354), and wagering ROI.

In second comes Dale Capuano, with 332.58 points. Next in line comes Claudio Gonzalez, who has collected a total of 260.77 points. Damon Dilodovico and Cathal Lynch complete the top five, with 260.26 and 207.43 points, respectively.

Our ratings system combines wins, win percentage, earnings per start, and $2 wagering return on investment. It is formulated to highlight trainers who win frequently in big races, along with those who can strike with a solid percentage of runners. The top trainer in each category receives 100 points, meaning that a trainer who can lead a colony in all four categories will earn a perfect score of 400.

We applied this method to every trainer at Laurel Park who has made at least 10 starts and recorded at least one victory.

Gonzalez currently leads the colony with seven wins. That has him just ahead of Rubley and Capuano, who are both tied in second with five wins apiece. There is a four-way tie for third place; Dilodovico, Michael Trombetta, Jerry Robb, and Hugh McMahon have each saddled four winners during the meet so far.

Capuano is not only second in points and victories, but also when it comes to win percentage. Capuano has visited the winner’s circle about 38.46 percent of the time, just behind Rubley. Dilodovico slides in at number three, with a win percentage of 30.77 percent. Gonzalez sits in fourth, with a strike rate of 25.93 percent. Completing the top five is Lynch, who holds a strike rate of 23.08 percent.

When it comes to the colony’s earnings per start, you can once again find Capuano sitting in second behind Rubley. His earnings per start of $7,567 are $1,778 less than Rubley’s, but they are still enough to keep him ahead of his fellow trainers. Lynch is his nearest challenger, with earnings per start of $6,795. Phil Schoenthal comes in next, with earnings per start of $6,429. Gary Capuano completes the top five, with earnings per start of $6,035.

Rubley’s wagering ROI of $4.98 lead the way in the trainer colony. Dale Capuano comes into second, once again, with an ROI of $4.38. Dilodovico, Gary Capuano, and Schoenthal round out the top five, with wagering ROI’s of $3.34, $2.44, and $2.08, respectively. Claudio Gonzalez ($2.04) is the only other trainer to with a positive wagering ROI a month into the meet.

The rankings include all races through June 28, 2018.

LAUREL PARK TRAINER RANKINGS