De Francis Dash, three other June 28 stakes, have purses increased
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The new Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association will increase purses by $25,000 for four stakes races at Laurel Park on June 28. The Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, the featured race on the card, will now be run for $175,000.
The De Francis Dash, first run in Maryland in the summer of 1990, remains a major race in the state, even if the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward has lost some of its notoriety in recent years. Designated as a Grade 1 race between 1999 and 2009 and a Grade 3 race between 2016 and 2021, it was shifted from Laurel’s fall schedule back to the summer and has been an ungraded $150,000 race since 2022.
“The De Francis Dash has such a great history and we wanted to shine a spotlight on it,” Bill Knauf, president and general manager of TMJC, said in a press release. “With four stakes that day, led by the Dash, it’s another opportunity to showcase Maryland racing to the country and continue to build on the Maryland Jockey Club’s strategy of creating big days throughout the year.”
Three other stakes on the June 28 card, the Prince George’s County, Deputed Testamony, and Alma North, will now offer $125,000 in purse money. The Deputed Testamony and its turf counterpart, the Prince George’s County, are both for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles. The Alma North is for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.