General George, Runhappy Fritchie highlights of Laurel 2021 winter/spring meet

Laurel Park in Maryland will offer $2.65 million in purses for 24 stakes during its winter schedule this year, including two stakes that will offer the winners automatic berths in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes and Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at its sister track, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

The stakes schedule is headlined by the Grade 3 General George and the Grade 3 Runhappy Fritchie Stakes, both offering $250,000 in purses and scheduled for Feb. 13. The same card will include three $100,000 stakes.

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The April 17 card will feature the $125,000 Federico Tesio, a race for 3-year-olds that will give the winner an automatic spot in the field for the Preakness, which is typically run on the third Saturday of May as the second leg of the Triple Crown. The same card will include the $125,000 Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies, offering an automatic spot in the Black-Eyed Susan, usually held the Friday prior to the Preakness.

Laurel has added two races for 3-year-olds to the January calendar, the $100,000 Spectacular Bid for colts at seven furlongs and the $100,000 Xtra Heat for fillies at six furlongs. The races will be part of a Jan. 16 card that also features two other stakes for Maryland-bred horses, the $75,000 Not For Love and the $75,000 Conniver.