Gonzalez and McCarthy run away with titles at winter meet

Trainer Claudio Gonzalez and jockey Trevor McCarthy dominated their respective divisions at the 46-day Laurel Park winter meet, which began New Year's Day and ended Sunday.

Gonzalez, 42, was the winningest trainer in Maryland in both 2017 and 2018. He won 40 races at the winter meet, 25 more than runner-up Hugh McMahon.

Damon Dilodovico, Jeremiah Englehart, and Jamie Ness tied for third with 12 wins each.

McCarthy, 24, has won back-to-back meet titles since returning to Maryland after spending the first eight months of 2018 riding in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. McCarthy won 45 races at the 2018 fall meet and topped the standings by 13 victories. The fall meet began in September and concluded Dec. 31.

During the winter season, McCarthy won 53 races. Victor Carrasco finished second with 27 wins. Jorge Vargas Jr. was third with 26 victories, and Jevian Toledo finished fourth with 24 wins.

Joseph Besecker was the leading owner at the meet with 20 wins, 10 more than Robert Bone, who was second in the standings. The No Guts No Glory Farm of Maryland trainer Jerry Robb went 7 for 12 at the meet to finish third.

The Laurel Park spring meet begins Friday and continues through May, 5 before racing switches to Pimlico.