Laurel cancels Sunday, Monday amid freezing temperatures

Laurel Park canceled its Sunday card early in the morning due to cold weather. Late Sunday afternoon, management called off Monday racing too.

Laurel will be open for simulcast wagering Monday, beginning at 11 a.m.

Temperatures were in the teens Sunday morning and expected to reach only the low 20s in the afternoon. Winds of 15 miles per hour were forecast. On Sunday night, the mercury was forecast to fall into the single digits.

Laurel canceled its final three races Saturday due to deteriorating track conditions after Renaissance Rosie (race 5) and Vertrazza (race 7) fell after appearing to trip while galloping-out following their respective stakes races.

Julian Pimentel, the rider of Renaissance Rosie, was taken to the hospital for X-rays due to soreness in his chest area. All of the tests came back negative and he has been released, according to his agent, Roniel Gerardo

Dana Whitney, who was aboard Vertrazza, was reportedly uninjured.

Neither horse was badly injured, according to track officials.

The canceled $100,000 stakes, the Thirtyeight Go Go and Dave's Friend, have been rescheduled for Friday, Jan. 5.

The New Year's Eve card was to have been the final program of the Laurel fall meet, which began in early September. Jevian Toledo was the leading rider with 61 wins, 22 more than Feargal Lynch and Sheldon Russell, who finished in a tie for second.

Claudio Gonzalez led the trainer standings with 33 wins. Kieron Magee and Dalke Capuano tied for second with 22 wins each.

Gonzalez and Toledo topped their respective divisions for the year at the Maryland Jockey Club tracks of Laurel and Pimlico.

Toledo, who also won the combined standings in 2015, rode 144 winners at the MJC tracks in 2017.

Gonzalez sent out 84 winners. This is his first year-end title.