Laurel fall stakes schedule adds three graded races transferred from Virginia
The stakes schedule for the Laurel Park fall meet will benefit from the addition of three graded stakes that are being sponsored by the Virginia Equine Alliance.
In all, 34 stakes worth a total of $3.9 million will be run at the meet, which opens Sept. 12 and runs through the end of the year.
The three races – the Grade 2, $400,000 Commonwealth Derby, the Grade 2, $250,000 Commonwealth Cup, and the Grade 3, $150,000 Commonwealth Oaks – mirror three races that were formerly run at Colonial Downs – the Virginia Derby, Colonial Cup, and the Virginia Oaks.
Racing has not been held at Colonial Downs since 2013 as the track’s ownership and the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association have been involved in a bitter dispute over racing days.
The Virginia Derby, Colonial Cup, and Virginia Oaks were not run last year and will lose their grades if they are not held this season.
The Virginia Horsemen’s Equine Alliance and Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association each accrue revenue from wagers made by Virginia residents through account-wagering companies.
The Virginia Equine Alliance is a non-profit which is comprised of the Virginia Harness Horse Association, the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Virginia Gold Cup Association, and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. Its purpose is to sustain, promote, and expand the horse breeding and horse racing industries in Virginia, according to executive director Jeb Hannum.
“We didn’t want the races to lose their grades,” Hannum said. “The hope is we can bring them back to Virginia next year. We thought it was an investment worth making.”
The Commonwealth Derby and Commonwealth Cup will be run Sept. 19. The Commonwealth Oaks will be held Sept. 26, the same day as five $60,000 Virginia-bred stakes. This will be the second year Laurel has hosted the Virginia-bred stakes.
The other major days of the meet will be Maryland Million Day on Oct. 17, and De Francis Memorial Dash Day on Nov. 14.
Maryland Million Day consists of seven stakes for Maryland-sired horses. The $350,000 De Francis Dash will be supported by five $100,000 undercard stakes.
A six-stakes card is scheduled for Sept. 12. Five stakes are planned for Dec. 26.
The Lady Baltimore, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares, has had its purse increased $50,000 to $150,000, in the hope of getting the race graded, according to Sal Sinatra, general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club
The $100,000 Japan Racing Association Stakes has been dropped from the schedule and five races have had their purses reduced.
The Laurel Futurity and Selima have been trimmed from $100,000 to $75,000 each. The Jennings Handicap, Maryland Juvenile Championship, and Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship have been cut from $100,000 to $50,000.
| DATE | RACE | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Sept. 12 | Lady Baltimore | 3YO & UP F&M | 1 1/16M (T) | $150,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 12 | Laurel Dash | 3YO & UP Open | 6F (T) | $100,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 12 | Laurel Futurity | 2YO Open | 5 1/2F (T) | $75,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 12 | Selima | 2YO Fillies | 5 1/2F (T) | $75,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 19 | Commonwealth Cup (G2) | 3YO & UP Open | 1 1/8M (T) | $250,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 19 | Commonwealth Derby (G2) | 3YO & UP Open | 1 1/8M (T) | $400,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | Jamestown | 2YO Open* | 5 1/2F (T) | $60,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | Punch Line | 3YO & UP Open* | 5 1/2F (T) | $60,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | Oakley | 3YO & UP F&M* | 5 1/2F (T) | $60,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | Bert Allen | 3YO & UP Open* | 1 1/16M (T) | $60,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | Brookmeade | 3YO & UP F&M* | 1 1/16M (T) | $60,000 |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | Commonwealth Oaks | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/8M (T) | $150,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Nursery | 2YO Open** | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Sprint | 3YO & UP Open** | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Lassie | 2YO Fillies | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Classic | 3YO & UP Open** | 1 1/8M | $150,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Distaff | 3YO & UP F&M** | 7F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Turf | 3YO & UP Open** | 1M (T) | $125,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | MD Million Ladies | 3YO & UP F&M** | 1 1/8M (T) | $125,000 |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Laurel Turf Cup | 3YO & UP Open | 1 1/2M (T) | $100,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | James F. Lewis III | 2YO Open | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash | 3YO & UP Open | 6F | $350,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Smart Halo | 2YO Fillies | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Richard W. Small | 3YO & UP | 1 1/8M | $100,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | City of Laurel | 3YO Open | 7F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Safely Kept | 3YO Fillies | 7F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Willa on the Move | 3YO & UP F&M | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Marylander | 2YO Open | 7F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Gin Talking | 2YO Fillies | 7F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | Jennings Handicap | 3YO & UP Open*** | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | Thirty Eight Go Go | 3YO & UP F&M | 1M | $100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | Dave's Friend | 3YO & UP Open | 6F | $100,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | MD Juvenile Futurity | 2YO Open*** | 7F | $50,000 |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | MD Juvenile Filly Championship | 2YO Fillies | 7F | $50,000 |
*Virginia-bred or sired
**Maryland-sired
***Maryland-bred