Laurel Park: Bandbox rallies wide to win General George Handicap

A New York-bred won Monday’s Grade 3 General George Handicap – just not the one most expected.

Bandbox, whose once-promising career was interrupted by injury, rallied seven wide in the Laurel Park stretch under Xavier Perez and outfinished Tenango to win the $250,000 General George by four lengths. Tenango finished second by a half-length over Service for Ten.

Palace, the other New York-bred in the field and the even-money favorite, finished fourth. He was followed by Broad Rule, Smash and Grab, Well Spelled, and Warrioroftheroses.

For Bandbox, the win was his first since taking the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel on March 19, 2011. He had gone winless in seven starts since then, finishing second in a pair of stakes. He was away from the races for 17 months due to a chipped sesamoid bone and suspensory issues, according to trainer Rodney Jenkins. Monday’s race was his second start off the layoff.

“This horse had a lot of problems in his young life,” said Jenkins, who trains Bandbox for Ellen Charles’s Hillwood Stable. “He’d run over top of horses, and he always stayed in trouble. This horse has had so much talent his whole life.”

At 2, Bandbox won the first three starts of his career, including the Charles Town Juvenile and the Sleepy Hollow Stakes. He now is 5 for 14 in his career.

On Monday, Bandbox raced in fifth position down the backstretch as Smash and Grab set fractions of 22.97 seconds for the quarter and 46.62 for the half-mile.

Around the middle of the turn, Bandbox launched his bid and was forced seven wide turning into the stretch. But the loss of ground was no problem for Bandbox, who drew away from a six-wide Tenango in the final furlong and galloped home an easy winner.

Bandbox, a 6-year-old son of Tapit, covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.13 over a fast track and returned $28.20 as the sixth choice in the field of eight.

“I had a ton of horse since we came out of the gate,” Perez said. “He just dragged me behind horses. I was waiting to let him go. When we got near the quarter pole, I swung him wide. He just started dragging me to the front. I waited as long as I could to start riding. As soon as I start riding, he was going pretty well, and after that, it was just a gallop for him.”

Ilikecandy wins Maryland Racing Media Stakes

In the $100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes, Ilikecandy ($4.20), under Alex Cintron, took control soon after the start and cruised to a seven-length victory over Florida shipper Broad Rule. It was 2 1/2 lengths farther back to Lunar Surge in third.

The win was the third from five starts for Ilikecandy, a 4-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon owned by Robert LaPenta and trained by Graham Motion.

Ilikecandy, who has recorded all three of her career wins at Laurel, got away with a half-mile in 49.00 seconds, six furlongs in 1:14.32, a mile in 1:40.28, and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.91 over a fast track.