Subrogate, a 5-year-old horse trained by Jorge Duarte Jr., didn’t need half the field to scratch to win the $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park on Saturday. If anything, it made the job more difficult. It took a full head of steam to run down a stubborn front-runner in the stretch, but in the final furlong Subrogate’s momentum was undeniable. Under considerable urging from jockey Horacio Karamanos, Subrogate surged home to earn an overdue stakes victory by a length. Four horses, including both runners entered by trainer Anthony Farrior, scratched from the Saturday feature at Laurel, vastly changing the race's complexion. For Subrogate, it limited the list of contenders, but also forced him to close from behind in another short field. All four runners left the gate at odds under 3-1. “As a former jockey, these four-horse fields are always very tricky to ride,” Duarte said. “You have to hope there’s a little pace and that the race develops a little. I told Horacio I would break sharp, act like we’re going to try to be on the lead, but see how it shakes out.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. After a dominant allowance victory at Aqueduct in June 2024, in which he earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure, Duarte took a huge chance and entered Subrogate in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt. He suffered a setback that day and did not return until May, when he finished second in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park. All four runners remaining in the field at Laurel had flashed early speed at some point in their careers, but Celtic Contender was the only one to take the initiative. The 4-year-old colt, trained by Ham Smith, took a clear early lead and lengthened his advantage to 1 1/2 lengths through a brisk half-mile in 45.55 seconds. Dean Delivers, winner of the De Francis Dash last year, had the first chance to run down Celtic Contender from second but wilted to last in the stretch. Subrogate passed that tiring rival leaving the far turn and set his sights on the pacesetter, who kicked clear to lead by two lengths. Celtic Contender and Victor Carrasco dug in on the rail and still held the lead in midstretch, but they eventually gave way, holding on to second over fast-closing 7-year-old horse Caramel Chip. Subrogate completed the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.53, paying $5.40 to win. The four-horse field was naturally disappointing for fans expecting a more expansive feature, but for Duarte, the race was a clear sign that Subrogate is ready to roll in a resurgent and determined 5-year-old campaign. SUB St. Benedicts Prep, a 5-year-old mare trained by Linda Rice, finally broke through in her ninth stakes attempt to win the $125,000 Alma North Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday. Between January and May, the mare finished within 2 1/2 lengths of a stakes victory in six straight starts. This weekend, she was two lengths ahead at the end. “She’s raced well for us for a year and a half,” Rice said. “We’ve got some nice graded blacktype with her, but we needed to get that elusive quakes win. I was very pleased today to get that done.” After a slew of near-misses in stakes company, St. Benedicts Prep regressed significantly last time out in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses at Saratoga, finishing well behind superstar filly Ways and Means in seventh. In her last two trips to Laurel, she was entering in top-notch form and looking to take advantage of softer stakes company. The Alma North, on the other hand, was an obvious attempt to bounce back. “The race at Saratoga went very poorly, very atypical for her,” Rice said. “Obviously, I think Ways and Means may have run the fastest race in America that day, but we just needed to regroup and find something where she could compete well.” Mystic Lake, the 7-5 morning line favorite in the Alma North, was one of three runners to scratch, leaving Rice’s mare as the one to beat. With jockey John Velazquez aboard for the first time, Laurel bettors caught on quickly. She paid $4.60 to win. The winning mare started last in the five-horse field as 17-1 longshot Happy Clouds hustled to a two-length early lead through a quarter-mile in 22.17 seconds. Easy Red, an allowance winner in 3 of 4 starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally, didn’t wait long to push the issue from second. Happy Clouds managed to stick around a little longer through a half-mile in 45.55 seconds, but she eventually gave in to Easy Red. The 4-year-old filly’s bid for the lead was short-lived, however, as St. Benedicts Prep came charging from the back of the pack and circled both runners with a bold move turning for home. Kicking away to lead by a length at the top of the stretch, St. Benedicts Prep easily shook clear of Easy Red, who gave up second place to late closer Alani by a nose. St. Benedicts Prep completed the 6 1/2-furlong sprint in 1:17.50. Rice was bold to put her mare in graded stakes company in New York without a stakes win, but before the disappointment in the Bed o’ Roses, St. Benedicts Prep finished well in a pair of Grade 3 races at Aqueduct. The trainer is not sure where she wants to send her next, joking that she certainly doesn’t want to run into Ways and Means again, but there’s at least one millstone off her neck now. SUB Several contenders came calling in the $125,000 Prince George’s County Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, but Wolfie’s Dynaghost never answered. Under a brilliant front-running ride from Sheldon Russell, the 7-year-old gelding kicked away to a commanding 4 1/2-length victory, setting a new course record at Laurel. “It was a beautiful trip,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “Extremely, extremely well executed ride by Sheldon. It looked like the horse was really enjoying himself and happy around there. He traveled so cozy, and I thought Sheldon did a great job.” Firmly in command from gate to wire, the speedy gelding completed 1 1/8 miles on the Exceller turf course in 1:45.83, beating the previous record of 1:46 set by 5-year-old gelding Battle Chant in a handicap in September 2005. Wolfie’s Dynaghost, a Grade 2 winner in 2023, had not been seen in stakes competition since March 2024, his only start that year before Thomas gave him time to recover from several minor issues. In his 2025 debut in a Woodbine allowance, the speedy gelding stumbled out of the gate but made up late ground to finish fifth. It was more than enough for the trainer to bring him to Laurel for the Prince George’s County. “We were surprised he didn’t break well that day, and he left himself that much to do, but in retrospect, it might have been the thing he needed to get himself to where he was today,” Thomas said. All but two in the field of seven entered the Prince George’s County with graded stakes experience on the turf, but the classy field was powerless from the start. Wolfie’s Dynaghost dashed out to a two-length lead through an opening quarter-mile in 24.08 and never lost an inch of ground. Thomas hesitated to say that Russell put the field to sleep on the front end, but after completing a half-mile in 48.02, Wolfie’s Dynaghost was extremely comfortable and entered the far turn with plenty in reserve. Jorge Delgado runner Kingmax, coming off a 15-month layoff, and Trikari, a Grade 1 winner for Graham Motion last year, stalked behind to no avail. In the stretch, Crystal Quest, a 4-year-old colt trained by Mike Trombetta, made a bold bid from last to take second. Trikari held on for third. But as soon those two set their sights on the leader, Wolfie’s Dynaghost bolted. Russell unleashed the gelding and easily drew away at the wire, paying $14.20 to win. Thomas credited Marty Leonard, Russell’s agent, for helping him find a race in which the gelding could get loose out in front. Russell, who also won aboard Post Time in the $125,000 Deputed Testamony earlier in the day, certainly earned his due for the winning trip. The trainer isn’t sure where he is bringing Wolfie’s Dynaghost next, though he has several ambitious ideas, from graded stakes company to a potential marathon attempt. For now, he has proven enough, and with a comfortable lead on the right track, the once-lost gelding is as dangerous as ever. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.