Two Laurel stakes get boost
Laurel Park in Maryland will offer 19 stakes races during its 2006 winter meeting worth a total of $1,990,000, including the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup Stakes and the Grade 2 General George Breeders' Cup Stakes.
The Barbara Fritchie and the General George will be worth $300,000 each and run at seven furlongs. The Barbara Fritchie, open to fillies and mares 3 years old and up, will be run on Feb. 18, and the General George, for horses 3 and up, will be held on Feb. 20. Both races were worth $200,000 last year, but the purses this year are each being augmented by a supplement from the Breeders' Cup.
New to the stakes schedule this year is the $85,000 Dahlia Stakes, a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares on April 15.
2006 Laurel stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Sun.,Jan. 1 | Dancing Count | 3 YO | 5 1/2 furlongs | $75,000 |
| Sat.,Jan. 7 | Marshua | 3 YO F | 5 1/2 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Jan. 14 | Native Dancer | 4YO & Up | 1 mile | 85,000 |
| Mon.,Jan. 16 | Fire Plug | 4YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Jan. 21 | What A Summer | F&M, 4YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Jan. 28 | Nellie Morse | F&M, 4YO & Up | 1 mile | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Feb. 4 | Miracle Wood | 3 YO | 1 mile | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Feb. 11 | Wide Country | 3 YO F | 1 mile | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Feb. 18 | Barbara Fritchie B.C. (G2) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 7 furlongs | 300,000 |
| Sat.,Feb. 18 | John B. Campbell | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 mile | 100,000 |
| Mon.,Feb. 20 | General George B.C. (G2) | 3YO & Up | 7 furlongs | 300,000 |
| Sat.,Feb. 25 | Maryland Racing Media | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 mile | 85,000 |
| Sat.,March 4 | Horatius | 3 YO | 6 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat.,March 11 | Conniver | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 7 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat.,March 18 | Harrison Johnson | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 mile | 85,000 |
| Sat.,March 25 | Private Terms | 3 YO | 1 mile | 85,000 |
| Sat.,April 1 | Smart Halo | 3 YO F | 6 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat.,April 8 | Primonetta | F&M, 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 85,000 |
| Sat.,April 15 | Dahlia | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 mile (T) | 85,000 |