Laurel Park Shifts Feb. 19 Card to Feb. 25
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Photo: Jim Duley/Maryland Jockey Club
Racing at Laurel Park
A winter storm bringing freezing rain, snow, and ice to the Mid-Atlantic region has caused the Maryland Jockey Club to postpone live racing Feb. 19 at Laurel Park and bring back the 10-race program in its entirety Feb. 25.
The MJC's OTB network, including Pimlico Race Course, will remain open for simulcasting.
Racing was also canceled in the Mid-Atlantic on Friday at Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races and Penn National Race Course. Canceling in other regions were Turfway Park, Sam Houston Race Park, and Oaklawn Park.
In addition, the weekly national Stronach 5 wager has been canceled. Laurel was to have hosted the first and third legs of the Stronach 5, which also included races from Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, and Golden Gate Fields.
Three allowance races were part of Friday's card, which was to include the return to Maryland of grade 2 winner Shotski in Race 8, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up at about 1 1/16 miles. Dudley Square, a Jan. 22 allowance winner at Laurel for trainer Todd Pletcher, is the program favorite for the race, now set for Thursday.
Mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 33 degrees are forecast for Saturday's Winter Sprintfest, a nine-race program featuring six stakes worth $900,000 in purses co-headlined by the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for females and the $250,000 General George (G3). Also on the program are the $100,000 Miracle Wood going one mile for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs, and the $100,000 John B. Campbell Stakes and the $100,000 Nellie Morse Stakes for older horses, both at about 1 1/16 miles, the latter for females.