Maryland Stakes Schedule to Offer $9.2M in Purses

The Maryland Jockey Club will offer 65 stakes, 13 graded, worth $9.2 million in purses through the first two-thirds of the 2019 calendar, it was announced Dec. 13.

Highlighting the year's stakes action is the 144th running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1), the middle leg of the Triple Crown, set for May 18 during the 12-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course.

A total of 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.8 million in purses will be offered over Preakness weekend. The $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies headlines a program of seven stakes worth $1.15 million May 17 that includes the $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3), while the Preakness anchors a program of nine stakes worth $2.65 million.

The $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on the Preakness undercard was upgraded from listed status for 2019, while new to the program is the $100,000 Searching Stakes for fillies and mares, 3 and up, at 1 1/2 miles on the turf.

"We're very happy to present this stakes schedule through October," said Maryland Jockey Club President and General Manager Sal Sinatra. "We continue improving our program and getting interest from horsemen throughout North America. The improvements to our facility, coupled with a few changes to the stakes schedule, have us excited about the upcoming year. We will continue building our year-round program and amenities and we're confident we will see interest continue to grow in our product."        

Laurel Park's winter meet begins Jan. 1 and will run primarily Thursday through Sunday in January and February and Friday through Sunday in March in a 48-day stand that concludes March 31. There will be no racing Thursdays Jan. 3 and 17 and Feb. 14 and special Monday programs on Presidents Day, Jan. 21, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Feb. 18.

Winter Carnival returns Feb. 16 featuring the $250,000 Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares 4 and up and the $250,000 General George (G3) for 4-year-olds and up, both at seven furlongs.

Laurel Park's 19-day spring meet opens April 5 and runs through May 5 on a Thursday through Sunday schedule. There will be no racing on Easter Sunday, April 21, and a special Easter Monday program April 22.

Following the Preakness Meet at Pimlico, racing returns to Laurel for its summer meet, which runs May 31 to Aug. 18. A total of 13 stakes worth $1.1 million will be offered starting June 16 with four stakes, including the $100,000 Alma North for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, the inaugural $100,000 Big Dreyfus for fillies and mares 3 and up, and the $100,000 Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on Laurel's world-class turf course.

Racing moves to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium Aug. 23 through Labor Day, Sept. 2, and Laurel Park opens its calendar-year ending fall meet Sept. 6. The opening month features 14 stakes, two graded, worth $1.8 million in purses.

The Sept. 21 program will be the first of two Super Saturdays during the month, offering eight stakes worth $1.2 million highlighted by the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs and the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3T), a one-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up.

Stakes schedule: http://www.laurelpark.com/horsemen/fall-stakes-2019