Maryland Jockey Club Announces Incentives for 2019
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Photo: Courtesy of Maryland Jockey Club/Jim Duley
Racing at Laurel Park
In preparation for this weekend's seasonal kickoff at Laurel Park, the Maryland Jockey Club announced Jan. 9 an incentive program for graded stakes winners that participate in its stakes schedule in 2019.
With the exception of the 144th Preakness Stakes (G1)—the middle jewel of the Triple Crown to be run May 18—any grade 1 winners in the past 12 months will have their entry and starting fees waived if they run in a MJC stakes race.
In addition, any grade 1 or grade 2 winner in the past 12 months that runs in either the Bald Eagle Derby or Laurel Futurity will have their entry and starting fees waived. The second running of the $150,000 Bald Eagle Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/2 miles and the $200,000 Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles will both be run over Laurel's turf course Sept. 21.
"As Maryland racing continues to grow, we're hoping this incentive will strengthen our stakes schedule and help us build some stakes to the graded level," said MJC racing secretary Chris Merz.
Starting with four $100,000 stakes for older horses Jan. 12 and leading up to the 34th edition of the Oct. 19 Jim McKay Maryland Million, the MJC will serve up 65 stakes, 13 graded, worth $9.2 million in purses through the first two-thirds of the 2019 calendar.
The What a Summer Stakes and Nellie Morse Stakes for older fillies and mares and the Native Dancer Stakes and Fire Plug Stakes for 4-year-olds and up will be held this weekend. The Nellie Morse and Native Dancer are contested at about 1 1/16 miles, and the What a Summer and Fire Plug are run at six furlongs.
Laurel Park's 48-day winter meet opened Jan. 1 and runs through March 31. The annual Winter Carnival, featuring the $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3) and $250,000 General George Stakes (G3), is set for Feb. 16.