Brittany Russell, Jaime Rodríguez, Euro Stable earn Laurel titles
Brittany Russell secured her sixth Maryland Jockey Club meet training title, besting Jamie Ness by a margin of 16 to 11.
In 2023, Russell ended Claudio Gonazlez’s six-year reign atop the year-end leaderboard by notching 118 victories at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, finishing five ahead of runner-up Ness.
Last year, Russell earned 113 victories at Laurel and Pimlico, 16 more than runner-up Ness.
Married to jockey Sheldon Russell, Brittany Russell is often joined in the winner’s circle by their daughter, Edy, and son, Rye.
Russell’s stable star is undoubtedly Post Time. Owned by Mrs. Ellen Charles’s Hillwood Stable, Post Time returned to the races earlier this week, dominating a high-level allowance race at Laurel.
Post Time might make his next start in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga on June 7.
Jaime Rodríguez earned his seventh Maryland Jockey Club riding title, edging out Mychel Sanchez and Sheldon Russell 14 to 11.
A 34-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Rodriguez won the year-end riding title in Maryland in 2023 and 2024.
Rodríguez attended the famed Escuela Vocacional Hípica in Puerto Rico and rode his first domestic winner on May 5, 2010, when East of Eden prevailed at Belmont Park.
Rodríguez enjoyed a career year in 2024, setting lifetime marks in mounts (1,199), wins (272), seconds (210), thirds (190), and earnings ($9,538,475). He placed fourth in the nation in victories and 23rd in purse money. It was the third consecutive season that Rodriguez rode over 200 winners.
Euro Stable led all owners with five wins, one better than the partnership of Madison Avenue Racing Stable, Morris Kernan Jr, and Jagger Inc.