Laurel Announces Winter SprintFest Noms
Nominations
for the three races which highlight the President’s day holiday weekend
at Laurel Park were released by the Maryland Jockey Club’s racing
office this morning.
Winter SprintFest features two graded, seven furlong contests - the $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (G2) for fillies and mares on Saturday, February 16 and the $250,000 General George Handicap (G3) for 3-year-olds and up on Monday, February 18.
The Saturday card also includes the $125,000 John B. Campbell Handicap at nine furlongs.
The Barbara Fritchie attracted twenty-five nominees headlined by graded winner Nicole H, who finished second in last year’s race. Maryland Jockey Club stakes coordinator Coley Blind expects Bold Affair, Dance To Bristol and Withgreatpleasure, all stakes winners at Laurel Park, to enter.
Twenty-eight runners are named to the General George, including three runners who recently won stakes races at Laurel: Brigand, Broad Rule and Il Villano. Blind indicated the connections of Associate, Fiddlers Afleet and Javerre are considering a start.
The Campbell drew twenty-six nominees, including 2011 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Ruler On Ice and five others who competed in a Triple Crown race: Concealed Identity (2011 Preakness Stakes), Done Talking (2012 Kentucky Derby), Isn’t He Perfect (2011 Preakness & Belmont), Norman Asbjornson (2011 Preakness) and Pants On Fire (2012 Derby).
The Maryland Jockey Club will also honor jockey Abel Castellano next Saturday afternoon for being the leading rider in the state a year ago.
The Saturday festivities will include a social media event called “Digital Reins”, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The promotion will include a complimentary continental breakfast, fee pilsner glass and $2 drafts. To enter, fans are asked to Like Laurel Park on Facebook.
Saturday will also feature over $2,500 in prize giveaways and a complimentary fleece scarf to the first 2,500 paid fans. Those who wear the scarf to Laurel on Monday afternoon will receive free admission.