Majestic Dunhill springs upset in City of Laurel Stakes

R A Hill Stable’s Majestic Dunhill, a sprint stakes winner on the grass this summer, transferred his success to the main track with a last-to-first half-length upset in Saturday’s $100,000 City of Laurel at Laurel Park. 

The City of Laurel for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs, were among five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a 10-race Salute the Troops Day program.

Ridden by Feargal Lynch for New York-based trainer George Weaver, Majestic Dunhill ($21) was racing for the first time on dirt, finishing up in 1:23.44 over a main track rated good. Runner-up Smooth B was a length ahead of pacesetter Oldies But Goodies in third, with another neck back to Grade 3 winner Golden Brown. Old Time Revival, the narrow 9-5 favorite, finished last.

Majestic Dunhill encountered some trouble at the start, bumping with Old Time Revival after breaking from Post 8 and having to steady, getting pinched back to trail the nine-horse field as Oldies But Goodies cruised up front through fractions of 23.46 seconds, 44.69 and 1:09.88.

Oldies But Goodies hung tough past the eighth pole before being surrounded by his rivals led by Majestic Dunhill, who was steered to the far outside by Lynch for a steady determined run through the lane. 

“This was his first time on the dirt. He ran very good in a lot of turf stakes and it was just a trial today. They supplemented him into this race so it was a big ask and I’m glad they did,” Lynch said. “To be honest, I couldn’t see how far back I was but knew when I got him into the straight and got him outside I thought I was going to run them down.”

Majestic Dunhill, by Grade 1-winning dirt sprinter Majesticperfection, had three wins, a second and two thirds from nine turf starts. He won the My Frenchman July 14 at Monmouth Park going about 5 ½ furlongs, and was most recently beaten a neck when second in the 6 ½-furlong Franklin-Simpson Stakes Sept. 13 at Kentucky Downs.