Barbara Fritchie, General George Top Six Stakes Worth $900,000

BALTIMORE – Laurel Park is gearing up to host its biggest day of the winter season Saturday with a stakes-filled spectacular led by the $250,000 Barbara Fritchie (G3) and $250,000 General George (G3).

A total of six stakes worth $900,000 in purses are scheduled anchored by the 70th running of the Barbara Fritchie for fillies and mares 4 and older and the 46th renewal of the General George for 4-year-olds and up. Both races are contested at seven furlongs.

First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

The Barbara Fritchie (Race 8, 3:55 p.m.) attracted a field of eight where the 7-5 program favorite is New York shipper Glass Ceiling, a winner of two straight including Aqueduct’s Garland of Roses two starts back for co-owner and trainer Charlton Baker. Multiple stakes winner Jakarta, exiting a third in the Jan. 29 Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream Park, is second choice at 3-1. Stakes winners Kaylasaurus, Prodigy Doll and Belle of the North are also entered.

Hillwood Stable’s Cordmaker is 7-5 on the morning line to earn his 14th career win, 10th in a stake and fourth in a row against the likes of stakes winners Shackqueenking, Sir Alfred James, Threes Over Deuces, Timeless Bounty and Air Token in the General George (Race 9, 4:27 p.m.). The 7-year-old Cordmaker ended 2021 with victories in the Richard W. Small and Robert T. Manfuso and began 2022 with a neck triumph in the Jan. 29 Jennings against fellow Maryland-bred/sired horses. He is two-for-eight lifetime at seven furlongs, a distance he last tried Aug. 20, 2020.

Video Cordmaker: Click here to view

Kicking off the stakes action in Race 4 (1:52 p.m.) is the $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies sprinting seven furlongs, where Luna Belle – co-bred, co-owned and trained by Hamilton Smith – chases her third straight win after victories in the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Dec. 18 and the Xtra Heat Jan. 29. Stakes winner Buff My Boots and Beneath the Stars also return from the Xtra Heat, having respectively run second and third.

Maryland’s stakes series for 3-year-olds continues in Race 5 (2:21 p.m.), the $100,000 Miracle Wood. Sonata Stable’s Conclusive, an impressive front-running optional claiming allowance winner Jan. 2, is the narrow 7-2 program favorite over Perfect Day (9-2), who is undefeated through two starts by 14 combined lengths. The one-mile Miracle Wood was preceded in the series by the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 29 and is followed by the $100,000 Private Terms at about 1 1/16 miles March 19 and $125,000 Federico Tesio going 1 1/8 miles April 16, the latter a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown nominated horses to the 147th Preakness (G1) May 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Race 6 (2:51 p.m.) is the $100,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares 4 and up going 1 1/16 miles. BB Horses’ Miss Leslie ended 2021 with three straight wins capped by the Thirty Eight Go Go and Carousel at Laurel, but had her streak snapped when she was second by a neck as the favorite in the Jan. 16 Ladies at Aqueduct. Multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter and Kiss the Girl are also entered.

Steven Walfish’s 7-year-old gelding Workin On a Dream, second to Cordmaker in the Small and Manfuso as well as Grade 3 winner Harpers First Ride in an optional claiming allowance last summer, goes after his first career stakes win in the $100,000 John B. Campbell (Race 7, 3:23 p.m.). Among his rivals is Galerio, second in three Laurel stakes last winter including the Campbell who also ran third in the Salvator Mile (G3).

Also Saturday, fans who purchase a racing program will find an entry slip for a drawing giving away a Samsung tablet, Ricardo luggage set, Beats Studio Buds, Fitbit Luxe, Aeoronautics video drone, 65-inch Toshiba television, a $200 voucher and three $100 vouchers.

NOTES

Trainer John Robb saddled three winners on Friday’s program. Robb won the first race with Fuhgeddaboutit ($4.40), the fourth with Mama G’s Wish ($4.20) and the sixth with California Bella. All were ridden by Xavier Perez.