Favored Bankit Takes Road Show To Laurel, Wins John B. Campbell Sponsored by:
Veteran Bankit made his first start at Laurel a winning one in the John B. Campbell at Laurel
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing s well-traveled Bankit, making his 27th career start but first in Maryland, swept to the lead on the far outside and powered through the stretch to a 1 ¾-length triumph in Saturday s $100,000 John B. Campbell at Laurel Park.
The 67th running of the Campbell for 4-year-olds and up and the 38th edition of the $100,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares 4 and older, both at about 1 1/16 miles, were among six stakes worth $900,000 on a Winter Sprintfest program co-headlined by the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) and $250,000 General George (G3).
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Hello Beautiful and Sheldon Russell win the Safely Kept by 11 1/4 lengths
With two program favorites for Laurel Park s rescheduled Winter Sprintfest program and another horse listed as second choice on the morning line, trainer Brittany Russell took her stakes trio on a mini road trip to keep them sharp for the big day.
Winter Sprintfest, featuring six stakes, two graded, worth $900,000 in purses, was postponed to Feb. 20 due to a winter storm that hit Laurel leading up to the original Feb. 13 date. The weather also caused training over the main track to be suspended over the weekend.
Areas north of Laurel didn t see as much ice and mixed precipitation, so Russell was able to ship Hello Beautiful, Maythehorsebwithu and Little Huntress the 45 minutes to historic Pimlico Race Course Monday, which remained open for training.
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Kenny Had a Notion regained his winning ways in the Spectacular Bid
Kenny Had a Notion and Maythehorsebwithu, separated by a neck following a stretch-long duel in the Spectacular Bid last month, will hook up again as the primary challengers in Saturday s $100,000 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park in Maryland.
The 26th running of the one-mile Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds and the 28th renewal of the $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies are among six stakes, two graded, worth $900,000 on the nine-race Winter Sprintfest program.
Serving as co-headliners are the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares 4 and up and the $250,000 General George (G3) for 4-year-olds and up, both sprinting seven furlongs. Older horses will also go about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 John B. Campbell and $100,000 Nellie Morse for females.
Russell Seeking First Graded Win With Hello Beautiful Sponsored by:
Hello Beautiful and Sheldon Russell win the Safely Kept by 11 1/4 lengths
With few remaining gaps on Hello Beautiful s resume, trainer Brittany Russell will seek to achieve a significant milestone for both herself and her stable star when they go up against seven rivals in Saturday s $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) at Laurel Park.
th running of the Fritchie for fillies and mares 4 and older and the 45
th edition of the $250,000 General s Stake (G3), formerly the General George, for 4-year-olds and up highlight a Winter Sprintfest program of six stakes worth $900,000 in purses. Both graded races are contested at seven furlongs.
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Feargal Lynch
More than six months since he last rode, journeyman Feargal Lynch returned to action with a single mount Sunday at Laurel Park in Maryland.
Lynch finished eighth on Stone Farm s Saintly Samurai for trainer Graham Motion in the featured seventh race, a second-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up won by Oxide ($12) in 1:24.28 for seven furlongs over a muddy track.
It was the first race in 200 days for the 42-year-old Lynch, sidelined with a condylar fracture in his neck and wedge compression fracture in his back from a fall in the third race July 23, 2020, at Laurel. Saintly Samurai, a 6-year-old gelding sent off at odds of 10-1, was making his first start since last July 17.