Laurel Set for Christmastide Stakes Day Program Friday
At 0h07, on December 30, 2022 • By LAUREL PARK
Delayed four days due to severe winter weather, Laurel Park will host six $100,000 stakes and a racing calendar giveaway Friday as part of its 11-race Christmastide Day program.
A total of 109 horses were entered on the card, which begins with a special early post time of 11:25 a.m.
Stakes action begins in Race 4 with the seven-furlong Heft for 2-year-olds, where Prince of Jericho is the 8-5 program favorite to run his win streak to three after back-to-back victories by 17 combined lengths.
Juvenile fillies take the spotlight in Race 5, the seven-furlong Gin Talking, where undefeated Malibu Moonshine chases her third straight win and second in a stakes following the Dec. 3 Maryland Juvenile Fillies at Laurel.
Fille d’Esprit seeks her 13th career win, sixth in a stakes and third in a row in the 6 ½-furlong Willa On the Move (Race 7) for fillies and mares 3 and up against such rivals as multiple stakes winners Dontletsweetfoolya an Swayin to and Fro and Grade 2-placed Union Lake.
The final stakes race on Maryland’s 2022 calendar, the Robert T. Manfuso (Race 10) for 3-year-olds and up at about 1 1/16 miles saw an overflow field of 12 entered including Oct. 22 Maryland Million Classic winner Ournationonparade; graded-stakes winners Ridin With Biden and newly minted millionaire Cordmaker; and Armando R, a winner of back-to-back stakes at Laurel.
