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- Trevor McCarthy won three of the first four races on the Saturday afternoon 10-race program. Those victories give him 18 for the winter meeting — five more than any other rider. His average winner at the meet has paid $6.87, and he’s one of just three riders — Victor Carrasco and Jorge Vargas, Jr. being the others — to have 10 or more wins to date.
- One of McCarthy’s three winners came on a crafty ride aboard the popular local horse John Jones, who took a third-level allowance/optional claimer in race three. John Jones pressed the early pace outside of Moe Trouble, dropped a couple of lengths back in the lane, came down inside and rallied to get up by a nose. It was John Jones’s first win since winning the Jennings in December 2017 and 10th overall. He paid $7.20.
- The day’s other allowance went to Two Dozen Roses (pictured above) and rider Jorge Vargas, Jr. That duo made a spirited rally between horses from fourth with a furlong to go to win by a length. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Two Dozen Roses won for the second time in six starts and returned $7.60.
- Maidens no more: Starting Tour (trained by Gary Capuano and ridden by Johan Rosado), Field Letters (Justin Nixon/Sheldon Russell), and Trion Wings (Dorothy Worton/Rosario Montanez) all earned their diplomas today.
- With his win in the fifth, Runabout (Wayne Potts/Montanez) became the fourth horse to win twice at the current Laurel meeting; no horse has won more than twice.
- Among the humans getting their first wins at the meet were trainers Dorothy Worton and Justin Nixon and rider Sheldon Russell.
