Weekend at Laurel

Today:

The $60,000-added St. Brendan Stakes has drawn a classy field of routers headed by Big Rut, the Hamilton Smith-trained winner of the Native Dancer and Harrison Johnson Memorial Handicaps.

The mile and one-eighth feature, sprinkled with stakes winners, shapes up as one of the best races of the meeting. Smith also has entered Lay Low Halo, which captured the Broad Brush Stakes but was a victim of Big Rut in the Johnson Memorial.

Trainer Nelson Crews has entered Kool Krafty, which upset a solid field of allowance campaigners earlier this month. The former claiming runner has a three-race win streak.

Tomorrow:

Maryland-bred fillies and mares take the spotlight in the Conniver Stakes, a $60,000-added event to be staged over 7 furlongs.

Weather Vane, owned by Par Four Racing Stable and trained by Richard Delp, is the likely favorite in the field of 10. She managed to land a spot on the board in the Grade II Barbara Fritchie Stakes earlier this month while facing some of the toughest distaffers in the East.

Pub Date: 2/28/98