Abel Castellano

In his first start since a 12th-place finish behind Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness in May, Tone It Down won Friday's seventh race at Laurel Park, a $32,000 allowance test. Under Abel Castellano , the son of Medaglia d'Oro rallied down the lane on the sloppy main track to win by 1 1/4 lengths and pay $11.60. He covered the seven furlongs in 1 minute, 25.83 seconds. Our Second Slew finished second, and Ijada's Run rallied for third. Tone It Down has won three of seven starts during his 3-year-old campaign.

Bold Affair made short work of her seven filly and mare rivals when she galloped to victory in Saturday's feature at Laurel Park, the $105,000 What A Summer Stakes. Before the start of the race, Bold Affair was reluctant to load and needed the help of several members of the gate crew. Out quickly at the start to engage the pacesetters in the six-furlong test, Bold Affair sat outside Dance to Bristol and Silver Heart before pushing to the front around the turn and pulling away through the stretch to win by 41/2 lengths in 1 minute, 10.61seconds.

Paul Biedermann beat Olympic star Michael Phelps to win the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle at the world championships in Rome in August and the two will contest the same event this weekend at a World Cup meet in Berlin, but the Baltimore resident isn't making a big deal of the rematch. "I'll be the first to admit I'm not in a great shape," said Phelps, who returned to racing this week after a long layoff. "I'll race as hard as I can and whatever happens, happens." Biedermann, a German, is coming off a torn muscle fiber in his left thigh.

Anyone who has seen a thoroughbred in full stride has probably wondered: Where would they go if they could roam free? The answer for a 4-year-old gelding named Bullet Catcher who escaped Laurel Park Friday morning is that he followed the road ahead of him. Which saved his life. “We're not really sure why he stuck to the road so closely, or how he happened to hit all the lights and make the right turns,” said Mark Rosenthal, a former jockey and owner of the gelding. “He's a lucky horse.” After throwing jockey Jeremy Rose around 9 a.m. Friday following a workout, Bullet Catcher ran past a security outpost at the back of the track - officials didn't have time to close the gate, Rosenthal said - and veered right toward the open road.

Bold Affair caught front-runner Valiant Passion and rolled to a convincing victory in the $75,000 Primonetta Stakes, the feature offering Saturday at Pimlico Race Course . Abel Castellano asked the 4-year-old filly to engage Valiant Passion around the far turn in the six-furlong test and they pulled away to win by 23/4 lengths, in 1 minute, 10.67 seconds. Aquitania rallied to finish second and Enchante took third. "I was right behind the speed, and I just let her do her own. She did it well.

Bold Affair quickly opened a lead on her way to an easy victory over filly and mare rivals in the $75,000 Conniver Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park. Owned by Charles Reed and Mike Zanella and trained by Howard Wolfendale, Bold Affair left the gate as the 6-5 favorite under jockey Abel Castellano. At the finish, the daughter of Two Punch was 61/2 lengths ahead of Baltimore Belle, with Music Please a distant third. "I was very impressed," Castellano said. "I was waiting for the other horses to come especially around the turn.

Michael Dubb's Greed and Fear took the overland route to victory in Saturday's feature at Laurel Park, the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Sent to post at 4-1 under Horacio Karamanos for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, the Bob and John filly broke from the outside post in the field of nine, traveled four-wide down the backstretch, then swept up and around on the leaders around the turn and drew off in the stretch to an impressive, 11/4-length score in 1 minute, 25.13 seconds for the seven-furlong distance.

Bold Affair made short work of her seven filly and mare rivals when she galloped to victory in Saturday's feature at Laurel Park, the $105,000 What A Summer Stakes. Before the start of the race, Bold Affair was reluctant to load and needed the help of several members of the gate crew. Out quickly at the start to engage the pacesetters in the six-furlong test, Bold Affair sat outside Dance to Bristol and Silver Heart before pushing to the front around the turn and pulling away through the stretch to win by 41/2 lengths in 1 minute, 10.61seconds.

Pimlico Race Course Miss Fleetfoot breezes to win in $75K Primonetta Stakes Ghost Ridge Farms & Phil Schoenthal 's Miss Fleetfoot demonstrated her love for adverse weather conditions when she sailed through an afternoon storm Saturday to win the feature at Pimlico Race Course , the $75,000 Primonetta Stakes for fillies and mares. Now 4-for-7 lifetime racing on an off-track, the 6-year-old rushed into contention under jockey Abel Castellano , pressing and dueling with speedy front-runner Five Diamonds through the heavy rain and gusty wind before powering away to win the six-furlong test by 21/4 lengths in 1 minute, 12.02 seconds.

Claimed for $7,500 two weeks ago, Sneaky Lil won the $50,000 Shine Again Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday. Abel Castellano led the daughter of 1996 Preakness winner Louis Quatorze on a late charge to win the feature race of opening weekend. The 6-year-old mare pulled ahead in a late burst to win by four lengths. "I started letting her go at the half-mile pole and we were clear on the outside," Castellano said. "I was worried about Over the Moon [the morning line favorite] who was behind us but didn't keep up with us. Then I set my sights on the Grove horse [Touch the Birds]

Laurel Park Bold Affair goes coast to coast in Geisha Stakes Charles Reed and Mike Zanella 's Bold Affair went to the lead, galloped along within herself and came home a driving winner in the Thanksgiving feature at Laurel Park, the $100,000 Geisha Stakes. Racing one mile under Abel Castellano , Bold Affair completed the distance in 1 minute, 38.81 seconds over the fast main track and finished four lengths ahead of Catch a Thief, who had to chase the winner throughout.

Michael Dubb's Greed and Fear took the overland route to victory in Saturday's feature at Laurel Park, the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Sent to post at 4-1 under Horacio Karamanos for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, the Bob and John filly broke from the outside post in the field of nine, traveled four-wide down the backstretch, then swept up and around on the leaders around the turn and drew off in the stretch to an impressive, 11/4-length score in 1 minute, 25.13 seconds for the seven-furlong distance.

Bold Affair caught front-runner Valiant Passion and rolled to a convincing victory in the $75,000 Primonetta Stakes, the feature offering Saturday at Pimlico Race Course . Abel Castellano asked the 4-year-old filly to engage Valiant Passion around the far turn in the six-furlong test and they pulled away to win by 23/4 lengths, in 1 minute, 10.67 seconds. Aquitania rallied to finish second and Enchante took third. "I was right behind the speed, and I just let her do her own. She did it well.

Claimed for $7,500 two weeks ago, Sneaky Lil won the $50,000 Shine Again Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday. Abel Castellano led the daughter of 1996 Preakness winner Louis Quatorze on a late charge to win the feature race of opening weekend. The 6-year-old mare pulled ahead in a late burst to win by four lengths. "I started letting her go at the half-mile pole and we were clear on the outside," Castellano said. "I was worried about Over the Moon [the morning line favorite] who was behind us but didn't keep up with us. Then I set my sights on the Grove horse [Touch the Birds]

Bold Affair quickly opened a lead on her way to an easy victory over filly and mare rivals in the $75,000 Conniver Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park. Owned by Charles Reed and Mike Zanella and trained by Howard Wolfendale, Bold Affair left the gate as the 6-5 favorite under jockey Abel Castellano. At the finish, the daughter of Two Punch was 61/2 lengths ahead of Baltimore Belle, with Music Please a distant third. "I was very impressed," Castellano said. "I was waiting for the other horses to come especially around the turn.

Pimlico Race Course Miss Fleetfoot breezes to win in $75K Primonetta Stakes Ghost Ridge Farms & Phil Schoenthal 's Miss Fleetfoot demonstrated her love for adverse weather conditions when she sailed through an afternoon storm Saturday to win the feature at Pimlico Race Course , the $75,000 Primonetta Stakes for fillies and mares. Now 4-for-7 lifetime racing on an off-track, the 6-year-old rushed into contention under jockey Abel Castellano , pressing and dueling with speedy front-runner Five Diamonds through the heavy rain and gusty wind before powering away to win the six-furlong test by 21/4 lengths in 1 minute, 12.02 seconds.

Laurel Park Bold Affair goes coast to coast in Geisha Stakes Charles Reed and Mike Zanella 's Bold Affair went to the lead, galloped along within herself and came home a driving winner in the Thanksgiving feature at Laurel Park, the $100,000 Geisha Stakes. Racing one mile under Abel Castellano , Bold Affair completed the distance in 1 minute, 38.81 seconds over the fast main track and finished four lengths ahead of Catch a Thief, who had to chase the winner throughout.

Anyone who has seen a thoroughbred in full stride has probably wondered: Where would they go if they could roam free? The answer for a 4-year-old gelding named Bullet Catcher who escaped Laurel Park Friday morning is that he followed the road ahead of him. Which saved his life. “We're not really sure why he stuck to the road so closely, or how he happened to hit all the lights and make the right turns,” said Mark Rosenthal, a former jockey and owner of the gelding. “He's a lucky horse.” After throwing jockey Jeremy Rose around 9 a.m. Friday following a workout, Bullet Catcher ran past a security outpost at the back of the track - officials didn't have time to close the gate, Rosenthal said - and veered right toward the open road.

Paul Biedermann beat Olympic star Michael Phelps to win the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle at the world championships in Rome in August and the two will contest the same event this weekend at a World Cup meet in Berlin, but the Baltimore resident isn't making a big deal of the rematch. "I'll be the first to admit I'm not in a great shape," said Phelps, who returned to racing this week after a long layoff. "I'll race as hard as I can and whatever happens, happens." Biedermann, a German, is coming off a torn muscle fiber in his left thigh.

In his first start since a 12th-place finish behind Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness in May, Tone It Down won Friday's seventh race at Laurel Park, a $32,000 allowance test. Under Abel Castellano , the son of Medaglia d'Oro rallied down the lane on the sloppy main track to win by 1 1/4 lengths and pay $11.60. He covered the seven furlongs in 1 minute, 25.83 seconds. Our Second Slew finished second, and Ijada's Run rallied for third. Tone It Down has won three of seven starts during his 3-year-old campaign.