Laurel Park

Jockey Erick Rodriguez won all four races in which he rode at Laurel Park and tightened his hold on the top of the fall meeting standings. Rodriguez, 29, tied a career high by reaching the winners circle aboard Let Me Be Frank ($2.60-first), Northpoint Costas ($5.80-fifth), Ocean Nomad ($7.40-seventh) and Dazzling Success ($12.60-ninth). "We are having a successful meet, thanks to the owners and trainers," said Rodriguez, who has won 46 times during the fall meet, 12 more than apprentice Joshua Navarro . "Since we are winning, we are getting a chance to ride better horses, and with that comes confidence."

Jim's Prospect won the $70,000 Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, beating out seven other 3-year-old fillies. Jim's Prospect had finished second to post-time favorite Gator Prowl in their previous two meetings but got the better of her rival Saturday. Jim's Prospect, owned by the Estate of James Glenn, rallied three wide into the lane, caught That's How I Roll in mid-stretch and went on to win by a head. Vladimir Diaz rode the daughter of St Averil for trainer J.B. Secor , finishing the seven-furlong race in 1 minute, 24.67 seconds over the fast main track.

Ore Pass broke sharply, sat off the dueling leaders, then went on the attack and charged by to win Saturday's feature at Laurel Park, the $125,000 Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes for 3-year-olds. Julian Pimentel was at the reins of the horse trained by Mike Trombetta , who completed the seven-furlong distance in 1 minute, 24.78 seconds, a length and a half ahead of Alpha Mike Foxtrot, with Lunar Rock finishing a distant third. Ore Pass paid $5.80 as the betting favorite. "I was kind of glad Mike told me just to stay behind the two horses," Pimentel said.

Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns gambling operations across the U.S., said Thursday that it is one of six bidders for Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park and the Preakness. The Pennsylvania-based company has begun construction of a 1,500-machine facility in Perryville that is expected to open in October as Maryland's first slots casino. Penn National is one of several bidders who expressed hope that Laurel Park could offer slot machines - if a proposal by the Baltimore developer the Cordish Cos. to build a 4,750-machine casino at Arundel Mills mall does not come to fruition.

Laurel Park Bandbox wins $75K Private Terms Stakes by 11/2 lengths Under confident handling, Hillwood Stable LLC's Bandbox cruised to victory in Saturday afternoon's feature at Laurel Park, the $75,000 Private Terms Stakes for 3-year-olds. Sent to post as the overwhelming favorite under Travis Dunkelberger , Bandbox tracked speedster Rush Now to the top of the lane before edging to the front and pulling away to win by 11/2 lengths in 1 minute, 37.25 seconds for the one-mile 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.

Purses are up, stakes and turf races are on the rise and more trainers and horses are coming to fill the stalls at the Bowie Training Center and Laurel Park, which opens its fall meet Wednesday. "Everybody is pretty excited," Maryland Jockey Club racing secretary Georganne Hale said. "Everything is looking so positive. The purses are so much bigger [having grown from a daily average of $180,000 last year to $240,000]. Other trainers are putting in applications for stalls. We've added stakes and raised their payoffs.

Three Diamond Farm's Private Tale hopped at the start and was last all the way to the far turn, but from there he was relentless in pursuit, weaving through traffic to win Monday's $125,000 Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park. Mike Trombetta trains Private Tale, a 5-year-old son of Tale of the Cat, who completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1minute, 45.85 seconds. Front-runner Javerre held on to take second, while Adirondack King loomed large in the stretch but had to settle for third.

Laurel Park 11 stakes tentatively set for winter meet Laurel Park's winter meeting this year will feature 11 stakes races, pending Maryland Racing Commission approval, after the Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association agreed to a schedule. The next commission meeting is Tuesday at Laurel Park. Headlining the program will be a pair of Grade II $200,000 seven-furlong sprints on Presidents Day weekend: the Barbara Fritchie Handicap for fillies and mares Feb. 18 and the General George Handicap for males two days later.

Horse racing Laurel Park race features rare double dead heat The seventh race at Laurel Park went down to the wire Monday afternoon as four horses arrived at the finish line together, resulting in a dead heat for first and a dead heat for third. The one-mile turf race for was for optional claiming runners. The final charge to the finish line included 21-1 shot Rockaby Bay and Masterel, who tied for the win, and Elkhorn Creek and Colonel Bill, who tied for third, a neck behind the winners.