Stakes Races

The Maryland Racing Commission approved a 2009 race schedule yesterday that includes as many dates through April as this year's slate. But officials warned that races could be dropped during the year if the industry's economic woes continue. Total purses for stakes races will be $265,000 lower than last year for Laurel Park's 59-date winter calendar, which will run from Jan. 1 to April 13. Though the industry foresees larger purses in the future because voters passed a slots plan this month, racing officials do not expect revenue injections from slots until 2010.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Pat Day has ridden some great horses and won many of this country's major stakes races, including two Preaknesses.But until yesterday, a win in America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, had eluded him.He was fond of saying, "I believe there's a Derby out there somewhere with my name on it. Maybe more than one."When his number came up, it was on a horse, Lil E. Tee, that not many thought had much of a chance.Day had missed in the Derby from 1988 to 1990 on three outstanding horses -- Forty Niner, Easy Goer and Summer Squall.

Canadian trainer Alec Fehr is returning home with an armload of booty. His four-month foray into the States has netted a pile of hard U.S. cash and about a dozen thoroughbreds. He capped his visit by taking the $75,000 John B. Campbell Handicap yesterday at Pimlico, as 5-year-old Salty Note made easy work of four rivals in the 1 3/16th-mile race. "I'm shipping out on Monday," said Fehr, a 33-year-old claiming-game expert who had his 20-horse stable at Aqueduct this winter. "It's been a great trip.

LAUREL -- Gala Spinaway rallied from fourth and won the $40,900 Bimelech Stakes at Laurel Race Course yesterday in a scene that has happened dozens of times through the years at Maryland racetracks.The reason for the familiarity was the personalities in the winners' circle. There were the winning owners, Gertrude and Skip Leviton, and the breeders, Nancy and Bob Leonard. They were there to celebrate another stakes winner sent out by trainer Bernie Bond.The colt had just won the seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds by 4 3/4 lengths over Solo Dash, and Skip Leviton, from Atlantic City, N.J., was asked how long his racehorses that included the name "Gala" in them had been winning stakes races.

Spring brings renewal, and that was the feeling among some horsemen Wednesday, when the Maryland Jockey Club released a Pimlico spring stakes schedule that includes the return of the Grade III Allaire duPont Distaff on Preakness Day and a $100,000 boost to the purse for the day before's Grade II Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. The MJC unveiled the stakes schedule after reaching agreement with the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Horse Breeders Association. All that remains is for the Maryland Racing Commission to approve it Feb. 15 at its monthly meeting at Laurel Park.

Trainer Ned Allard looked at the names of the horses running in the $100,000 Gala Lil Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park and knew his entry, Friel's for Real, was going to be in for a fight. "I thought, `There's no monster in here, but it's going to be very, very competitive,' " said Allard, whose 6-year-old filly by Sword Dancer fought down the stretch to overtake Silmaril and beat her to the finish by a head. "I hate to see a horse run that hard and not win," said Ryan Fogelsonger, who rode Silmaril, trained by Chris Grove.

An annual rite of spring occurs today when Pimlico opens. After nine months, thoroughbred racing returns to the track in Baltimore. Fans arriving for today's races will find workers throughout the plant working on what the Maryland Jockey Club -- and most racing fans in the state -- hope is a five-year plan of renovating the 130-year-old track. Marty Azola, vice president of facilities at Pimlico and Laurel Park, described these early improvements as "not terribly sexy." They involve mainly code upgrades that Baltimore officials required when the Maryland Jockey Club applied for permits to build new barns, install brick-and-wrought iron fencing and add exterior landscaping.

William Harris ' Sweet Goodbye, the 1-5 betting favorite, cruised past five other fillies and mares to win Saturday's $70,000 Conniver Stakes at Laurel Park. The daughter of Louis Quatorze finished the seven-furlong race over a sloppy track in 1 minute, 23.95 seconds, defeating late-closing long shot Call of Lion by 2 1/4 lengths. "She is awesome," said winning jockey J.D. Acosta , who has been aboard the 5-year-old mare in all 14 career starts. "She has learned to run from behind, which has made her a much more complete runner."

After a brief respite allowing horses to careen around the daring turns of Timonium for 10 days, racing resumes today at Pimlico. Post time is 1: 10 p.m.The four-week meet features a quartet of $100,000 stakes races, including tomorrow's Safely Kept Stakes, a Grade III six-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies. The others are for horses 3 and older: the Damascus Handicap on Sept. 14, a one-mile turf race; the Polynesian Stakes on Sept. 21, a Grade III 1 1/16-mile race and the Bald Eagle Breeders' Cup on Sept.

Women's college lacrosse Schwarzmann, Howard, D'Amore earn weekly honors Maryland senior midfielder Katie Schwarzmann (Century) and senior goalkeeper Kasey Howard (Broadneck) have been named Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, the conference announced Tuesday. Schwarzmann moved up to No. 5 on Maryland's all-time goals list (180) with a career-high seven in a 19-11 win at No. 1 Syracuse on Sunday. She added three draw controls and converted on 7-of-8 shots, helping the Terps avenge a one-goal loss last season that ended a 36-game home winning streak.