Shake You Down Among 89 Nominated to Sprint Festival

(from Lauel Park report)
Eighty-nine horses have been nominated to Laurel Park's Winter SprintFest to be run on President's Day weekend (Feb. 14-16).

The feature offerings are the $200,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (gr. II) and $150,000 John B. Campbell Handicap. Sunday's card is highlighted by the $75,000 Jameela Stakes, while Monday's marquee race is the $200,000 General George Handicap (gr. II). The weights will be announced on Feb. 8.

Shake You Down and 2001 winner Peeping Tom, who was the runner-up in last year's running, headline the list of 24 nominations for the General George. In his last start 7-year old Peeping Tom won the $75,000 Paumonok Handicap at Aqueduct. Shake You Down who finished in the money in a pair of grade I sprints last fall (Breeders' Cup Sprint and De Francis Dash), won the Sunshine Millions Sprint last weekend at Gulfstream Park, his fourth added money score in 10 months with trainer Scott Lake.

Laurel Park-based Gators N Bears, who has won four added money races since early July, is also nominated, as are graded stakes winners Gygistar and Lion Tamer.

Multiple stakes-winning Randaroo is the marquee name among the 27 nominees to the Barbara Fritchie. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee notched three consecutive graded stakes victories last year before finishing 2003 with a second-place finish behind Island Fashion in the La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita. Half of the other nominees have stakes wins on their resumes.

Twenty-four horses have been nominated to the John Campbell, including grade I winners Toccet and Evening Attire.

The seven-furlong Jameela for 3-year olds Maryland-breds attracted 14 potential runners.