Horses bred in Maryland and Virginia will be in the spotlight June 25 at Pimlico Race Course as part of a new venture between racing and breeding interests in the two states.
Maryland-breds will be featured in two $75,000 stakes, both at 1 1/8 miles on the turf—the All Brandy for fillies and mares and the Find for 3-year-olds and up. There are three $60,000 stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired runners: The Edward P. Evans for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the grass, the White Oak Farm for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on turf, and the Nellie Mae Cox for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Since Colonial Downs closed, Virginia-bred stakes have been run at Laurel Park in September. That will continue; the June 25 events are new additions to the calendar.
The All Brandy attracted Brooke Bowman's Vielsalm, a 6-year-old Fairbanks mare who was a head short of winning the Gallorette Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 76-1 May 21 at Pimlico, as well as Sagamore Farm's Ginger N Rye and Charles Reed's Monster Sleeping, seventh and 11th, respectively, in the Gallorette.
The stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired horses attracted 31 entrants, including Lael Stables Exaggerated, a 4-year-old Blame filly who won the Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland in April and finished third behind top turf-sprint filly Lady Shipman in The Very One Stakes May 21 at Pimlico.
