The 12-week Laurel Park winter meeting ended Sunday with Sheldon Russell and
Dane Kobiskie winning individual titles. The 47-day stand began at the central
Maryland track on January 1. Two live cards were canceled due to inclement
weather.
Russell topped the rider standings with 45 first-place finishes, 13 more than Forest Boyce. A top
10 rider in Maryland since
2007, the 23-year-old had 14 multiple win days during the meet, including a
match of his career-high with five victories last Thursday. Russell, who also took
the 2008 Laurel fall meet, won races for 14 different trainers.
“We work really hard in the morning and try to get
on as many horses as possible,” Russell said. “Because we have ranked in the top three in the
standings all year, we have also been able to ride many of the top shippers.
“We were consistent during the entire meet, and it means a lot to
win the title. I have improved and hope to keep it up. My goal is to be the top
rider in the state for the entire year.”
Kobiskie won the training title with 19 victories
from 58 starts, an impressive 32.8 percent winning percentage. The former rider
conditioned seven runners who won multiple races during the meet, including
That’s No Bargain (Meadow Monster), who won four races for the barn, and Shoe Freak Marlene
(Double Honor), who
captured three of five races during a 37-day period after being claimed.
“I am very happy. The whole barn seemed to run
well,” said Kobiskie, who won 289 races during 33 months as a jockey. “It is
about putting them in the right spots and trying to keep them in form. I have
always wanted to be a trainer that keeps consistent form with the horse, running
in the top three or four every time out.”
Tim Keefe finished in second place with 16 wins from
57 runners, including a pair of stakes victories by Red’s Round Table (Cuvee).
Kobiskie’s owner, PTK LLC, won the owner standings, finishing first 19 times,
10 more than Robert Cole.
Live racing shifts to historic Pimlico Race Course on Friday for the eight-week spring meeting, headlined by the 136th
running of the $1 million Preakness S. (G1), the middle jewel of racing’s Triple
Crown, on May 21. First post for opening day is 1:10 p.m. (EDT).