Combat Queen winning at Laurel Park on Oct. 9, 2022. (Jim McCue/MJC)
Racing Returns Friday to Laurel Park
Six $100,000 Christmastide Day Stakes Dec. 26 to be Drawn Saturday
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club/Edited
LAUREL, Md. – Country Life Farm’s 5-year-old mare Combat Queen, on the board in 20 of 27 lifetime starts, returns to action chasing a third straight victory as live racing resumes Friday at Laurel Park.
First race post time is 12:25 p.m.
Trained by Mike Trombetta, Combat Queen will face eight others in Race 8, a seven-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up. Johan Rosado is named to ride from Post 3.
Combat Queen won a pair of 5 ½-furlong sprints 21 days apart at Laurel with Rosado aboard, the latter a front-running allowance triumph by four lengths Oct. 30. She is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line behind tepid 5-2 favorite My Flicker, who had a three-race win streak snapped last out when second by a head in a 6 ½-furlong optional claimer Nov. 26 at Charles Town.
The 4-year-old dark bay is by Congrats out of Quiet American mare Starsonhershoulder. This MD-bred filly was purchased for $20,000 at the Fasig-Tipton May 2-yo sale for Country Life and Merryland racing partnerships. An ultra-consistent filly, and after breaking her maiden in her 2nd start, she has finished on the board in most of her starts with earnings over $178,000 so far in her career.
Combat Queen will be retired to the Country Life and Merryland broodmare band at the end of 2022.
The feature is part of the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which spans Races 4-9 and features a carryover jackpot of $965.70.
A trio of allowances highlight Saturday’s nine-race card. Race 4 is an optional claiming allowance for 2-year-olds going a one-turn mile where The Elkstone Group’s B West is the 3-1 program favorite racing for the first time since being claimed for $45,000 by Trombetta out of a 12-length maiden triumph Nov. 12 at Laurel.
Race 7 is an optional claiming allowance for 2-year-old fillies sprinting 5 ½ furlongs led by Chickieness, winner of the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 22. The feature comes in Race 8, a one-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up featuring stakes winners Local Motive, Monday Morning Qb, Vance Scholars and Wait for It.
Entries will be taken, and post positions drawn Saturday for six $100,000 Christmastide Day stakes to be run Monday, Dec. 26 – the Heft for 2-year-olds and Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/8-mile Carousel and 6 ½-furlong Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and up, and 1 1/16-mile Robert T. Manfuso and six-furlong Dave’s Friend for 3-year-olds and up.
