Laurel adds former Colonial graded stakes to fall schedule

The Maryland Jockey Club announced Friday a $4 million fall-winter stakes

schedule at Laurel led by the $900,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million on October 17

and three new graded stakes.

The $400,000 Commonwealth Derby (G2) for three-year-olds, and the $250,000

Commonwealth Turf Cup (G2), for three-year-olds and up, will be contested at

Laurel on September 19. The $150,000 Commonwealth Oaks (G3), for three-year-old

fillies, will be run on September 26.

The Commonwealth Derby, Oaks and Turf Cup will be presented for the first

time at Laurel by the Virginia Equine Alliance and will all be contested at 1

1/8 miles on the turf. The Commonwealth Derby and Oaks were previously run as

the Virginia Derby and Oaks and contested at Colonial Downs. All three races

were last run in 2013.

"If a stakes race is dormant for two consecutive years, it loses its grade,"

said Virginia HBPA Executive Director Frank Petramalo. "We felt it was

imperative that the HBPA fund the $800,000 in total purse money for the three

this fall even though they will be held in neighboring Maryland. When the VEA

(Virginia Equine Alliance) brings Thoroughbred racing to Leesburg's Morven Park

in 2016, we want to open with a splash. Hosting these races as graded stakes

will aid in that transition."

The 31st running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million, a program introduced in

1986 for the offspring of Maryland-based stallions, will feature nine stakes,

including the $150,000 Maryland Millions Classic for three-year-old and up at 1

1/8 miles.

In all, Laurel will feature 36 stakes races for $4 million. The purse money

represents a $350,000 increase over total stakes last year. There will be five

Saturday programs with three or more stakes races, including November 14, when

six stakes are headlined by the $350,000 De Francis Dash and the $100,000 City

of Laurel, and September 12, when the $150,000 Lady Baltimore, a 1 1/16-mile

turf race for fillies and mares, will be supported by the $100,000 Laurel Dash,

the $75,000 Laurel Futurity and the $75,000 Selima.

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