The Maryland Sprint Stakes – Race 8 at Laurel – Post Time 2:48 PM Eastern

Top Win Contender(s): Floodlites

Five of these nine horses won their last races, and two others won the one just before. Despite what appears to be a tough field, Floodlites is by far the horse to beat. Floodlites won three races in succession at six furlongs on dirt, after all of his previous races, except his debut, were on turf and all-weather tracks. He won the first of the three in October, rallying from fourth, and he won two of the other races, leading from the start. His last race, on April 18, was his career best, earning a 109 Equibase Speed Figure, the fastest ever among all in the field. He also has the best average speed for the last quarter at 37.82 MPH and the eighth at 35 MPH to the finish. Floodlites also has the best average stride per length in the same portions of these races. This will be his second race off a four-month layoff, so he should run faster. John Velazquez rides him again.

Handicapper Picks

Win bets: Floodlites at 3 to 2 or higher.

The Gallorette Stakes – Race 11 at Laurel – Post Time 4:53 PM Eastern 

Top Win Contender(s): Mahra’s Love, Ribaltagaia

The favorites are likely to be Accent, Austere, and Child of the Moon, but all three are poor bets. Austere hasn’t won in seven races over 18 months. Her last win came in an allowance race in November 2024. Her best effort came when she finished second in this race last year. However, she finished fourth and sixth in her last two races last year, and she finished fourth in her April comeback after an eight-month layoff. Child of the Moon also earned her last win in 2024. She came back from a layoff in February this year and finished second in an allowance race. She then finished fourth in the Hillsborough Stakes in March and finished fifth in an allowance race. Accent at least has a win this year, winning two allowance races in February and March, but in a stakes try in her last race, she finished fourth. Also, most of the others are not in good form. Cheetah Lady is coming off a five-month layoff and needs a race to run her best. Awesome Czech is also running off a four-month layoff.

That leaves Mahra’s Love and Ribaltagaia, the second and third-place finishers in the Dahlia Stakes on April 18, at odds of 15 to 1 and 6 to 1, respectively.

Oddly, Mahra’s Love opens at 15 to 1, even though she beat Ribaltagaia (6 to 1) by a half-length in the Dahlia Stakes. Mahra’s Love came in second, beaten by a nose at the wire, after making up four lengths from the eighth pole. This is her third start in the U.S., in just her 11th race, and her second off a layoff. The filly won a trio of races last summer in England, and her Equibase Speed Figures (101, 100, and 99) were as good as any other horses in this race. Mahra’s Love gets the rail and Luis Saez for the first time, a good sign. She just needs to improve to pay handsomely.

Ribaltagaia has also raced in Europe for most of her career (nine races), finishing fourth in the Suwannee Stakes after an awkward start and a rally from ninth. She was off for eight months beginning in August and was ready to run well when she finished second, beaten by a half-length in the Violet Stakes. She was off again until the Dahlia, where she ran second from the half-mile, but the runner-up passed her. She has a chance to win in her second start after a layoff.

Handicapper Picks

Win bets: Mahra’s Love and Ribaltagaia at 7 to 2 or higher.

Exacta: Box Mahra’s Love and Ribaltagaia

Trifecta: Mahra’s Love and Ribaltagaia over ALL over Mahra’s Love and Ribaltagaia

Doubles:

Race 11: Mahra’s Love and Ribaltagaia

Race 12: Jean Valjean, Fore Harp, Outlaw Kid, Chasing Liberty, Run Curtis Run

The Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes – Race 12 at Laurel – Post Time 5:52 PM Eastern

Top Win Contender(s): Jean Valjean, Fore Harp

Other contenders: Outlaw Kid, Chasing Liberty, Run Curtis Run

Jean Valjean is a “win type” with eight victories in 19 races, including four of seven turf sprints. He had been on a long layoff from November 2024 until his first 2026 race, the King T. Leatherbury Stakes on April 18. In his comeback, he pressed a fast pace, a head and a half-length behind, before taking the lead by a half-length at the eighth pole. The layoff took its toll, and he finished seventh. In his second race of the year, he wasn’t nearly as fresh. He stalked a second behind the lead after the quarter on a faster pace and drew clear to win by two and a half lengths. He earned a 94 Equibase Speed Figure, up from 85 three weeks ago. Now Jean Valjean is running his third race in a month, and he should get a trip off Fore Harp, the likely early pacesetter. Flavien Prat rides Jean Valjean for the first time for trainer Merryman, who combined to win this race last year with Witty. In 2024, Jean Valjean won three straight turf sprints, in which he earned 101 and 100, his best figures, so he could win again in this race.

Fore Harp also won eight of 39 races, with six of those wins on turf. He came back from a five-month layoff to run in the Leatherbury Stakes. He won the Leatherbury in 2025, leading from the start and earning a 99 figure. In this year’s race, he did not show his usual early pace and finished fourth. He may have needed a race for his comeback. Now Paco Lopez rides him for the first time, and Paco is really good with early-pace horses. There are no other “early” horses except Fore Harp and Jean Valjean, so Fore Harp will be first or second at the start. He won his other race last August, when he stalked in third early, so he and Jean Valjean are the top contenders.

There are three other contenders in this race. Of those, Outlaw Kid and Chasing Liberty won and finished second in the Leatherbury, respectively. Both horses were returning from layoffs of five to seven months, earning 93 and 92 figures. Both horses can do better even in their second race off their comebacks. Chasing Liberty gets Irad Ortiz, Jr., riding for the first time, while Jorge Ruis rides Outlaw Kid again. Run Curtis Run was in his second race off a four-month layoff, where he rallied from seventh and missed by a neck. He earned a 95 and can improve. However, if I am correct that Jean Valjean and Fore Harp run first and second from the start at a slow pace, these three horses will find it tough to pass the top two contenders.

Handicapper Picks

Win bets: Jean Valjean, Fore Harp at odds of 3 to 1, and I would bet both at these odds or higher.

As to the other three horses – Outlaw Kid, Chasing Liberty, Run Curtis Run – may have value at odds of 5 to 1 or higher.

Exacta: Jean Valjean, Fore Harp over Jean Valjean, Fore Harp, Outlaw Kid, Chasing Liberty, Run Curtis Run

Doubles:

Race 12: Jean Valjean, Fore Harp

Race 13: Incredibolt, The Hell We Did, Ocelli, Taj Mahal, Crupper

Race 12: Jean Valjean, Fore Harp, Outlaw Kid, Chasing Liberty, Run Curtis Run

Race 13: Incredibolt, The Hell We Did, Ocelli, Taj Mahal, Crupper