Obliteration makes his return to the United States as the 6-5 favorite in the $150,000 Chick Lang Stakes May 16 at Laurel Park.
The 3-year-old son of Violence is coming off a second-place finish in the Feb. 14 Saudi Derby (G3). Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, his first start this year came in the Jan. 3 Renaissance Stakes, which he won by 7 1/2 lengths going 6 furlongs, the same distance as the Chick Lang .
As a 2-year-old, Obliteration became a graded stakes winner in his second career start in the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course by 10 1/2 lengths. Owned by Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia, Obliteration raced the second half of his 2-year-old season on grass, running second in the Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland, and he wrapped up his year with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint (G1T) before switching back to dirt this year.
Obliteration will have to beat seven rivals, including front-running Shane's Wonder, the undefeated Alfredo Velazquez trainee and Uptowncharlybrown Stud homebred who comes into the Chick Lang off a win in the Wait For It Stakes at Parx Racing.
Modo looks to make it three in a row in the Skipat Stakes
In the $125,000 Skipat Stakes, Modo looks to earn her third stakes victory in a row in the 6-furlong dirt race.
Trained by Kinnon LaRose, who recently took over Tom Amoss' stable, Modo has won two races in a row—the Yellow Rose Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park and the Bluebonnet Stakes at Lone Star Park. The Texas-bred filly will be in her comfort zone, never racing beyond 6 1/2 furlongs in her 11-race career. Owned by Joel Politi, the 4-year-old daughter of Liam's Map is the 9-5 morning line favorite.
She will face six others, including graded stakes winners and the newly crowned Pennsylvania Horse of the Year Kappa Kappa, who was the upset winner of the 2025 Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
Reagan's Honor wheels back in Sir Barton
After a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), Reagan's Honor returns to his most comfortable distance in the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes run at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Reagan's Honor entered the Blue Grass off back-to-back wins in a maiden special weight and an allowance race, both run at 1 1/6 miles that he won by a combined 8 lengths. The son of Honor A. P. tracked the leaders in the Blue Grass, but faded in the stretch, finishing 27 lengths behind the winner Further Ado. Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo, and Gabriel Duignan, the colt is looking to notch his first stakes victory on his résumé.
Motion brings duo into James W. Murphy Stakes
Trainer Graham Motion brings two into the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes, led by Proton. The race goes 1 mile on the turf.
The son of Astern is the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Owned by Stone Farm, Tom Reiman, Ken Wheeler Jr., Lynwood Napier, and Deborah Easter, the gelding is taking a step back in company and distance, coming into the race off a seventh-place finish in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) going 1 1/16 miles. He has not found his way into the winner circle since Sep. 27, when he won the Laurel Futurity Stakes but has been twice stakes-placed since then.
Motion's second entry, the 5-2 Turf Star, is a son of Caravaggio. His lone win came at 1 mile at Kentucky Downs that he followed with a runner-up finish in the Bourbon Stakes (G2T). In his last start, he was a well-beaten ninth in the 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the all-weather track at Turfway Park, which encouraged his connections to move him back to his preferred surface and distance.
Chasing Liberty leads wide open Jim McKay Turf Sprint
The $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs attracted a field of 11, led by 3-1 morning-line favorite Chasing Liberty. The 4-year-old son of Constitution is trained by Rob Atras for owners Twin Creeks Racing Stables and CMNWLTH.
Chasing Liberty was narrowly defeated in his last start by Outlaw Kid in the King T. Leatherbury Stakes at Laurel. Outlaw Kid also enters the Jim McKay at odds of 5-1. The 7-year-old gelded son of Violence is looking to make it back-to-back wins for owners R.A. Hill Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds and trainer George Weaver.
Run Curtis Run is looking to get back into the winner circle after just narrowly missing his 2026 debut in a turf sprint allowance race at Churchill Downs. At 4-1, the multiple graded stakes-placed Mike Maker trainee is the second choice on the morning line.
Laurel Park, Saturday, May 16, 2026, Race 7Entries: Chick Lang S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Fulmine (KY) Luis Saez 120 Norm W. Casse 20/1 2 2Hollywood Import (KY) Paco Lopez 120 Gary Capuano 15/1 3 3Buds Notion (MD) Jose E. Vargas 118 Gary Capuano 12/1 4 4Obliteration (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Steven M. Asmussen 6/5 5 5Igniter (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. 5/2 6 6Shane's Wonder (PA) Mychel J. Sanchez 118 Alfredo Velazquez 3/1 7 7Top Manipulator (MD) Forest Boyce 118 Timothy L. Keefe 30/1 8 8Magic Wallet (MD) Victor R. Carrasco 118 Kieron Magee 15/1
Laurel Park, Saturday, May 16, 2026, Race 4Entries: Skipat S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Striker Has Dial (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Horacio De Paz 8/1 2 2Passage East (KY) Sheldon Russell 126 Hugh I. McMahon 3/1 3 3Kappa Kappa (PA) John R. Velazquez 120 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 5/2 4 4Benedetta (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 5 5Sporting Lady (VA) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Keri Brion 12/1 6 6Complexity Jane (KY) Jevian Toledo 120 Brittany T. Russell 12/1 7 7Modo (TX) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Kinnon LaRose 9/5
Laurel Park, Saturday, May 16, 2026, Race 6Entries: Sir Barton S. sponsored by Connolly Family Foundation to Benefit The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Minorinconvenience (NY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Amelia J. Green 12/1 2 2Big Cuddle (MD) Yedsit Hazlewood 118 Gary Capuano 9/2 3 3Let's Go Lando (MD) Paco Lopez 118 Gary Capuano 6/1 4 4Final Story (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Brad H. Cox 2/1 5 5Falcon Jet (KY) Sheldon Russell 118 Brittany T. Russell 10/1 6 6Pont Aven (MD) Mychel J. Sanchez 118 Michael J. Trombetta 30/1 7 7Reagan's Honor (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Cherie DeVaux 7/5
Laurel Park, Saturday, May 16, 2026, Race 9Entries: James W. Murphy S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1My Favorite Bird (FL) Flavien Prat 118 J. Kent Sweezey 10/1 2 2Thebabeslayer (LA) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1 3 3Zihnal (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Jonathan Thomas 6/1 4 4Attfield (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Thomas Morley 9/2 5 5Proton (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 H. Graham Motion 9/5 6 6Turf Star (KY) Jorge Ruiz 118 H. Graham Motion 5/2 7 7Jessica's Eyes (MD) Xavier Perez 118 John J. Robb 30/1 8 8J Cody (MD) Mychel J. Sanchez 118 Marya K. Montoya 30/1
Laurel Park, Saturday, May 16, 2026, Race 12Entries: Jim McKay Turf Sprint S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Run Curtis Run (NY) Tyler Gaffalione 120 Michael J. Maker 4/1 2 2Determined Kingdom (VA) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Michael J. Trombetta 6/1 3 3Jean Valjean (PA) Flavien Prat 120 Elizabeth M. Merryman 5/1 4 4Chasing Liberty (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Rob Atras 3/1 5 5Incinerator (KY) Ismerio Villalobos 120 Jose J. Magana 30/1 6 6Tidewater (MD) Jeiron Barbosa 120 Anthony Aguirre, Jr. 30/1 7 7Isivunguvungu (SAF) John R. Velazquez 120 H. Graham Motion 10/1 8 8Outlaw Kid (ON) Jorge Ruiz 124 George Weaver 5/1 9 9Card Trick (KY) Forest Boyce 120 Edward T. Allard 30/1 10 10Fore Harp (PA) Paco Lopez 120 Robert E. Reid, Jr. 15/1 11 11Had to Have Him (MD) Jevian Toledo 120 John E. Salzman, Jr. 8/1
