Opening the Virginia-bred portion of stakes races at Laurel was the most popular horse, wagering-wise, on the card. Rose Brier went off as an overwhelming 3-10 favorite in the one-mile Edward P. Evans Stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired horses.

The eight-year-old appeared to be the only dry horse in the Laurel paddock prior to the $75,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes for older males.

Special Envoy was quite the opposite. On the way to the paddock, trainer Arnaud Delacour splashed his pupil with a cool-down prior to entering Laurel’s paddock, which can get warm under the dome. After the post parade and a lap around the track with Daniel Centeno aboard, Special Envoy appeared to have run herself dry in the moderate Maryland breezes.

Special Envoy (outside) battles with Rose Brier (inside) in the $75,000 Edward Evans Stakes. photo by Jim McCue.

After surrendering no more than a length to Rose Brier on the lead, jockey Daniel Centeno and Special Envoy moved ahead inside the sixteenth and stymied any lengthy bob of Rose Brier. The victory was special to the connections of Special Envoy, who had finished second to Rose Brier the last two time they went head-to-head.

“Very rewarding, she tries hard. She dug in when the time counted,” said owner Diana Firestone after the race. “Very rewarding, especially in the heat.”

Those connections had another opportunity to play spoiler in the 5th race, the second running of the $75,000 Nellie Mae Cox Stakes, for Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares, also at a mile. Their interest, Armoire, was looking to spoil Queen Caroline’s return to the Cox castle, the latter having won the same stake at Pimlico last year.

Queen Caroline won the Nellie Mae Cox Stales for the second straight year at Laurel June 24th. Photo by Jim McCue.

Queen Caroline took three stakes in 2016 as part of a four-race winning streak, but a late season foray into Grade 1 company didn’t go so well, and QueenM Caroline entered this race on a three-race losing streak. This edition of the Nellie Mae Cox may turn out to be a nice confidence-builder for Queen Caroline, who may make future graded ventures.

On the track, Queen Caroline broke from eight-hole and went straight to the lead. She took advantage of easy fractions — 25.16 for the quarter and 49.75 for the half-mile — and was never really threatened winning by a length-plus. She would be the only Virginia-bred to defend her stakes trophy on the day.

“We’re looking to move up into graded stakes company,” said owner Amy Moore about the feat of the first thoroughbred she’s ever owned. “We tried that a few times and got close. We’re not scared, so were going to keep trying. One day we’ll get there. We hope that gets her confidence and that’ll come on and do well in her next outing.”

In the $75,000 White Oak Farm stakes, Two Notch Road’s effort to repeat was defeated by one time or another: either Father Time, or, more specifically, Tiz Our Time in the 5 1/2 furlong test. Despite being cross entered in the $75,000 Tyson Gilpin for fillies and mares later in the card, trainer Pete Twisdale and owner Sam English decided to face the males with Tiz Our Time, a five-year-old Tiz Wonderful mare.

Tiz Our Time won the second annual White Oak Farm Stakes June 24th at Laurel. photo courtesy of Jim McCue.

Jockey Jevian Toledo broke well aboard Tiz Our Time, generated a length lead after running the first quarter in a modest 22.98 seconds, and won by four lengths.

English owns a small farm in Dinwiddie County, VA, outside Petersburg, with a smaller foaling operation in neighboring Goochland County.

“We’ve been working for years, little guy trying to do it,” said English. “So we did it today. We’re running in the next (with Awake the Day, who finished sixth) and hope to do it again.”

Rapid Rhythm rolled off a win in the $75,000 Oakley Stakes win for Virginia-breds at Laurel last fall into two stakes wins at The Fairgrounds over the winter. Prior to today’ inaugural running of the M. Tyson Gilpin, Rapid Rhythm was sent back to the paddock to repair her bridle. Maybe it was an omen; she never really got started.

Trainer Michael Trombetta winced when he saw Do What I Say in a familiar spot at the start of the race: in trouble. However, when jockey Alex Cintron found some racing room, Do What I Say finally did what her owner, R. Larry Johnson, thought she could do. Finding space on the outside, she found another gear and won by a length, rewarding backers at 12-1.

“The race at Pimlico last year, she came out with cuts all over and chipped a sesamoid,” explained Johnson. “It was serious injuries and we gave her a year. Brought her back at Pimlico and she had another bad trip. Then today she gets checked and I’m thinking there’s a black cloud following this horse. But she can run. When she doesn’t have to contend with issues she can run.”

Another longshot won in the finale, for Virginia-bred maidens on the turf going five and a half furlongs, Trustifarian, with Steve Hamilton, won by 1 1/4 lengths for owner Run Aweigh Stables and trainer Patrick Neusch.

Ben’s Cat is certainly the most accomplished runner in the six-furlong Mister Diz, though his recent form certainly leaves him vulnerable here. The 11-year-old Parker’s Storm Cat gelding, bred, owned, and trained by King Leatherbury, has won 32 times in his remarkable career, amassing over $2.6 million in career earnings. But he enters this event with a seven-race losing streak, the longest of his career, and last out finished eighth, though beaten less than four lengths, in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint over Preakness weekend at Pimlico.

Ben’s Cat has won the Mister Diz six times in his career. Last year, bidding for a seventh straight win in the event, he finished third at 7-10 odds. With regular pilot Trevor McCarthy injured, local stalwart Horacio Karamanos has the mount Saturday.

The Mister Diz is the final stake on the card.

In the day’s first stake, the one-mile Edward P. Evans, graded winner Rose Brier figures to get most of the wagering attention as he seeks to defend his Evans title. Rose Brier, a son of Mizzen Mast trained by Jane Cibelli, has gone undefeated in four Virginia-bred/sired stakes over the last three seasons and has won four of five starts over the Laurel Park lawn. Last out he was third in the Grade 3 Red Bank. Edgar Prado has the mount.

Jockey Alex Citron brings Rose Brier back to the winner’s circle from last year’s Edward Evans Stakes. Photo by Jerry Dzierwinski.

Familiar names are the order of the day in the day’s other events.

In the one-mile Nellie Mae Cox, for fillies and mares, the top pair from last year’s running — Queen Caroline and Secret or not — square off. They’re joined by the improving Armoire and veteran Complete St., who was fifth in this race a year ago but later in the season ran second in both the Brookmeade, also for Virginia-breds, and the Maryland Million Ladies.

Queen Caroline gave new Virginia thoroughbred owner Amy Moore her first stakes win on last year’s Maryland-Virginia Breeders’ Day card. Photo by Jim McCue.

The Jameela, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, brings back the top pair from last year. Kathy De Masi trainee Everything Lovely was second in this race last year but kicked off this season with a win in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes at Pimlico. She’ll have to contend with last year’s winner, Lovable Lady, who won two other stakes during the year, and Maryland Million Ladies winner Devilish Love.

And in the White Oak Farm Stakes, a 5 1/2 furlong event, 10-year-old Two Notch Road makes his first start since last September for trainer Glenn Thompson. He ran second or third in three other races last year, including the Grade 3 Turf Monster and the Punch Line Stakes. He’ll have to overcome last year’s show horse in this race, Available. A son of Bop trained by Suzanne Dempsey, Available ran third in last year’s White Oak Farm at 50-1 odds and later ran second in the Punch Line. But he owns just two wins from 40 career starts. Another runner of interest in this event is Lime House Louie, who won last year’s Jamestown, for two-year-olds; the Flint Stites trainee will be looking to move forward off an eighth-place finish to open the season against allowance foes.

Post time for the first of the day’s 11 races is 1:10.