River Gal tops boys in Laurel Park race

Morgans Ford Farm’s River Gal, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner River Deep, continued the family tradition by surging past pacesetter Ready to Run in mid-stretch and going on to a 2½length victory in the $75,000 Jamestown Friday at Laurel Park. The 12th running of the 5½-furlong Jamestown for Virginia-bred/sired 2-year-olds highlighted a 10-race card on the eve of Laurel’s ‘Class on the Grass’ program that features six stakes, four scheduled for its turf course, worth $650,000 in purses led by the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) and inaugural $150,000 Bald Eagle Derby. Ridden by Angel Cruz for trainer Phil Schoenthal, River Gal ($9) completed the distance in1:05.43 in a race rained off the All Along turf course to a fast main track. River Gal, out of the Congaree mare River Fancy, got a three-pound weight break as one of two fillies facing males in the Jamestown.