Horse death at Laurel Park 2nd in a week

For the second time in a week, a horse died while racing at Laurel Park, bringing the death total on Maryland tracks this year to at least 14.

Bo Vuk, a 6-year-old gelding, pulled up lame in the seventh race of Thanksgiving Day at Laurel Park, suffering what the race chart described as a “catastrophic injury.” He was then euthanized.

Ridden by Avery Whisman, Bo Vuk entered the turn in fifth but was unable to finish the race. The horse had been the betting favorite in the race. Of Bo Vuk’s 30 lifetime races, 29 came at Laurel Park, with six first-place finishes, including his most recent race Oct. 31. He was trained by Kieron Magee and owned by Robert R. Beck.

On Nov. 21, Aikenetta, a 5-year-old mare, died at Laurel Park as the sport continues to combat concerns over equine health.

Attempts to reach the Maryland Racing Commission and the Stronach Group, the owner of Laurel Park, were not immediately successful Friday.

More horse racing: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Terp Racing’s Grade 2 winner Still Having Fun and Runnymede Racing’s Alwaysmining, Maryland’s Triple Crown race contenders the past two years, are both nominated to end layoffs in the $75,000 Howard & Sondra Bender Memorial on Dec. 7 at Laurel Park.

The 6-furlong Bender is one of four stakes for state-bred/sired horses worth $350,000 in purses on the Maryland Spectacular Day program that also features holiday-themed promotions and a 2020 Maryland racing calendar giveaway.

Still Having Fun, trained by Tim Keefe, has been working steadily at Laurel for his return, not having raced since finishing eighth in the sevenfurlong Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) on May 4. The 4-year-old Old Fashioned gelding has faced stakes competition since breaking his maiden at Laurel in November 2017 including wins in Laurel’s Frank Whiteley Jr. and Miracle Wood and the six-furlong Woody Stephens (G2) at Belmont in 2018.

Kelly Rubley-trained Alwaysmining reeled off five consecutive wins, all in Laurel stakes, over the winter and spring capped by the Federico Tesio, earning him an automatic berth to the Preakness Stakes (G1), where he chased the pace before tiring to 11th. Since then, he was placed third in the Easy Goer and ran ninth in the Indiana Derby (G3) July 13, his most recent start.

Gates will open at 11 a.m. on Maryland Spectacular Day with a 12:25 p.m. first post. The program includes a $10,000 giving tree and a give-a-gift, get-a-gift promotion.

UMBC Hall of Fame: UMBC will induct six new members into its Hall of Fame on April 10. The 22nd annual dinner and inductions will take place at the UMBC Event Center.

The class of 2020 consists of Cornelia Carapcea (’09, women’s tennis), Levi Houapeu (’15, men’s soccer), Mohamed Hussein (’14, men’s swimming), Terry Kimener (’08, men’s lacrosse), Mercedes Jackson (’15, women’s track and field) and Steve Levy (’85, director of athletic communications).