Russell Repeats As Maryland’s Leading Trainer While Rodriguez Named Top Rider Again

[Wandering Eyes]

In just her fifth full year of training, Brittany Russell topped the annual standings in Maryland for the second consecutive season, and jockey Jaime Rodriguez also repeated as the state's leading rider, the Maryland Jockey Club said in a release on Tursday.

In 2023, Russell ended Claudio Gonazlez's six-year reign atop the leaderboard by notching 118 victories at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, finishing five ahead of runner-up Jamie Ness.

Last year, Russell earned 113 victories at Laurel and Pimlico, 16 more than runner-up Ness.

Nationwide, she registered 157 wins, 104 seconds, and 89 thirds from 655 starters for earnings of $7,672,690. Russell ranked eighth in the country in wins and 19th in money won.

Russell's stable star was undoubtedly Post Time. Owned by Mrs. Ellen Charles's Hillwood Stable, the 4-year-old won Laurel's GIII General George Stakes, Aqueduct's GII Carter Stakes, and Laurel's Polynesian Stakes. The Frosted colt was never off the board over nine starts in 2024, including runner-up efforts in Saratoga's GI Metropolitan Handicap and Del Mar's GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, and a third-place performance in Saratoga's GI Whitney Stakes.

Jaime Rodriguez captured the leading jockey title with 177 victories at Laurel and Pimlico. The top rider won the Laurel Park winter meet by a 50-to-28 margin over Jeiron Barbosa, defeated Torrealba by a 45-to-34 mark in the summer standings, and outlasted Torrealba to take the fall title 52 to 46. Rodriguez led the Preakness meet at Pimlico by collecting 12 wins.

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