The General George Stakes is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually on Presidents' Day in mid February at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades unt ...

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

. A Grade III event, it is open to horses age three and older. Raced on dirt over a distance of seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

s, it currently offers a purse of $250,000. Originally run as a handicap, the race is currently run under allowance weight conditions. The race is named for General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

(1731–1799), first president of The United States and Commanding General of the American Revolutionary Army. The General typically draws the third highest crowd of the year at Laurel Park Race Course, trailing only the Maryland Million and the

Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes The De Francis Memorial Dash is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Open to horses aged three and older, it is competed on dirt over a distance of six furlongs. It is currently r ...

in average attendance.2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 46 on March 3, 2007. The race was held at Bowie Race Course from 1973–84 and at Pimlico Race Course in 1986. It was not held in 1979, 1982–83 or 2006. In 2006, the General George Handicap was not run due to concerns over an outbreak of the

equine herpesvirus Equine herpesvirus is a group of viruses of the family ''Herpesviridae'' that infect horses. *'' Equine herpesvirus 1'' of the subfamily ''Alphaherpesvirinae'' and genus ''Varicellovirus'' *'' Equine herpesvirus 2'' of the subfamily ''Gammaherpesvir ...

that shut down all racing in Maryland for several weeks.

Records

Speed record: * 7 furlongs – 1:20.95 – Greenspring (2010) * miles – 1:44.00 – Templar Hill (1987) Most wins by a horse: * No horse has ever won the General George Handicap more than once Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 3 –

Mike Luzzi Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

(1991, 1999, 2012) Most wins by a trainer: * 2 –

Bruce N. Levine Bruce N. Levine (born February 7, 1955, in New York City) is a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. Raised on Long Island, New York, where he still makes his home, Levine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from the Univer ...

(2008, 2015) * 2 – Jerry Robb (1987 & 1989) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – Four Roses Thoroughbreds (1998 & 2007)

Winners of the General George Stakes since 1973

References

The 2008 General George Handicap at the NTRA
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External links

Laurel Park racetrack
Graded stakes races in the United States Open mile category horse races 1973 establishments in Maryland Laurel Park Racecourse Horse races in Maryland Recurring sporting events established in 1973

Records

Winners of the General George Stakes since 1973

See also

References

External links