Ft. Washington, MD — Rosecroft Raceway will host the Maryland Sire Stake finals for 2-year olds on Thursday (Oct. 13) as part of a marathon 16-race program. First post time will be at 6:45 p.m.

The first four races on the card will feature the 2-year-old finals for the Sire Stakes, going for a purse of $75,000 each.

The first race is the Wayne Smullin Memorial for male trotters, named in honor of the talented Maryland horseman who was the leading driver at Rosecroft several seasons during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Richard Hans continues his dominance in the trotting ranks of the Maryland stakes program. It appears he has another outstanding pupil as How Doo Yoo Goo was impressive in winning his two preliminary legs. A son of the great Googoo Gaagaa, a Maryland Sire Stake champion and prolific sire who was also owned and trained by Hans, How Doo You Goo sports three wins and $30,838 made this season.

The second race is the Ralph Hayward Memorial for filly pacers. A long-time president of the Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association, Hayward’s leadership helped build the sire stakes program here in Maryland.

Val’s Girl is the “cream of the crop” of this year’s 2-year-old pacing fillies. Undefeated in nine lifetime starts, the Rusty’s For Real daughter has earned $76,703 this season for owners William P. Lutz Jr., Count De Money Stable and trainer Steve LeBlanc.

Next up is the Charles Keller Memorial for trotting fillies. Keller developed Yankeeland Farms in beautiful Frederick, Md. The former New York Yankee outfielder who played alongside Joe DiMaggio was instrumental in creating the Maryland Standardbred Race Fund.

Two more of Googoo Gaagaa’s offspring will face off for top honors as Call Me Goo and Goolishness both sport identical records of six starts, three wins, two seconds, and a third. Call Me Goo is owned by Graham Grace Stables and trained by Jason Skinner. She took her lifetime mark in the first preliminary leg with an impressive 1:56.3 score. Roger Hans trains Goolishness for owner Thomas Cooke. Goolishness rebounded last week to record a new 1:57.3 lifetime mark.

The final stakes race on the program is the Earl Wagner Memorial for pacing colts and geldings. Mr. Wagner is the patriarch of the well-known Wagner family that has been a mainstay in Maryland harness racing for nearly a hundred years.

Smooth Rocket has developed nicely as the season has progressed and appears to be in peak form entering the final. Sporting five consecutive sire stake victories, this Cam’s Rocket gelding from the team of Russell and Megan Foster, established a new lifetime mark of 1:54.1 here at Rosecroft in the first preliminary round and has banked $60,082 so far in 2022.

Twelve other overnight races follow the stake racing excitement, including round four of the Maryland Exclusive Open showdowns between Can’t Beach That and Island Of The Sea.

Can’t Beach That, who is owned by Surprise Pic LLC, trained by Mike Hall and driven by Jonathan Roberts, won the first two $17,500 opens and has 11 wins and $91,172 in earnings this season.

Trainer Eric Ell and his wife Lisa own Island Of The Sea, who turned the tables last week and are looking to add to the $95,835 already banked this year. Russell Foster, who is currently leading the driver standings with 28 wins through the first seven programs, handles the reigns for Island Of The Sea.

Rosecroft’s special 16 race program offers two new Pick-4 wagering opportunities. Races one through four will make up an all-Maryland Sire Stake Pick-4 to start the program. And for those who stick around there will be a late-night Pick-4 offered on races 13 through 16. Races seven through 11 offer Pick-5 wagering with an industry low takeout of 12 percent. And Rosecroft now has a Jackpot Hi 5 wager available on race 10.

Live racing action continues each Tuesday and Thursday (except Thanksgiving) with a 7:15 p.m. post time through Dec. 22.