LRL: One-time claimant Spencerian focuses on Geisha
Press release- January 16, 2026
Spencerian has come a long way since being claimed by trainer Hugh McMahon for owner Larry Rabold on September 1, 2023 for $16,000. The Irish War Cry mare won the limited Politely Stakes the following year and placed in two other stakes races.
Now 6, she is 10-1 at the morning line in Saturday’s $100,000 Geisha Stakes at Laurel Park. The one-mile race is for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and older, bred or born in Maryland or Virginia, and joins the Jenning Stakes and two overnight handicaps on the weekend card.
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“We didn’t know [when we claimed her]“But she got compromised from behind,” McMahon said in the winners circle after the Politely. “We sent her away to rest, and she got better. We didn’t do any real diagnostics, but we thought it was a broken hip.”
It seemed to do her a lot of good. In 2024, Spencerian won four of six starts and finished third in the other two, earning more than $144,000 in earnings. In addition to her victory in the Politely, she also finished third in the Maryland Million Distaff that year.
Last year wasn’t so kind to her as she went winless in five starts, finishing third in What A Summer and fourth in the Conniver early in the year.
Spencerian makes her third start of the form cycle on Saturday. She finished fifth of six in a second-level allowance race on November 28, after finishing fifth in the ’25 Maryland Million Distaff.
The favorite for even money is Takethemoneyhoney. The Michael Moore-trained Golden Lad mare is five-for-seven in her career and just a head and a nose away from undefeated status.
She is coming off a one-length win as the 4-5 favorite in the Dec. 20 Politely at Laurel.
“It’s a good place,” Moore said of the Geishha. “She certainly fits in well with the Maryland-bred horses. She has been able to stretch herself in the past. You would think that if she comes out of the sprint, she should come into the race pretty well, somewhere near the front, obviously.”
Trainer Brittany Russell entered two mares after lengthy layoffs. Oncourt commentator hasn’t started since finishing second in Geisha last year. Oncourt Commentator, a five-year-old homebred daughter of The Elkstone Group, made three of her first four starts on artificial turf before finding her place on the main circuit. Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds’ Northern Glow raced just three times last year as Russell had to give her time off due to foot problems. The 2024 Geisha runner-up returns to the races for the first time since her second-level victory at Pimlico on May 11.
GEISHA STAKES ENTRIES
| After | Horse | Chances | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | Navani | 10-1 | Chuan m | Allen A Ferris III | Virginia Breeze Racing |
| 2 | Northern glow | 12-1 | Toledo J | Russel Brittany T | Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, LLC |
| 3 | Oncourt commentator | 5-2 | Russel S | Russel Brittany T | The Elkstone Group LLC |
| 4 | Spencerian | 10-1 | Hazlewood Y | McMahon Hugh I | Larry E. Rabold |
| 5 | Late evening call | 15-1 | Perez | Saville Niall | Richard E. Harris |
| 6 | Ecliptic Gina | 30-1 | Chiappe R | Stites Flint W | Maria Montez Haire |
| 7 | Take the money, honey | 1-1 | Ruiz E | Moore Michael M | Kasey K Racing Stable LLC, Michael R. Da |
| 8 | Concrete phase | 8-1 | Sanchez MJ | Kirby John T | D and D Stables LLC |
| 9 | Kissed by an angel | 30-1 | Lyapustina T | Joanne’s song | Joannee |
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