Mid-Atlantic Three Stars: November 17, 2025 * The Racing Biz

There was a lot of racing action in the Mid-Atlantic this past week.

Here’s a look at each song’s “three stars”:

THE BEST IN THE REGION

FIRST STAR: EDUCATION IN THE RELEASE. His season may not have started until mid-July, but Teachintherelease certainly had a packed campaign. He earned his fifth win of the year and third in the stakes company on Saturday at Charles Town when he won the Randy Funkhouser Memorial Stakes. Sent out as the 1-10 favourite, the lowest price one can go out at in Charles Town, he rated the leader, Paymengold, in the early stages. As they rounded the third and final turn of the 1 1/8 mile race, Teachintherelease easily made it to the front and crushed the field by 5 1/2 lengths. It’s his second straight win in the Funkhouser, and as mentioned above, his third stakes win of the year. He previously captured the Frank Gall Memorial Stakes and the Sam Huff Breeders’ Classic. The 5-year-old John Casey-bred gelding ran the distance in 1:55.28 for owner Robert Cole, trainer Stephen Murdock and jockey Carlos Lopez.

SECOND STAR: SIEGE OF BOSTON. A field of six covered 1 1/16 miles on the grass in Laurel Park’s Saturday feature, a third-level route for older men. Siege of Boston took his first victory since June 2023 by 1 3/4 lengths. He was given a great setup and was at the back of the pack, behind a controversial early pace. Jorge Ruiz asked him to run around the final corner, and the 5-year-old responded in kind, beating McCullough for the win. He covered the distance on a tough course in 1:40.12, improving his career record to 4-for-26 lifetime with earnings of $566,671. He is owned by Joseph Allen LLC and trained by Jimmy Toner.

THIRD STAR: WILD VINE. A day earlier, Laurel hosted a third-level race for older men at a mile-and-a-half on dirt tracks. Laurel-loving Wild Vine enjoyed his return to this track, winning by 3 1/2 lengths. He became the 17-10 favorite after a pair of placings in the Pennsylvania-bred stakes company. He was second early on and allowed Quick to Accuse to establish an undisputed lead. When he got a wake-up call, Wild Vine got past Quick to Accuse and pulled away in the stretch to win. It is his fourth win of the year in 10 starts, three of which came at this track, and his ninth career victory in 26 races. Mychel Sanchez rode the winner for trainer Jamie Ness, whose Jagger Inc. him together with Super C Racing Inc. is a co-owner.

SECOND STAR: MYCHEL SANCHEZ. Made a hat trick on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

THIRD STAR: CAROUSEL QUEEN. She had a great ride at the early pace and was victorious in a first-level sprint on Monday, taking a big margin herself as she crossed the wire 9 1/2 lengths in front.