Quint’s Brew and Slam Notion face off in General George
Quint’s Brew must turn the tables to defend the crown
Press release- February 13, 2026
Paul Berube, Karen Linnell and Heather Hunter’s Quint’s Brew returns to Laurel Park to defend his General George Stakes title in Saturday’s $200,000 listed race for 4-year-olds and over, run over seven furlongs.
But to do that, he must turn the tables on Slam Notion, who defeated him on Dec. 20 in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes.
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The General George is one of four stakes on the 10-race card, which also includes the $200,000 Barbara Fritchie for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, the $100,000 Post Time for 4-year-olds and older at 1 1/8 miles, and the $100,000 Nellie Morse for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. The first post is at 12:00 PM ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” bets, each with a low takeout of 12%.
Quint’s Brew, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Mosler, was trained by Ned Allard and has never finished outside the exacta in his nine previous starts. He burst onto the scene in early 2025, capturing the limited Jennings Stakes by eight lengths and later scoring a popular victory in the General George.
These two determined efforts convinced Allard to seek tougher competition in New York, and Quint’s Brew responded with a close second-place finish in both the Grade 2 Carter Stakes and the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes.
After the May 4 Westchester, Quint’s Brew was shelved for the summer.
“We had a little problem, but we decided to give him some time off because he had been running really hard,” Allard said before Quint’s Brew’s return leg, the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 20.
Quint’s Brew ran bravely despite the layoff to finish second in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.
“That was the worst racing luck I’ve had in a long time,” said Allard. “He was behind the three top horses, and when we tried to swing around them at the half-mile mark, we had nowhere to go for almost a quarter to three-eighths of a mile. The rider had to worry about cutting heels. He had a lot of horses. I think I rode the best horse, but the best horse doesn’t always win.”
Quint’s Brew worked hard in the 2026 edition of the Jennings, settling behind the early leaders before tilting out under jockey Yedsit Hazlewood. After switching back to his left lead midway through the stretch, Quint’s Brew Blue Kingdom playfully tapped the wire.
“That was a good effort,” said Allard in the winner’s circle. “He bumped a little bit today, but it probably worked in his favor.”
Quint’s Brew completed its preparations for this year’s General George, flying five furlongs in 1:02 at its base in Delaware last Saturday.
“We had very bad weather,” Allard said Wednesday morning. “We haven’t missed any practice, but we’ve had days where we’ve had to take it a little easier. Everyone’s in the same boat. There’s no one in this area that’s been luckier than Delaware Park, as far as [Parx] or Laurel. He rode very well for this race. He looks good. He feels good. Now he just has to get the job done.”
Quint’s Brew runs from 9am to 5am and will feature student Yedsit Hazlewood.
Eric Rizer’s Slam Notion enters the General George in razor-sharp form, having won four of his last five starts, including the limited Maryland Million Sprint on Oct. 11 and the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.
Slam Notion, a 4-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Great Notion, is trained by Robbie Bailes and will be ridden by Jevian Toledo.
“Every time he runs, he gets better and better,” Toledo told Mackenzie Pfeiffer of the Maryland Jockey Club in a video interview. “He’ll do whatever you want. You ask him to slow down, and he’ll slow down. You ask him to pick it up, and he’ll pick it up.”
Slam Notion is 9-2 on the morning line.
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