Page McKenney appeared on the cover after getting his first graded stakes win by shortening up to 7 furlongs in Laurel Park's Grade 3 General George. Bred by Dr. James Bryant and Linda Davis, owned by Adam Staple and Jalin Stable, and trained by Mary Eppler, the 6-year-old gelding was having a great year, as it was also announced he was the 2015 Pennsylvania-bred Horse of the Year.
Since being claimed by Eppler in 2013 for $16,000, he had 27 top-three finishes in 29 starts (through mid-March in 2016).
The region's racing industry lost a few giants over the winter with the passing of Dr. Robert Leonard, Gretchen Mobberley, Harry Meyerhoff and Carolyn Rogers.
Profiles of their lives showed their impact. Leonard (92) was the man behind Glade Valley Farms, where top regional sire Rollicking stood. He had a 10-year career as the Maryland Racing Commission's chief veterinarian and was a two-time president of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.
Mobberley (84) spent her life riding, owning, training and seeing to horses' care and the care of others in racing and beyond. "She was probably the toughest woman I ever knew," said trainer John Salzman Jr.
Meyerhoff (86) struck gold when buying racing great Spectacular Bid as a yearling for $37,000.
Rogers (88), who with her husband Samuel Rogers Jr., sold yearlings off their White Oaks Farm in Leesburg, Va., for a record 50 consecutive years at Saratoga. Among their stars was Sharp Cat, a Storm Cat filly pinhook who won 15 races (eight Grade 1s) from 22 starts while earning more than $2 million.
