When it comes to racing sprinters during Preakness weekend, few have done it better in recent years than Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt. The Houston-based owners will look to continue their run of success with Faust in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) Saturday at Laurel Park.
The 39th running of the six-furlong Maryland Sprint for 3-year-olds and up is the fourth of nine stakes, four graded, worth $3.15 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. First race post time is 10:30 a.m. ET.
Other graded stakes on the card are the $250,000 Dinner Party (G3) for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles and $150,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and older at 1 1/16 miles, both scheduled for the grass.
The Heiligbrodts won last year’s Maryland Sprint with Booth, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who has also given the owners victories in the Chick Lang for 3-year-olds with Ryvit (2023), Mighty Mischief (2021), Yaupon (2020) and champion Mitole (2018). Asmussen’s other Maryland Sprint success has come with Jaxon Traveler (2022), New York Central (2019) and Switzerland (2018).
“Preakness time has been very good to me over the years, both the 3-year-old race and the older race,” Bill Heiligbrodt said. “I’ve been very fortunate in the 3-year-old race and the older horse race is an important one, also.”
Faust takes a career-high two-race win streak into the Maryland Sprint, having romped by 11 ¾ combined lengths in open six-furlong allowances March 20 and April 17 at Oaklawn Park. Overall he has three wins and seven thirds from 16 starts with purse earnings of $321,782.
“He’s just a horse that shows up. He’s worked his way up the ladder. This race will be a little bit tougher,” Heiligbrodt said. “He wasn’t an expensive horse, as most of mine aren’t. He’s a very large horse. I call him a champion for me because he’s an overachiever. I’ve had lots of horses, but he’s overachieved. This is his first chance at a [graded] stakes race. He shows up every day. He’s won a lot of money and he’s run against good competition.”
The Heiligbrodts spent $59,000 for Faust, who ran fourth in the restricted six-furlong Silks overnight stakes Dec. 19 to close his sophomore season. He ran fourth in his 4-year-old opener Feb. 16 going one mile, then was third behind next-out winners Zero Sugar and Senior Officer in a second-level allowance March 1.
“His numbers are pretty good. I’ve got other horses but he’s kind of earned this shot with his numbers. I’m looking forward to seeing him run,” Heiligbrodt said. “Overachievers do what they have to. They show up and they do whatever they have to do to win. He’s been a perfect example of that and that’s what makes me excited about racing. It shows you don’t have to buy a $2 million horse and you can still beat ‘em.”
While Faust will be racing for the first time at Laurel Park, Eric Rizer’s 4-year-old homebred Slam Notion makes the track his year-round home with trainer Robbie Bailes. He has five wins, three in restricted sprint stakes, and two seconds in nine career tries over the main track.
“He really loves Laurel,” Bailes said. “This wasn’t in our game plan. We gave him a little break after his last race. He seems to be coming around a little bit quicker than I thought he would and we thought this might be a good spot for him. We’re looking forward to it.”
Slam Notion won six of 10 starts last year, including the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial and six-furlong Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel and Star de Naskra at Colonial Downs. Most recently he ran fourth, beaten eight lengths by subsequent Carter (G2) winner Point Dume, in the seven-furlong General George Feb. 14.
“I wasn’t happy with it but he doesn’t throw those races at you too often,” Bailes said. “He had a really strong year for us. We were thinking about giving him a little break, a little breather after the stake win, and we ended up maybe going one race too far. But, everything looks good. We sent him down to the Rizers and let him eat grass and be a horse for a little bit. I’m real happy how he’s come back. I love him. He’s a neat little horse.”
Lewis Family Racing Stable homebred Celtic Contender is also based at Laurel with six wins, three seconds and three thirds in 14 starts over his home track for trainer Hamilton Smith. The 5-year-old son of Irish War Cry returned from eight months away to win an open six-furlong allowance March 28, is a two-time local stakes winner and ran third in last year’s Maryland Sprint.
Trainer Whit Beckman, who will saddle third-place Kentucky Derby (G1) finisher Ocelli in the Preakness, entered Bring the Smoke for the Maryland Sprint. The 4-year-old gelding has one win in three starts but it was a popular 18 ¼-length maiden special weight rout sprinting six furlongs in the mud Feb. 21. Last out he was second in a Keeneland allowance at the distance April 12.
Faster Gator, two-for-two lifetime at Laurel and unraced since ending 2025 with back-to-back wins capped by the Steel Valley Sprint at Mahoning Valley; stakes-placed Haileysfirstnotion, front-running comeback winner at the course and distance May 1; Floodlites, riding a three-race win streak; Hymn, exiting a six-furlong allowance victory April 10 at Oaklawn Park; and S S Sinatra complete the field.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
