Monday Morning Qb, three weeks after a fever cost him a chance at making his stakes debut for Cash is King and LC Racing, returned to Laurel Park in full health and rebounded with a three-quarter-length score in Saturday’s $100,000 Heft Stakes.

The Heft for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both contested at 7 furlongs, were among five stakes worth $500,000 in purses on a nine-race Christmastide Day program that closed out Maryland’s 2019 stakes schedule.

It was just the third career start and first in a stakes for Monday Morning Qb ($6.20), the program favorite for the Maryland Juvenile Futurity Dec. 7 who was scratched the morning of the race.

With Jorge Vargas Jr. up for trainer Robert E. ‘Butch’ Reid, the juvenile son of Imagining completed the race in 1 minute, 23.46 seconds over a fast main track.

Country Life Farm’s Bella Aurora, twice stakes-placed sprinting on the turf this fall, won her second straight start since switching to the turf with a professional 1 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Gin Talking.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy celebrated Saturday’s Christmastide Day program with five wins, including three of five stakes, and effectively clinched the fall meet riding title.

Major Arena Soccer League: The Blast defeated the Rochester Lancers, 11-0. Mo N’diaye had a goal and four assists and Juan Pereira had h a hat trick and an assist for the winners. The Blast continue their return New York swing at Utica City FC on Sunday.