Mayland’s thoroughbred business may have a sunny second on Saturday, Oct. 11, when Laurel Park hosts the fortieth annual Jim McKay Maryland Million Day. The occasion was began in 1986 by legendary sportscaster McKay and spotlights horses by stallions that have been in Maryland on the time of its conception.
The showcase occasion, the $150,000 Milton P. Higgins III Memorial Maryland Million Traditional (distance 1⅛ miles), had eight individuals, together with one certified participant. In line with Maryland Million guidelines, if a race doesn’t have no less than eight Maryland-bred runners, horses which might be Maryland-bred however not Maryland-bred are eligible to attract. It will enable main stakes winners and millionaire post-timers to run. The Maryland Million Traditional is scheduled because the eleventh race of a 12-race program, with put up time scheduled for 4:40 p.m. ET.
Meet the sector for this 12 months’s Maryland Million Traditional.
1.Restrict (15-1 morning row)
coach: Greg Sacco
Proprietor: rising solar racing steady
Jockey: Jaylon Barbosa
Work historical past: 29 begins – 2 wins – 3 seconds – 6 finishes third
Profession earnings: $198,868
Income per begin: $6,858
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 99
Pedigree: Blofeld – Union Manner, by Union Rags
12 months: 4
colour: chestnut
Operating model: close by
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: Mugatu, who grew up in Kentucky, had a short look within the home racing world, ending eighth in final 12 months’s Preakness Stakes. He spent many of the remainder of the season in stakes firm, together with a third-place end in final 12 months’s Maryland Million Traditional. It was his first stakes look since then, and his solely win in that point got here in a two-win race at Churchill Downs in late June. Acquired from Greg Sacco for $30,000 in his final begin in Huge A contest at Belmont, he’s hoping to rekindle a few of the kind he confirmed final 12 months. That is his solely hope of profitable, contemplating he will not be a contender in any races this 12 months. Jaylon Barboza received final 12 months’s Traditional on Good Ice.
2. Barbados Runners (6-1)
coach: henry walters
Proprietor: AJ steady will win
Jockey: forest voice
Work historical past: 17 begins – 5 wins – 5 seconds – 4 3
Profession earnings: $643,690
Income per begin: $37,864
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 98
Pedigree: Barbados – Quiet Run, written by Northern Afleet
12 months: 3
colour: darkish bay or brown
Operating model: close by
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: One of many biggest Cinderella tales in all of horse racing this 12 months, Barbadian Runner was bought for simply $5,000 on the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale. Since then, he is made again that buy worth after which some with a powerful three-year marketing campaign. He has received 4 stakes races and completed third, most not too long ago profitable the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charlestown over Kentucky Derby runners Neo Equus and Owen Almighty. The Maryland Million Traditional shall be his first race in opposition to an older horse. The horse has already received two 1-mile races and has glorious pace within the last phases, so we anticipate him to have the ability to cowl lengthy distances and make an actual late affect. Jockey Forrest Boyce has ridden Eight Quick Catch for many of the 12 months, profitable 9 Maryland Million races, together with the 2013 and 2014 Classics.
3. Hit Highway Jack (20-1)
coach: Rodolfo Sanchez Salomon
Proprietor: JR Sanchez Racing Stables
Jockey: Tais Lyapstina
Work historical past: 15 begins – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 4 3
Profession earnings: $203,755
Income per begin: $13,584
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 105
Pedigree: Koby’s Again – Our Jaks, Not For Love
12 months: 4
colour: chestnut
Operating model: pacesetter/push the tempo
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: Hit Highway Jack completed fourth in final 12 months’s Maryland Million Traditional because the “sensible man” horse, posting a 9-1 report in his third begin of his second season. Since then he has received two allowance races and competed in three stakes. The earlier race was his first begin after a three-and-a-half month break, and he returned to the Parks Dust Mile on the undercard of the Pennsylvania Derby and completed second behind Duke of Gloucester, who completed fourth. Search for Hittheroadjak to be sitting at or close to a quick tempo. Should you imagine in him, you will get a greater worth than final 12 months.
4.Secret zipper (20-1)
coach: Gary Capuano
Proprietor: frank pattern
Jockey: JG Torrealba
Work historical past: 13 begins – 5 wins – 1 second – 3 seconds
Profession earnings: $159,549
Income per begin: $12,273
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 98
Pedigree: Grew a Secret – by Chattolanee, Rock Onerous Ten
12 months: 4
colour: bay
Operating model: pacesetter/push the tempo
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: The Frank Pattern homebred horse was in nice kind final winter, profitable 4 races in a row in gate-to-wire model. Though he hasn’t received since February, he ran effectively in his final begin, the third stage allowance choice race on September 14th. In his second begin after a four-and-a-half month layoff, he set very quick occasions within the early phases and took management till the final eight miles, ending third behind the aforementioned Duke of Gloucester and Hit Highway Jack. He shall be making his third bench begin right here and could possibly be onerous to catch if he can arrange a gradual fraction. Veteran Maryland coach Gary Capuano has received 5 Maryland million races in his profession, however has but to win a Traditional. His youthful brother Dale, who retired in 2023, is the winningest coach in Maryland Million historical past with 15 wins.
5. Publish time (3-5)
coach: Brittany Russell
Proprietor: hillwood stables
Jockey: sheldon russell
Work historical past: 21 begins – 12 wins – 3 seconds – 5 third finishes
Profession earnings: $1,467,100
Income per begin: $69,862
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 115
Pedigree: Frosted – Vielsalm, Fairbanks
12 months: 5
colour: grey or roan
Operating model: close by
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: Nobody loves Laurel Park greater than Publish Time. The strapping grey horse has an ideal 10-for-10 report at this observe, together with stakes wins at 2, 3, 4 and 5 years previous. On September 7, he received the Polynesian Stakes by a layup over two rivals by 17 lengths, making his final begin right here. He has had a lot success exterior of Maryland, profitable the 2024 Carter Handicap Introduced by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct final 12 months and ending second or third in seven graded stakes races in different states. In recognition of those achievements, the horse was chosen because the 2024 Maryland-bred Horse of the 12 months. However this 12 months hasn’t been the identical as earlier than, with flat performances in New York’s G1 Whitney Stakes and G2 Woodward Stakes. Nonetheless, he towers over this subject in school and will have sufficient left within the tank to take these down. Publish Time is owned by Hillwood Stables, the pure identify of long-time horse jockey and philanthropist Ellen Charles. Charles named his son Frosted in honor of his grandmother, businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Publish. A part of this horse manufacturing was produced by Milton P. Higgins III, a longtime Maryland breeder and namesake of this 12 months’s Traditional, who handed away final 12 months. Brittany Russell is a longtime premier coach in Maryland, with 13 wins in 39 begins on the Laurel Fall Meet, which runs via October sixth.
6. Blue Kingdom (5-1)
coach: jamie ness
Proprietor: DEA Thoroughbred Racing
Jockey: Michelle Sanchez
Work historical past: 16 begins – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 4 3
Profession earnings: $158,625
Income per begin: $9,914
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 99
Pedigree: First Monday – Swish Ginger, by Two Punch
12 months: 4
colour: grey or roan
Operating model: pacesetter/push the tempo
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: The gelding entered this race in nice kind, profitable his final three begins by extensive margins and profitable his final two in front-running format. These have been spectacular efforts, however the opponent was a softer opponent than he has to cope with right here. Moreover, the surface of the key zipper is pulled, which appears to indicate quick pace. Nonetheless, issues are trying up for the damaging trainer-jockey duo of Jamie Ness and Michelle Sanchez. If he could make the journey he desires, he’ll be in for some enjoyable. Certainly one of Maryland’s high trainers, Ness received the Maryland Million Traditional in 2022 with Our Nation on Parade.
7. Sacred Thunder (8-1)
coach: Gary Capuano
Proprietor: John Hazard
Jockey: Yedsit Hazlewood
Work historical past: 17 begins – 4 wins – 6 seconds – 3/3
Profession earnings: $254,810
Income per begin: $14,989
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 98
Pedigree: Holy Boss – Elusory, by Damaged Vow
12 months: 3
colour: darkish bay or brown
Operating model: stalker
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: Trainee Gary Capuano, the second within the subject, is not any stranger to the Laurel stakes firm. He competed within the Laurel 3-year-old stakes sequence through the winter and spring. He improved his time by two-and-a-half seconds within the course of, together with dropping the Spectacular Bid S. in late January by a half-length in site visitors. After a hunch in late spring and summer season, he bounced again with a 4-3/4 size victory at Delaware Park on August twenty seventh, ending second to Blue Kingdom in his earlier race. In the event that they choose up the tempo and burn out, he’ll make the primary crack on the early leaders. That is the primary Maryland Million for Yedsit Hazlewood, a 17-year-old Panamanian apprentice who began driving in Maryland earlier this 12 months. As of Oct. 6, he has received 16 of 69 rides and is on the high of the autumn match jockey rankings.
8. Annoying temper (10-1)
coach: jamie ness
Proprietor: Tremendous C Racing and Jaguar
jockey: Carlos Lopez
Work historical past: 35 begins – 6 wins – 5 seconds – 6 thirds
Profession earnings: $352,190
Income per begin: $10,063
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 106
Pedigree: Irish Battle Cry – Stormy Love Affair, Stormy Atlantic
12 months: 5
colour: darkish bay/brown
Operating model: stalker
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: Feeling Uzi shall be competing on this 12 months’s Maryland Million Traditional in search of redemption. He was the No. 2 favourite ultimately 12 months’s match with a report of 9 wins and a pair of losses, however he broke clumsily, misplaced place early on and had little likelihood from there. He’s a boom-or-bust form of man. When he wins, as he has accomplished thrice since final 12 months’s Traditional, he wins in model. When he loses, he normally finishes effectively up the observe. He has been far forward in current begins with Parkes Racing, however it is going to be tough to guide from the surface put up. The very best model of your self might win this race, however the stars might not align for that model to emerge. He raced in final 12 months’s Traditional for former owner-trainer Hamilton Smith, and was claimed by jockey Jamie Ness for $40,000 on the Might 16 Black Eyed Susan Stakes day card.
9. All Hardway (20-1)
coach: jerry robb
Proprietor: Onerous Ten Stables LLC
Jockey: Xavier Perez
Work historical past: 13 begins – 3 wins – 4 seconds – 1 third
Profession earnings: $152,080
Income per begin: $11,698
Prime numbers for equal base pace: 89
Pedigree: Paynter – Spring Run, written by Afleet Alex
12 months: 3
colour: bay
Operating model: stalker
Notable achievements/attention-grabbing details: All of the Hardways, which has the bottom prize cash of the three horses entered by non-Maryland stallions, can be on the eligibility listing and have to be a scratch to run. He has good outcomes at this course, profitable three out of 9 races and ending second thrice, however he faces comparatively straightforward competitors. He not too long ago completed second within the Maryland-only first-level allowance race after an thrilling stretch battle. He received about two turns in the past and will enhance in his third begin because the layoff, however All of the Hardways might want to run higher than ever for him to win. Coach John “Jerry” Robb, a mainstay of Maryland horse racing, ranks second on the all-time listing with 12 Maryland Million wins. He received the Traditional in 1987 with Little Bald John.
