October, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Laurel: Jim McKay Maryland Million Day Attracts 310 Pre-Entries

Four defending champions, four prior winners and Grade 3-winning fan favorite Cordmaker are among 310 pre-entries in eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 37th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program Saturday, Oct. 22 at Laurel Park.

Five races on the groundbreaking Maryland Million program are scheduled for the turf. Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Wednesday, Oct. 19. Post time on Maryland Million Day is 11:30 a.m.

The richest race on the program, the $150,000 Classic going 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up, drew 28 pre-entries led by Hillwood Stable's Cordmaker, who has not raced since becoming a graded-stakes winner in the Feb. 19 General George (G3) at Laurel. It marked the fourth straight win and 10th stakes victory for the 7-year-old gelding by two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin. Trained by Rodney Jenkins, he has breezed six times since Sept. 2 for his return.

Prendimi posted a front-running 12-1 upset of last year's Classic, a neck ahead of multiple stakes winner Tappin Cat, who is also pre-entred. Joining them are 2020 Classic winner Monday Morning Qb and Norman 'Lynn' Cash-trained stablemate Double Crown, a multiple stakes winner twice graded-stakes placed; stakes winners Cynergy's Star, Galerio, Twisted Ride and Vance Scholars; The Poser, third by a length to Prendimi last fall; and multiple stakes-winning filly Malibu Beauty.

The last horse to win the Classic in back-to-back years was Admirals War Chest in 2015 and 2016. Other repeat winners are Timely Warning (1990-91), Algar (1997-98), Docent (2002-03) and Eighttofasttocatch (2011, 2013-14).

Vance Scholars, winner of the 1 3 1/6-mile Bald Eagle Derby Aug. 6 at Laurel and placed in two consecutive stakes – all races rained off the grass, is also among 22 horses pre-entered for the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf. The group includes 2019 Turf winner Mr. d'Angelo, who ran fourth in 2020 but missed last year's race; 2021 Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap winner B Determined; Johng and Street Copper, respectively second and third to Somekindofmagician last fall; and stakes winners Midnight Hauler and Nick Papagiorgio.

The Turf's companion race, the $125,000 Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the grass, saw 23 horses pre-entered led by multiple stakes winners Can the Queen and Malibu Beauty, the latter yet to race on turf; Maldives Model and Amplio Esquema, respectively second and fourth last year; and My Thoughts, a last-out stakes winner at Penn National.

Hello Beautiful made history last fall when she became just the seventh horse to win three Maryland Million races following a second straight triumph in the $100,000 Distaff. Her trainer, Brittany Russell, pre-entered three horses going for a title defense in the seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3 and up – Gamestonks; Juror Number Four, third last out in the Sept. 30 Tax Free Distaff; and Jester Calls Nojoy, unraced since finishing second to Luna Belle in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship last December.

Also prominent among pre-entrants are stakes winners Breviary, Climber, Edie Meeny Miny Mo, Fille d'Esprit, Malibu Beauty, Princess Kokachin and Proper Attire, the latter finishing fourth as the favorite in Thursday's second race at Laurel, a 5 ½-furlong starter optional claimer that was rained off the turf.

The $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs matched the Distaff as most popular among horsemen with 32 pre-entries. The list includes defending champion Air Token; 2020 winner Karan's Notion; May 21 Chick Lang (G3) winner Jaxon Traveler; Whereshetoldmetogo, who counts 13 stakes among 17 lifetime wins and is approaching $1 million in purse earnings; fellow multiple stakes winners Alottahope, Fortheluvofbourbon and Local Motive; Eastern Bay, second in the Oct. 8 Vosburgh (G2) at Aqueduct; and stakes winners Alwaysinahurry, Cynergy's Star, Kenny Had a Notion and Twisted Ride.

Gordon Keys' Grateful Bred, winless in six starts this year with four seconds, all in stakes, is pre-entered to defend his title in the $100,000 Turf Sprint, a 5 ½-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up. Among other pre-entrants are Alwaysinahurry, B Determined, Can the Queen, Cynergy's Star, Grade 3-placed Hemp and stakes winners Justwaveandsmile and Miss J McKay.

Juveniles will be in the spotlight in the $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs. The Nursery's 26 pre-entries include stakes winners Bandits Heart and Paymengold along with stakes-placed Heldish, Lost Weekend and Riccio, while the Lassie attracted 30 pre-entries led by stakes-placed Chickieness,

Back for the sixth straight year are the $50,000 Turf Starter Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, where 2020 Turf winner Pretty Good Year is among 22 pre-entrants, and $50,000 Turf Distaff Starter Handicap for fillies and mares 3 and older, both scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

Rounding out the stakes action are the $40,000 Starter Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, whose pre-entries including defending champion No More Talk, and $40,000 Distaff Starter Handicap for fillies and mares 3 and older, each sprinting seven furlongs.

Edgar Prado leads all Maryland Million jockeys with 18 wins, one more than fellow Hall of Famer Ramon Dominguez. Jevian Toledo, Maryland's leading jockey by wins this year, J.D. Acosta and Charlie Marquez each won two Maryland Million races in 2021.

Dale Capuano and Hall of Famer King Leatherbury, who together have combined for more than 10,000 career victories, rank 1-2 among Maryland Million trainers with 14 and 10 wins, respectively.

Named for the late Hall of Fame and 13-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster who helped launch the groundbreaking concept in 1986, the Jim McKay Maryland Million has evolved into the second-biggest day on the state's racing calendar behind only the Preakness Stakes (G1). 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrates the stallions who stand in the state as well as a rich and diverse racing history that dates back to the founding of the Maryland Jockey Club in 1743.

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Baaeed Heads Champion Cast

Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will conclude his racing career against eight rivals in Saturday's £1.3-million QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot, with the unbeaten luminary drawn in stall one as the final fields were confirmed on Thursday morning. Like the 2016 hero Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the William Haggas flagbearer is on the inside in a contest that should be staged on ground no worse than soft and very likely good-to-soft. Last year's Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is in six in the day's feature event, with a favourable draw in four also handed to James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}).

Haggas is clearly bullish on his chances and said: “I think people want to see a really, really top horse stay unbeaten and win in style. Staying unbeaten is terribly important now that we are nearly there. Frankel obviously was unbeaten, but few are in a career at that level. It would be sad if he was beaten, but not for the people who beat him.

“I respect Adayar very much, as I respect Bay Bridge, who looked a fantastic horse at Sandown, but they've got to go to beat him.”

Cheveley Park Stud's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois heroine Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) meets nine in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., with the 2020 hero The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) heading the opposition, providing the underfoot conditions suit.

“Modern Games will be declared and we will be on weather watch from thereon,” trainer Charlie Appleby told the Nick Luck Daily podcast Wednesday. “If the description was soft then he would be unlikely to run, but the decision will be made potentially on the day.”

Inspiral's trainers John and Thady Gosden also have the returning 'TDN Rising Star' Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S., which has attracted a field of 14, while in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. last year's winner Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of 18. The opening G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup sees Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) bid for a third consecutive renewal against KHK Racing's St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The former's participation was cemented with the additional precipitation Wednesday.

“It should be fine,” said Trueshan's trainer Alan King. “They had 4-5mm last night so it's good-to-soft, soft, and that should be fine for him. I don't see it drying out much.”

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New University Of Kentucky Education Center Will Facilitate Elderly Horse Care Breakthroughs

The University of Kentucky recently broke ground and began construction on a new center for aged horse research. The Linda Mars Aged Horse Care and Education Facility, located on the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's C. Oran Little Research Farm, will help lead the way on breakthroughs in care for revered older horses, a demographic estimated to make up approximately one-third of the worldwide horse population.

Support from Linda Mars, philanthropist and avid horsewoman, made the facility possible. The college hopes to complete the center by the end of this year.

UK's Aged Horse Research Program was established by Amanda Adams, associate professor in the Gluck Equine Research Center. Adams, who specializes in the care of senior horses, is also an adjunct faculty member at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has established and supports a unique herd of aged horses who have conditions ranging from pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, more commonly known as Cushing's disease, obesity, equine metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation.

Adams' research program currently encompasses the study of equine immunology and endocrinology in the areas of aging, obesity, endocrine diseases, laminitis and stress. In 2019, Adams was named the inaugural Mars Equestrian Fellow in recognition of her expertise in equine science and dedication to creating a better world for horses. Adams was then tapped to provide mentorship to the inaugural Mars Equestrian Scholar, a doctoral scholarship program designed to engage and train future leaders in equine science. The holistic approach to supporting education and research exemplifies Mars' dedication to improving equine well-being integrating Mars, Incorporated family of equine-related brands and services, including Waltham Science, Antech, Sound, Buckeye Nutrition and Spillers Brands.

According to Adams, the new facility is an important tool helping aged horse research unlock new ways of caring for aging, PPID and EMS or ID horses, conditions that are common as horses age. Additionally, the space will help train the next generation of scientists and will serve as an important resource for the university's equine undergraduate students.

“I am beyond thrilled, and so very thankful to Linda Mars for her love of the horse and for her innovation and generous support and establishment of this new facility,” Adams said. “We couldn't do what we do for the senior horse without the support from Linda.”

While many generally associate the Mars name with the chocolate industry, the family also has significant involvement in the equine industry. Their continued participation includes multiple breeds and disciplines from grassroots involvement to the highest echelons of the sport. Active in horse racing for more than a century, perhaps one of their most famous moments was with a family-owned horse named Gallahadion who charged from behind and won as a longshot in the 1940 Kentucky Derby.

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The legacy of the Ethel V. Mars Milky Way Farm Stable is interwoven into the UK facility with signage depicting the racing silks of Gallahadion, a nod to Mars' desire to continue to make a lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of the horse through its entire lifecycle. This continues to the present day with the establishment of Mars Equestrian, a sponsorship division of Mars, Incorporated, whose purpose is to improve the lives of horses, pets and the people who love them.

“We are incredibly thankful to Linda Mars for her continued support of this important program,” said Nancy Cox, vice president for land-grant engagement and UK CAFE dean. “Not only will her gift help advance aged horse care, but it will also be essential in educating the next generation of equine professionals.”

The new facility will feature state-of-the-art laboratory space to support Adams' research program, something the research farm currently lacks. Before this facility, the research team transported samples from the farm to campus for analysis. The new space will allow that research to take place onsite and conduct studies that were previously unfeasible to complete.

The new facility will house teaching and workshop space for 40 graduate and undergraduate students. Additionally, it will offer hands-on teaching potential, with additional space for a horse to be present during the demonstrations.

The space will also be home to the Mars Equestrian Scholar program. The program's current scholar, Erica Jacquay, is a graduate student under Adams. Her research currently includes a nationwide survey on common reasons for transporting horses and management practices associated with different types of travel, particularly for road transportation of three or fewer hours. She aims to determine the impact of short-term transportation on stress and immune function in horses. Through this study, she will research differences in how transportation stress manifests in different classes of horses, including aged horses and horses with PPID, EMS or ID.

Adams said that in addition to supporting the Mars Equestrian Scholars program, the facility will also provide other graduate and undergraduate students an opportunity for additional hands-on horse care education and learning about firsthand and managing endocrine diseases.

This space will also host small public workshops that initially will focus on the care of aging horses, nutrition, management, endocrine diseases and other topics.

“I also want to express my sincere thank you to Dr. Pat Harris, director of science, Mars Horsecare, for her continued support of our aged horse research program, as this collaboration all started with Pat, and there are not enough words to truly thank her for her unending support,” Adams said. “She is the most passionate equine scientist in the industry, and we deeply thank her. My goal is to take our program to the next level and continue to make a difference in the field of equine science and for the equine industry and above all for the senior horse population.”

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Kyprios The Eyecatcher in Latest Longines WBRR

The latest edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR) were released Thursday, with winners from Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend climbing into prominent positions on the list.

Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) ran his seasonal record to six wins from as many appearances with a spectacular performance in the G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran over 4000 metres, where he had some 20 lengths between him and the next-nearest competitor. Also victorious this term in the G1 Gold Cup, G1 Goodwood Cup and G1 Irish St Leger, the 4-year-old was raised from a rating of 120 to 124, equal-seventh with G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. hero Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), dual Japanese Group 1 winner Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}).

The latter was beaten narrowly into third in defence of his title in this year's Arc by Kirsten Rausing's outstanding Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is new to the WBRR on a rating of 123 following her narrow success over Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}, 125) in the ParisLongchamp feature. Her season also includes victories in the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Courtesy of his towering score in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile in Canada last month, Godolphin's Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) now sits on 122 as he prepares for Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and a clash with the 3-year-old filly Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}, 121) at Ascot, with a return trip to the Breeders' Cup likely thereafter. 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) has also been rated on 122 on the strength of his three-length tally in the GI Pennsylvania Derby last month.

In Australia, Godolphin's Anamoe (Aus) (Street Boss) took the G1 Might and Power S. at Caulfield in Melbourne Oct. 8, adding to his wins in the G1 Winx S. and G1 George Main S. Now rated 121, the homebred is expected to be favoured for the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday week.

'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit, 139), who continues his build-up to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5; and Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}, 135), who swansongs in Saturday's G1 QIPCO British Champions S., remain at the top of the WBRR.

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