Matt Spencer, Kelly Jo Cox, and Bonuccelli Racing's Ain't Da Beer Cold, longest shot in the field at 35-1, was promoted to the win after the disqualification of first-place finisher Market Maven in Saturday's $150,000 Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park.
The 1 1/8-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up headlined the 38th Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program of 12 races featuring eight stakes and four starter stakes on 'Maryland's Day at the Races,' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.
It was the fourth win of the day for jockey Jevian Toledo including victories in the $100,000 Turf Sprint with Witty and $100,000 Distaff aboard Intrepid Daydream, and his 17th in Maryland Million history, moving him into a tie with Ramon Dominguez for second all time behind fellow Hall of Famer Edgar Prado (18).
Trainer Kenny Cox earned his first Maryland Million win with Ain't Da Beer Cold ($75), who ran eighth in the Classic in 2021 and 2022.
“We just went in there hoping he would show up,” Cox said. “He's had terrible form. We've had a bunch of excuses, and I don't like making excuses. If he doesn't show up today, give us an effort, we would go ahead and turn him out. It wasn't the toughest Maryland Million Classic, so we have to take a shot and turn him out after this.
“Me and Jevian talked about it and he's like, 'I want to send him today,'” he added. “I said 'Put him on the lead. That's exactly my thoughts. We got nothing to lose and take it from there.'”
Toledo hustled Ain't Da Beer Cold, a 5-year-old homebred gelding by Freedom Child, to the front from Post 7 and went the opening quarter-mile in 23.59 seconds with Market Maven in pursuit, 19-1 long shot Dolice Vita saving ground inside and 6-5 favorite Double Crown in the clear three wide in fourth.
Market Maven continued to track the leader through a half in :48.40 when Grade 3 winner Double Crown moved up to be third. The two front-runners straightened for home together and raced side-by-side through the lane, with Ain't Da Beer Cold grudgingly giving way approaching the wire. Following an objection lodged by Toledo, Market Maven was disqualified and placed second for interference.
“I had no idea, to be honest,” Cox said of the objection. “I went back to congratulate him, what a great effort, and he's like, 'I got to run in here,' and I knew there was something at that point. I didn't know what had happened. I just wanted to watch it. I saw some bumping and I said it could go either way on this call. You know, I just hope there was some luck on my side today.”
Double Crown finished third, followed by Dolice Vita, All Threes, Loose Ends, Rhumjar and Ournationonparade. Maryland-bred also-eligibles Super Accelerate, Frightland, and Big Blue Line were scratched.
Ournationonparade was trying to become the first repeat winner of the Classic since Admirals War Chest in 2015-16 and just the seventh horse with three lifetime Maryland Million wins.
Ain't Da Beer Cold had placed in three prior stakes, the most recent in the Feb. 18 John B. Campbell, when he ran third behind multiple stakes winners Nimitz Class and Ournationonparade. He now has six wins, five seconds and four thirds from 32 career starts.
“I don't know what to say. This is better than the Preakness (G1),” breeder-owner Matt Spencer said. “It's a dream come true. This horse is all heart. Toledo says he's going to the lead and let's see what happens. Let's see how far he can go. Thankfully we got put up. I didn't think it was going to happen. The racing gods were good to us today.”
Intrepid Daydream Extends Streak In Distaff
Paul Fowler Jr.'s Intrepid Daydream took the lead from pacesetting Response Time at the top of the stretch and sprinted clear to extend her win streak to three races with a three-length triumph in the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff.
A 4-year-old homebred daughter of Jess's Dream, Intrepid Daydream ($4) was the first of three Maryland-bred horses on the also-eligible list for the Distaff who drew into the race after Malibu Moonshine, Moonboots and Mama G's Wish were scratched. It was the third race in 28 days for Intrepid Daydream, who won the Sept. 16 Shine Again at historic Pimlico Race Course and a restricted allowance Sept. 28 at Delaware Park, both sprinting six furlongs.
“I didn't know we were going to be in. I was rushing around trying to get here and see the race,” Fowler said. “She ran like we expected. She usually shows speed and today she took back a little bit, relaxed and went on with it. It's pretty amazing, because it's a long road. It's wonderful.”
Response Time, one of two in the Distaff trained by Hamilton Smith along with comebacking two-time Maryland-bred champion Luna Belle, was sent to the lead by Jeiron Barbosa and held it after posting splits of :23.47 and :46.67. Malibu Beauty, Intrepid Daydream's multiple stakes-winning stablemate trained by Gary Capuano, raced in second with defending champion Fille d'Esprit in third and Intrepid Daydream in the clear in fourth outside 45-1 long shot Miss Gracie.
Jevian Toledo gave Intrepid Daydream her cue rounding the far turn and she responded to move up alongside Response Time entering the stretch before matching strides and going on to win in 1:24.62 over a main track rated good. Response Time held second, 1¼ lengths ahead of late-running Luna Belle, who had trained the field early. A five-time stakes winner and Maryland's champion 2-year-old filly of 2021 and 3-year-old filly of 2022, she was making her first start in 513 days.
“She is a really nice filly,” Toledo said. “That's three in a row. She got a great post on the outside today. There was lots of speed on the inside, so the plan was to stay close and follow them into the turn. My filly was ready when it was time to go.”
Seven's Eleven Wins Maryland Million Sprint
The Cottonwood Stable LLC's Seven's Eleven won his second consecutive start by driving away from Johnyz From Albany to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint by five lengths.
A 3-year-old gelded son of Grade 3 winner Bandbox, Seven's Eleven ($11.80) covered the six furlongs in 1:10.49 for trainer Carlos Mancilla and jockey Angel Cruz. Seven's Eleven has won four of 10 starts and four of seven this year.
“My horse is doing real good,” Mancilla said. “I was expecting a big race today. Wet or dry track I know he will run well. Seven-eighths is perfect for him. With six furlongs plan was to sit off pace a bit then make a run.”
Johnyz From Albany shot to the front and set an opening quarter in :22.22 and a half in :44.95 while Seven's Eleven chased in second before joining the lead at the head of the stretch. Seven's Eleven eventually put away Johnzy From Albany inside the eighth pole before driving away to a five length victory in 1:10.49.
“We broke sharp and I let him get good position right off the leader,” Cruz said. “He likes to sit off pace just a little bit and then make a run. I knew he was going to like the wet dirt today. When I got beside Johnyz in the stretch I had a lot of horse left.”
Witty Takes Inside Route In Turf Sprint Repeat
Patiently ridden by Jevian Toledo, Witty came rolling through an opening along the rail in midstretch and powered to a popular 1¼-length victory in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint.
Witty ($3.40) gave Elizabeth Merryman her first Maryland Million victory as a breeder and owner; she also trains the 4-year-old half-brother to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Caravel.
Favored at 3-5 in a full field of 14 for the 5 1/2-furlong race, Witty also helped sire Great Notion extend his streak to having at least one Maryland Million winner to 14 consecutive years.
Breaking from Post 5, Witty raced in last around the first turn as 60-1 long shot Odinson showed the way with an opening quarter-mile of 22.54 seconds pressed by 2021 Turf Sprint winner Grateful Bred midway into the far turn. As the top two duked it out up front, Toledo pounced on his opportunity when Tidewater came off the rail to sail through the opening and close with a flourish to win in 1:02.64 over a firm Exceller turf course.
Tidewater got up for second, emerging from a three-way photo a neck ahead of Next Episode, who closed stoutly on the far outside to edge 80-1 long shot R B's the Boss by a neck.
Witty, out of the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, earned his second straight turf stakes victory following his neck triumph over Sky's Not Falling in the five-furlong Ben's Cat Sept. 16 at Pimlico Race Course. He was a dirt stakes winner at both 2 and 3, including the 2022 Spectacular Bid at Laurel.
Wicked Prankster Defends Title In Turf
Wicked Prankster, owned and trained by Laurel Park-based Sam Davis, became the first repeat winner of the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf in seven years with a gate-to-wire three-quarter-length triumph over late-running Starstruck Notion Saturday.
Bred in Maryland by Country Life Farm and Broken Trust Fund, Wicked Prankster ($7.60) joined Winsox (1997-98), Pocket Patch (2010-11), Roadhog (2012-13) and Phlash Phelps (2015-16) as back-to-back Turf winners. Other horses with multiple Turf victories are La Reine's Terms (2002, 2005) and Talk Show Man (2014, 2018).
The typically front-running Wicked Prankster was on the lead out of the gate under jockey Yomar Ortiz, setting fractions of :23.75, :47.38 and 1:11.35 with 2-1 favorite Crabs N Beer and 12-1 long shot Tappin Cat – a multiple stakes winner on dirt – giving closest chase. Wicked Prankster remained brave up front and was able to hold off late bids from Starstruck Notion and Jack's Legend, separated by a neck, to win in 1:48.28, more than second faster than his time from last fall (1:49.44). Tappin Cat was fourth, another three-quarters of a length back.
“He ran the same race as last year when he went to the lead,” Ortiz said. “Sam told me to break good and get to the front, take it easy and relax. He said to go about :24, :49 [seconds] if possible. I had a lot of horse left at the quarter pole. Turning for home, I knew I had it.”
Wicked Prankster, a gelded 5-year-old son of Mosler, had gone winless with two thirds in five starts since last year's Turf victory. He was pulled up after two furlongs in the Aug. 19 Find at Laurel, his most recent start, but had posted successive bullet workouts at Laurel for his return.
Precious Avary Goes Distance In Ladies
Smith Farm & Stable's Precious Avary, racing for just the third time on grass and first beyond a mile on any surface, got out to an easy lead and had enough left to hold off a late charge from Naval Empire to kick off the Maryland Million stakes action with a front-running three-quarter-length triumph in the $125,000 Ladies.
Ridden by Silvestre Gonzalez for Parx-based trainer Tim Shaw, Precious Avary ($8.60) completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.53 over a firm Exceller turf course. It was the second stakes win for the 3-year-old daughter of 2015 Preakness (G1) third-place finisher Divining Rod, following a gate-to-wire triumph in the one-mile Jersey Girl Handicap July 8 at Monmouth Park.
Gonzalez immediately put Precious Avary on the lead from her rail post and she was unpressured through a quarter-mile in 24.78 seconds tracked by Golden Heart and Naval Empire on the inside, while defending Ladies champion Coconut Cake ranged up into third on the outside after the half went in 50.58.
Precious Avary continued to lead into the stretch as Naval Empire inched closer along the rail but was unable to get past the determined winner, who encountered trouble finishing seventh in last year's Maryland Million Lassie on the dirt. She has now won all three of her grass starts, dating back to a maiden triumph last fall at The Meadowlands.
Naval Empire, fifth by three lengths eight days earlier in a restricted allowance at Laurel after being fractious in the gate, was a clear second, 3 ½ lengths ahead of Golden Heart.
It was the first Maryland Million win for both Gonzalez and Shaw. Owner Tim Smith said the connections are hoping to find another turf race before the end of the year and will take a look at the one-mile Pebbles (G3) Nov. 11 at Aqueduct.
Catahoula Moon Proves Best In Nursery
Behind a patience and well-timed ride by jockey Xavier Perez, Catahoula Moon split horses down the stretch to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery by 4¾ lengths over Prado Road.
Trained by John Robb, Catahoula Moon covered the six furlongs in 1:12.24.
A son of Golden Lad, Catahoula Moon broke his maiden at Timonium in his third career start before entering Saturday's restricted event off a second-place finish over a sloppy track Sept. 24 at Pimlico. In the six-furlong Nursery, Perez rated Catahoula Moon off the leaders down the backstretch. After Blame the Tux took the field past a :22.41 opening quarter, he was joined by Point Pelee, Speedyness, Summerstateofmind and Prado Road entering the turn.
As the leaders were stretched six wide entering the stretch, Perez raced Catahoula Moon behind them all before finding a seam between Point Pelee and Prado Road and driving to the lead. Prado Road was three-quarters of a length in front of Kohler's for the place. Robb also saddled Dance for Green to a fourth-place finish in the race and Bigdaddysboy to fifth.
“I sat back to save ground and track the leaders with the stretch run. The middle opened up and I got through and he responded very well with his run,” Perez said.
“I wasn't surprised by his effort today,” Robb said. “He has been training very well leading up to this race. I'd like to keep him in the Juvenile Maryland Series Races and run him in the championship. Very happy I ran first, fourth and fifth.”
Catahoula Moon returned $10.20 for the win.
Miss Harriett Gamely Wins Lassie At 60-1 Odds
Narrow Leaf Farm's Miss Harriett, making her debut at odds of 60-1, gamely held off favored Sheilahs Warcloud Saturday to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie.
Miss Harriett returned $126.60.
Trained by Brandon McFarlane and ridden by Jean Briceno, Miss Harriett broke from post 12 and chased pacesetter Remember Me past an opening quarter in :22.88 while Sheilahs Warcloud followed in third under Xavier Perez. After shaking loose from Remember Me and taking the lead past a half in :46.31, Miss Harriett entered the stretch on top while Sheilahs Warcloud drove in pursuit from the outside. While the two fought gamely down the stretch, with Sheilahs Warcloud even poking her nose in front at one point, Miss Harriett gamely came back to win by a neck. It was another 3½ lengths to Kissedbyangel in third.
Miss Harriett, a 2-year-old daughter of Blofeld, is a half-sister to Keep Momma Happy, winner of the 2012 Nursery.
“I expected her to break good,” McFarlane said. “I work easy. No bullet works. Always nice and easy. This is the first time I got to see the jockey dig in. I was hoping she dug in. She never had pressure ever on her in her life. This is the first time I got to see what's she's got.”
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