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Epic Idea Takes Maryland Million Ladies At Laurel

Call it poetic justice.

After surviving a steward's inquiry following a victory in the Maryland Million Ladies last year but being placed second upon review of the Maryland Racing Commission in May, Vivian Rall's homebred Epic Idea left no questions Saturday, driving between horses entering the stretch to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies by a half-length over Maldives Model at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. It was another three-quarters of a length to Judi Blue Eyes in third.

A 5-year-old mare by Great Notion trained by Michael Merryman and ridden by Daniel Centeno, Epic Idea covered a firm 1 1/8-mile turf course in 1:49.46.

“It's big redemption for us,” said Merryman after the race. “I have to bite my tongue a little bit right now because everyone knows that (the disqualification) was not right. But all the credit to the breeder, Vivian Rall. She's one of the best horsemen in Maryland. Credit to my mom for bringing this horse along with us…. just a credit to all the nice horsemen we have behind this filly.”

Breaking alertly from the gate, Epic Idea was rated fourth along the inside entering the first turn and down the backstretch by Centeno while longshot Tipsy Chatter set fractions of :23.63, :47.89, and 1:12.04. But entering the stretch, Centeno moved Epic Idea off the rail and outside a tiring Tipsy Chatter and outside Brushing to take the lead and the Maryland Million Ladies.

Epic Idea came into the Ladies off a third-place finish at 5 ½ furlongs Sept. 30. “She came flying last time,” Merryman said.

The race reunited Epic Idea with Centeno, who had ridden the mare last in October of 2020.

“If you look back at her form, the best race she ever ran was with Centeno,” Merryman said. “We wanted to win so I made him fly up from Tampa to ride her.”

Said Centeno: “I talked to Mike and he said she was training really good. She sprinted the last race and we were going back to long. I told him we had a little bit of speed outside, and she always breaks sharp, so going to the first turn she's going to be right there. She broke really sharp, and she got a perfect trip. I found some room turning for home and she finished strong.”

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Epic Idea Returns For Another Shot In Maryland Million Ladies

Disqualified from a first-place finish in last year's race, Vivan Rall's homebred Epic Idea will get a second chance at becoming a Maryland Million winner in Saturday's $100,000 Ladies.

A 5-year-old Great Notion mare, Epic Idea led every step of the way in the 2020 Ladies to edge Gennie Highway by three-quarters of a length. She survived a steward's inquiry following the race but was placed second upon review of the Maryland Racing Commission in May.

Epic Idea made her 2021 debut in the $100,000 The Very One May 14 at historic Pimlico Race Course where she ran up against subsequent Grade 3 winner Caravel, finishing eighth by less than four lengths. She has run third in back-to-back turf sprints, including a half-length loss to next-out winner Polished Gal in a Laurel allowance Sept. 30.

“Epic Idea has been training great,” trainer Michael Merryman said. “Hopefully we have her ready to go two turns. The way the races set up, we sprinted the last two races and she ran well in both. It's a bit tougher field than last year, so we'll see how it plays out.”

Daniel Centeno gets the riding assignment from Post 4.

Hillwood Stable's 3-year-old homebred filly Misty's Banshee will be making just her third career start and first in a stakes in the Ladies for fall meet-leading trainer Brittany Russell. A daughter of Golden Lad out of the Malibu Moon mare Misty in Malibu, she exits a front-running triumph Sept. 23 at Laurel in a one-mile maiden claimer originally carded for the grass.

“The last time she ran great, and I think she'll love the turf. I know it's a lot to ask off a maiden win, but we've always thought highly of her ability. It's a matter of getting her brain right,” Russell said. “We've always really liked this filly, but she has been a [challenge] to get to the races. She's had a tough path, but I think we finally got her on the right track.

“Her mother was a turf horse and she trains like she would like the turf. She liked that tight, sealed track the day she broke her maiden when it came off, if that is any indication,” she added. “You hope she's better on the turf.”

Kevin Gomez, up for each of her first two starts, both also against older horses, rides from Post 7.

Bonuccelli Racing's Breviary will be racing first time off the claim for trainer Kenny Cox, who took the 4-year-old filly for $25,000 out of a one-mile event Oct. 7 at Laurel. She has three career wins but is 0-for-4 lifetime on turf including a sixth in last year's Ladies, when she was beaten 3 ¾ lengths.

“When we went back and looked at her turf races, every time she ran it seemed like she was pretty far back and the winner went wire to wire and didn't back up enough for her,” Cox said. “We're going to go ahead and take a chance. We're going to try and get her to lay a little closer. Last year she ran in it for the other connections and got beat [3 ¾] lengths to the horse that won that went wire to wire. She had to make up a lot of ground. I know we're taking a shot but I don't think it's out of the question that she can't run well in there.”

Jevian Toledo has the call in the Ladies for a second straight year, breaking from Post 2.

The 5-2 program favorite is Burke, Campbell and Picarello's I Love You, coming out of a 7 ¼-length open allowance romp going one mile Sept. 11 on the Laurel turf. She owns four wins and two seconds from eight lifetime tries on the grass and has a record of 2-2-1 in five starts since being claimed for $160,000 in February.

Holly's Lady, Maldives Model, Tipsy Chatter, Artful Splatter, Sally's Mustang, Fool Yourself, Amplio Esquema, Judi Blue Eyes, Brushing and also-eligibles Awesome Jazz and Good Life Cider complete the field.

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Field Pass Posts Neck Victory In BWI Turf Cup At Pimlico

Three Diamonds Farm's multiple graded-stakes winner Field Pass squeezed through a narrow opening along the rail in deep stretch and muscled his way to a popular neck triumph over stubborn pacesetter Ramsey Solution in Saturday's $200,000 Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 15th running of the one-mile G3 BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up anchored four grass stakes worth $500,000 in purses, following wins by Indian Lake in the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby for 3-year-olds and Can the Queen in the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash and Tightly Twisted in the $100,000 Big Dreyfus, both for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Ridden for the first time by Victor Carrasco for trainer Mike Maker, Field Pass ($3.40) earned his seventh career win and fourth in graded company after the Grade 3 Transylvania on turf and Grade 3 Ontario Derby and Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on synthetics last year.

“We're obviously happy with the win. We had a few anxious moments there, but we're happy he got through and got there,” Maker said by phone from Saratoga. “There weren't a whole lot of instructions. We basically said, 'He's the class of the field, get to the wire first,' and they did.”

The winning time was 1:35.12 over a firm turf course. Talk Or Listen, second by a length in the Grade 2 Dinner Party May 15 at Pimlico, trailed runner-up Ramsey Solution by 1 ½ lengths with Posterity another 3 ¾ lengths back. Graded-stakes winners Pixelate and English Bee were scratched.

Jockey Mychel Sanchez and Ramsey Solution broke on the outside and were intent on the lead, with Field Pass on the rail and Talk Or Listen with Daniel Centeno on their right hip. The early fractions were sensible, going :24.59 for a quarter-mile and :48.33 for the half.

“I saw on the first turn to the backside, Mychel was trying to keep his horse inside and he's fighting with him to keep him on the rail. I had Centeno on my outside with [Talk Or Listen] and I'm just waiting and holding because all my horse wants to do is go. I'm like, 'No, there's not enough room. It's too early yet,'” Carrasco said.

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“They didn't give me many instructions. They said, 'Don't fight with him. If [Ramsey Solution] wants to go, let him go. Come around and stalk him, don't let him go free,'” he added. “But, I had somebody on my outside and he wasn't relaxing for me. I was fighting with him behind horses. I had no other choice but to wait, wait, wait, and patience won the race.”

Ramsey Solution, winner of the Tapit last fall at Kentucky Downs, remained in front after going six furlongs in 1:11.55 and straightened for home with Talk Or Listen bearing down on his outside and Field Pass trying to get through on the rail. Ramsey Solution dug in gamely through the lane but Field Pass had just enough room and time to get up two jumps from the wire.

“When we turned for home, Mychel stayed outside and I said, 'It's now or never.' When I said 'go,' he gave me some but when I hit him with the left hand he gave me another gear,” Carrasco said. “My horse is not huge but he's well-built. There wasn't much [room]. I moved on him and he wasn't afraid of going to the hole, and he got it done.”

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Miss Marissa Much The Best In Delaware Handicap

Miss Marissa upset the favorite Bonny South and added her name to the long list of great fillies and mares to win the historic Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del. Grabbing an early lead, Miss Marissa and jockey Daniel Centeno controlled the pace, maintained a steady one-length lead, and had no trouble holding off Gibberish and Queen Nekia in the stretch to win by a length and a half.

Out of the gate, Gibberish grabbed a short half-length lead over Miss Marissa, but Centeno pushed his gray 4-year-old filly to the front, with Gibberish and Saracosa just behind her. Through the backstretch, Miss Marissa maintained her advantage, with the favorite Bonny South moving up to fourth. With the first quarter in :25.15 and the half-mile in :50.10, Centeno held his mount steady, saving plenty for the stretch run.

Into the final turn, Dream Marie made her move on the outside of Gibberish, but no one could catch the eventual winner today. Despite an open rail for Queen Nekia, Miss Marissa was too good, stretching her lead to a length and a half as they approached the wire. Behind her, Gibberish held off Queen Nekia for second with Dream Marie, Bonny South, and Saracosa rounding out the field. Final Cut was scratched. The final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:04.50.

Find this race's chart here.

Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Miss Marissa is a daughter of He's Had Enough out of the Arch mare Ardara. She was consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds at the October 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sale for $11,000 with Antonio Sano purchasing the filly. She is owned by Cammarota Racing LLC and trained by James Ryerson. Her win in the Delaware Handicap is her fifth win in 16 lifetime starts for total winnings of $604,690.

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