Maryland Thoroughbred Industry Renaissance Award Finalists Announced

The winners of the seventh annual Renaissance Awards, hosted by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, will be announced each morning at 10:00 a.m. on Maryland Thoroughbred social media platforms beginning Feb. 26 and continuing through Saturday, Mar. 2.

Awards will be given for the top Maryland owner, trainer, jockey, dirt horses, turf horses, claimer, Maryland stallion, broodmare and breeder and champion Maryland-breds of 2023. Special awards will be presented to Pimlico and Laurel Park Backstretch Employees of the Year.

 

The announcement schedule is as follows:

Monday, Feb. 26 – Maryland-bred Champion 2-year-olds (male, female) and 3-year-olds (male, female)

Tuesday, Feb. 27 – Maryland-bred Champion Older Male, Older Female, Turf Runner and Sprinter

Wednesday, Feb. 28 – Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, Broodmare of the Year, Stallion of the Year, Breeder of the Year

Thursday, Feb. 29 – Maryland Jockey of the Year, Trainer of the Year, Owner of the Year

Friday, Mar. 1 – Maryland Dirt Male, Dirt Female, Turf Male, Turf Female and Claimer

Saturday, Mar. 2 – Special recognition of Pimlico and Laurel Backstretch Employees of the Year

 

   To view the finalists and winners, follow on social media:

Facebook: Facebook.com/MarylandTB

Instagram: @marylandtb

Twitter/X: @marylandtb

 

The following are finalists (listed alphabetically) in the award categories:

 

Maryland-bred champion 2-year-old male: Catahoula Moon (bred by Angela Coombs, owned by Super C Racing Inc.), Circle P (bred by Marathon Farms, Inc., owned by DeSales 85 LLC), Fulmineo (bred by Country Life Farm and Starr of Quality LLC, owned by Starlight Racing and Mark B. Grier)

 

Maryland-bred champion 2-year-old filly: Kissedbyanangel (bred by Super C Racing Inc, owned by Joanne Shankle), Miss Harriett (bred by David Baxter, owned by Narrow Leaf Farm), Sheilahs Warcloud (bred by Dr. Megan Kerford DVM & Justin Nixon, owned by Justin Nixon)

 

Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male: Coffeewithchris (bred by Thomas J. Rooney, owned by John E. Salzman Jr., Fred Wasserloos, Anthony Geruso), Post Time (bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman & Milton P. Higgins III, owned by Hillwood Stable LLC), Seven's Eleven (bred and owned by The Cottonwood Stable LLC)

 

Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly: Bosserati (bred and owned by Joel Politi), Liquidator (bred by Country Life Farm/Stone LLC, owned Not the 1 Stable Inc.), Talk to the Judge (bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, owned by Waldorf Racing Stables LLC)

 

Maryland-bred champion older male: Alwaysinahurry (bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Quin Bowman, & Rebecca Davis, owned by Mopo Racing), Double Crown (bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman & Rebecca Davis, owned by Built Wright Stables LLC), Eastern Bay (bred by Nancy Lee Farms, owned by Built Wright Stables LLC)

 

Maryland-bred champion older female: Award Wanted (bred by Dr. Alexandro Rubim Dias, owned by No Guts No Glory Farm & Erica Upton), Intrepid Daydream (bred and owned by Paul L. Fowler Jr.), Spun Glass (bred and owned by R. Larry Johnson)

 

Maryland-bred champion turf runner: Bosserati (bred and owned by Joel Politi), Wet My Beak (bred by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC, owned by Thelma & Louise Stable LLC), Wicked Prankster (bred by Country Life Farm & Broken Trust Fund LLC, owned by Samuel G. Davis)

 

Maryland-bred champion sprinter: Intrepid Daydream (bred and owned by Paul L. Fowler Jr.), Post Time (bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman & Milton P. Higgins III, owned by Hillwood Stable LLC), Seven's Eleven (bred and owned by The Cottonwood Stable LLC)

 

Owner of the Year: Mens Grille Racing, Michael Scheffres, The Elkstone Group LLC

 

Trainer of the Year: Kieron Magee, Brittany Russell, Mike Trombetta

 

Jockey of the Year: Jaime Rodriguez, Sheldon Russell, Jevian Toledo

 

Breeder of the Year: Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Country Life Farm, Jagger Inc., Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, The Elkstone Group LLC

Broodmare of the Year: Chrusciki, Otherwise Perfect, Touring Hong Kong

 

Stallion of the Year: Blofeld, Golden Lad, Great Notion

 

Maryland Male Dirt Horse of the Year: Double Crown, Factor It In, Seven's Eleven

 

Maryland Female Dirt Horse of the Year: Fille d'Esprit, Hybrid Eclipse, Intrepid Daydream

 

Maryland Male Turf Horse of the Year: Nagirroc, Wicked Prankster, Witty

 

Maryland Female Turf Horse of the Year: Bosserati, Canadian Ginger, Shasta Star

 

Maryland Claimer of the Year: Brother Conway, Classier, Uncaptured Storm

 

Pimlico Backstretch Employee of the Year: Damon Gladden

 

Laurel Park Backstretch Employee of the Year: Jenile Tapscott

The post Maryland Thoroughbred Industry Renaissance Award Finalists Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Double Crown, Cash Seek First Grade I In Cigar

Just after hitting the 1 1/2-year anniversary mark of sending out his first entry as a licensed trainer, Norman “Lynn” Cash secured his first graded stakes victory with Double Crown (Bourbon Courage), the longest shot on the board at 42-1, who ran down favorite Baby Yoda (Prospective) to clinch the GII Kelso H. at Belmont at the Big A Oct. 29. This Saturday, Cash hopes to take his training career to the next level, as Double Crown returns to Aqueduct, along with stablemate Outlier (Not This Time), to contest the GI Cigar Mile H.

“[Double Crown] is chomping at the bit to get out there, he's probably got more energy than he's ever had,” said Cash, who owns the Maryland-bred with his wife, Lola. “I was wanting to find something either 14 days or 21 days out, so that he would be coming off of about three weeks' rest, but it just worked out that there was nothing we could really find that seemed like a good fit for him, so we just kept him on the shelf. He's training really well and we're hopeful.”

The 5-year-old bay gelding, sitting at 15-1 on the morning line, drew the rail, while Outlier drew the sixth post.

“This is only the second Grade I I've ever had horses in and the way it's looking, we have a mediocre chance, but then again, that's about as good as we've had. I've got [Outlier] in there that likes the front end, who will hopefully keep the pace honest,” said Cash. “In my mind sometimes, I have to pick things apart and find the strength of my horses and the weaknesses of others. I think there's a couple of them that like it a little shorter, that maybe the mile is the far end of their comfort zone, and I'm hoping that the deep mile in that deep track at Aqueduct kind of plays to our advantage.”

For Cash, the numbers speak volumes, especially when it came to Double Crown. So much so, that the Midway, Ky., resident, on a rare day with no horses running, took a special trip to Churchill Downs in early June to drop a claim slip on the Maryland-bred who was entered in a mile-long claimer for a $40,000 tag. Double Crown finished second, by a neck, while Cash came out on top in the seven-way shake.

“I'm stabled at Laurel Park and here in Lexington, and that was the first thing that made me look at him: he was a Maryland-bred and he had solid numbers,” said Cash. “He had won a couple of stakes early on in Florida [as a 3-year-old] and ran second in the Maryland Million Sprint [last year]. It's a small thing, but the extra 15% that Maryland pays for Maryland-breds, when you're trying to get your bills paid at the end of the month, sometimes things like that make a difference.”

Double Crown romped in the Kelso | Coglianese

Cash kept his new trainee in Kentucky for his next two starts, where the gelding picked up back-to-back seconds at Churchill, before shipping him up to his Maryland base. He tried running him at a variety of distances, over a range of surfaces, including the turf at Laurel for the Ben's Cat S. (going 5 1/2 furlongs) and the all-weather track at Presque Isle Downs for the Peach Street S. (going a mile and 70 yards), through the summer into early fall, with his best results a victory at Colonial Downs in allowance company and a runner-up finish in the Polynesian S. at Pimlico, both going 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.

All of this led to his start in the Oct. 22 Maryland Million Classic S., which resulted in a disappointing fourth, as he finished 6 1/4 lengths behind the winner Ournationonparade (Cal Nation).

And when it was time to look ahead for a potential next target, it seemed things began to fall into place, all pointing toward the mile-long Kelso, just seven days later.

“It was like he never really got out and was able to move in the Maryland Million Classic, when he ran fourth, and we felt like he just wasn't spent, that he had effort to go. We debated whether or not to put him in the Kelso, and finally, probably what made the decision was that I had [fellow Maryland-bred] Eastern Bay [E Dubai] in that same day, so I [already] had a van going. I called the racing office there in New York and they said they've got a five-horse field and I'm like 'Wow, how do you not go to that race?'” said Cash.

The rest was history, as Double Crown bided time near the back of the pack, found his opening while coming down the stretch, hit a second gear to catch Baby Yoda and flew past to cross the wire 1 3/4 lengths ahead, securing the first career graded stakes victory for himself and his owner/trainer.

The whirlwind of emotions hit Cash and his wife all the way in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they had traveled to attend a family member's funeral. They made it to their rental car just two minutes before the horses loaded into the gate, watched the race unfold on their iPad, felt their hope grow as the field turned for home and erupted in celebration as Double Crown and jockey J.D. Acosta, sporting the red and black silks of the Cash family's Built Wright Stables, crossed the finish line first.

Cash (middle) and his wife, Lola (right), at Turfway earlier this year | Coady

“We probably looked like we were crazy as people drove past, because we were laughing and high-fiving and jumping and pumping, just ecstatic over this. It was quite a day and then, an hour later, Eastern Bay missed the GIII Bold Ruler S. I bet by two or three inches,” said Cash. “I can assure you that nobody was more surprised with the win with me.”

Rising from the claiming ranks to stakes company and later the winner's circle following a Grade II victory, with a Grade I debut just ahead, Double Crown reflects the successful, albeit unique, training program by today's industry standards that Cash has developed since getting into the sport.

“You've probably noticed that we run our horses a little more frequently. If I could plan every race I had, every horse would have 11 or 12 days off. Any time I have to choose between a race [coming up] at nine days and another coming up at 19 days, where I either have to go two or three days before what I think is perfect, or seven days later than what I think is perfect, I go nine days every time, [depending on] the horse being sound and everything,” explained Cash.

Between the time he was claimed, June 5, and his most recent start, Oct. 29, Double Crown has averaged two starts a month, with his longest break the past five weeks leading up to the Cigar.

“He's a horse that runs his race, whatever level that is. Let's say we're doing speed ratings. He runs a 98 to 102 speed rating, and if the race falls below that because maybe the pace is too fast and they all are tired in the end and he can come get them, then he wins. If the race stays above that level, he gives you everything he has but that's what he can give you, and he comes in second, third. But he's definitely an honest horse, he leaves it out there for you every time, [off of a] short or long rest,” said Cash.

Another prime example is Cash's trainee Beverly Park (Munnings), who recently scored his 13th win of the year in his 28th seasonal start Nov. 28 at Mahoning Valley Race Course. Claimed for $12,500 Aug. 5, 2021, Beverly Park's number of starts this year also leads the continent, and if all bodes well, he isn't finished with his 5-year-old season just yet.

“I don't know if I'm a fan-favorite but I know the horse is,” added Cash.

Beverly Park in one of his 13 wins of 2022 | Coady

The growth of Cash's stable, his ever-increasing success on the track and his love of the horse fuels the passion that inspired him to turn a hobby into a fully fledged career in the first place.

“I do feel that horses know when they're loved and when they're not, and I feel like they produce better when they're treated [well]. I'm probably more handsy and 'huggy' and 'kissy' with my horses than most trainers are, maybe it's not a manly thing, but when I saddle, I'll be right there and I just kind of stand there and rub their neck underneath, just spending some time with them,” said Cash.

When it comes to the Cigar, Cash knows that Double Crown and Outlier will both likely be perceived as the underdogs, just as the Maryland-bred was in the Kelso, but he's okay with that.

“Sometimes it doesn't matter what the odds board says, what the speed rating says, whatever. It comes down to how the race goes and again, I think I have a hard-knocker here that will give his 100 speed rating performance.”

Though nothing is official yet, Cash says he's had a couple of phone calls about big races that are coming up, which may be on the horizon for Double Crown in 2023.

Despite the weight of what Saturday could bring, Cash continues with his regular day-to-day operation, overseeing the 45 to 50 horses in training, all owned by him and his wife, between his 27 stalls at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington and his 30 stalls at Laurel, along with his own 31-acre farm in Midway, which houses layups and a few mares.

“I'm a roofing contractor, a year and a half away from roofing contracting, that is having the time of his life and never dreamed any of this. I was just going to claim a few horses and have some fun when I got my trainer's license and it's just crazy how some of these horses have blossomed,” said Cash. “Eastern Bay, what an amazing 8-year-old that guy is, and Double Crown, I don't know if he's improved the most, but by type of races he's won, he certainly has. It seems like we're running in five, six, seven stakes a month, with different horses, and I've probably got five or six legitimate stakes horses. That's exciting.”

The post Double Crown, Cash Seek First Grade I In Cigar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Air Token Wins Maryland Million Sprint At Laurel

Corrales Racing LLC's Air Token, claimed more than a year ago by trainer Jose Corrales for $10,000, led every step of the way to win Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint by 2 ¼ lengths over a late-closing Double Crown at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. Valued Notion was third.

Air Token, second earlier in the year in the Ben's Cat and fifth in the Bert Allen, raced second behind the longshot Valued Notion under jockey J.D. Acosta. After Valued Notion set fractions of :22.35 and :44.93, Air Token took over down the stretch before covering the six furlongs in 1:09.63. Corrales couldn't ask for a better trip.

“He doesn't like to be in front,” he said. “He likes to sit behind horses and make the right move.”

“He's always a good breaker from the gate,” Acosta said. “I didn't want to put him on the lead, because he likes to chase horses. I knew there was a lot of speed and you saw how fast they went. The only thing with this horse is, when he starts to make a move he likes to lay into horses. I got beat one time at Pimlico because he was lugging in. When he switched leads I had to make sure that I kept him away from other horses. As soon as we turned for home, he was really aggressive down the stretch.”

The post Air Token Wins Maryland Million Sprint At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Maryland Million: Double Crown Returns In Sprint, So Street Chasing Second Stakes Victory In Turf Sprint

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Double Crown, a two-time stakes winner that is also twice Grade 3-placed, brings a record of success to his home state as he ships in from Kentucky for Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel Park.

The six-furlong Sprint for 3-year-olds and up on the main track and $100,000 Turf Sprint, a 5 ½-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up, are among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 36th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Highlighted by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up, first race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Rebecca Davis, Double Crown was an impressive debut winner by a neck over Ournationonparade in September 2019, his only previous run at Laurel. Both horses were purchased privately by Dean Reeves following the race, and Ournationonparade would return the following month to capture the Maryland Million Nursery.

Double Crown was sent to South Florida, where he won the 6 ½-furlong Roar and seven-furlong Carry Back and was third in the Smile Sprint (G3) last summer at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old Bourbon Courage gelding was at historic Pimlico Race Course last fall for the Chick Lang (G3), where he ran second to Yaupon.

This year, Double Crown had one win and one second from four starts and was fifth in the July 3 Smile Sprint (G3) before being sent to Keeneland-based trainer Tom Amoss, for whom he will be making his first start.

“He's been working out at Keeneland and he's had some good breezes. He's doing good, he looks great and he seems to feeling good, Reeves said. “It's not too long a ship. We had come from Florida the other times, and coming from Kentucky is not quite as bad. Hopefully that'll help. We're looking forward to it. I think we're going to be real competitive in it.”

Double Crown is favored at 9-5 and drew Post 7 in the main body of a field of 12 where fellow multiple stakes winners Jaxon Traveler (7-5) and Whereshetoldmetogo (8-5) join Abuelo Paps and Where Paradise Lay on the also eligible list.

“He's just so consistent and tough. He runs every time. You've got to bring your 'A' game if you're going to beat him. He just does it all right. He goes to the track and he works hard in training. He's just been a great horse to have as part of the stable,” Reeves said. “The Maryland program is a solid program and I think he fits with the upper echelon of horses in that program. I think it'll be a really good race, and we're excited to be coming.”

Feargal Lynch gets the riding assignment from Post 7.

Bred, owned and trained by longtime Maryland horseman Nancy Heil, Karan's Notion sprung a front-running 16-1 upset of last year's Sprint, the first of back-to-back victories for the gelded son of Great Notion, who ranks third all-time among stallions with 16 Maryland Million wins.

Karan's Notion (10-1) in winless in six starts this year, returning from a five-month break to be seventh going 6 ½ furlongs Aug. 27 at Timonium. Following a failed turf experiment Sept. 11 at Laurel, he returned to the dirt and rebounded to be second by three lengths in a similar 5 ½-furlong optional claimer Oct. 1.

“Our first two races [after the break] were not good. He didn't like the turf and then he got the one hole at Timonium and was going to duck in there where you break and he had to take up and he displaced and just trailed the field,” Heil said. “He did have a nice little prep before this race and he's training very well, so I think he's coming in just as good as he did last year.”

Karan's Notion has raced primarily at Laurel, with four wins and five seconds in 12 of his 16 lifetime starts. Regular rider Yomar Ortiz gets the return call from Post 6.

“In training he's done everything right. He couldn't do it any better. I have to throw away the first two races and just go on. In the last race, he was rated a little bit and he got stuck behind some horses, so he couldn't catch the speed at all. But, he did get open late and got second. He's running his heart out,” Heil said. “He likes to run on the front. He likes to be free. My only hope is that he gets free to run and then the best horse wins.”

Louis Ulman and Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion (12-1) was a stakes winner on both turf and dirt as a 2-year-old, capturing the Maryland Million Nursery over stablemate Alwaysinahurry. He won the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 16 at Laurel to open 2021 but has struggled with one second and two thirds in six subsequent starts. He was third, a neck behind runner-up Karan's Notion, in the Oct. 1 race at Laurel and his trainer, Dale Capuano, has the most wins in Maryland Million history with 14.

Second choice on the morning line at 2-1 is Smart Angle's Fortheluvofbourbon, a winner of four of seven starts, all at Parx, for trainer Michael Pino since being claimed for $50,000 last May at Churchill Downs. Among the victories was the six-furlong Banjo Picker Sprint Aug. 23, contested over a sloppy and sealed track.

Also entered are Valued Notion and Air Token, respectively first and second in an off-the-turf edition of the five-furlong Ben's Cat June 13 at Pimlico; Whiskey and You, most recently fifth in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Sept. 18; and Band On Tour, a winner of two straight of four of his last five races.

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More than two years after becoming a stakes winner in the 2019 Howard County at Laurel, Runnymoore Racing's 4-year-old gelding So Street goes after an elusive second stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint.

Bred in Maryland by R. Larry Johnson and trained by Jamie Ness, So Street ran second to Fiya in last year's Turf Sprint when it was reintroduced following a seven-year absence. He has gone winless since, finishing sixth in the 2019 Maryland Million Nursery.

“He's just got bad luck,” trainer Jamie Ness said. “Every time we're in a good spot, it comes off the turf, or he's been right there every time. He's ready but, unfortunately, just hasn't won.”

Sixteen of So Street's 20 career races have come in stakes. He has placed four times since the Howard County, contested at 5 ½ furlongs on the Laurel turf, with a third in the 2019 Atlantic Beach and seconds in the 2020 Tom Ridge, Laurel Dash and Turf Sprint. He has also finished fourth three times, including the Aug. 23 Parx Dash (G3).

“I think he's in a great spot,” Ness said. “We're restricted to Maryland-sired so it's a little easier than all those other stakes I've run him in. He runs just good enough to make me run him back in stakes, but he just can't quite get there. Maybe Saturday is his day. We're hoping. He tries. He really tries.”

Rated at 3-1 on the morning line, So Street will have Jaime Rodriguez aboard from Post 6 in a field of 11 that includes also-eligible Can the Queen, winner of the July 24 Sensible Lady Turf Dash at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Favored at 7-5 in the program is Gordon Keys' homebred Grateful Bred, fourth in last year's Turf Sprint and winner of the 5 ½-furlong Meadow Stable July 19 on the Colonial Downs turf. In his most recent start, the 5-year-old Great Notion gelding was fifth, beaten a length, by Xy Speed in the Oct. 2 Laurel Dash.

Joining the top two returning from last year's Turf Sprint are Godlovesasinner (third), Love You Much (fifth) and Joseph (sixth). Showtime Cat, Sue Loves Barbados, Sky's Not Falling, Rock the Boat and Grand Skylark are also entered.

The post Maryland Million: Double Crown Returns In Sprint, So Street Chasing Second Stakes Victory In Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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