Ridden by Victor Carrasco for trainer Rodney Jenkins, favored Cordmaker was rated inside for most of the 1 1/16-mile Manfuso. He was guided outside entering the stretch and reeled in the leaders—Workin On a Dream and Shackqueenking, who finished second and third, respectively—to capture his third stakes win in this year's MATCH Series. Cordmaker, a 6-year-old Curlin gelding bred in Maryland by the late Robert Manfuso and Katy Voss, who operates a stable at Laurel, is the only horse to have had competed in all six races in his division (3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt) this year.

“It's all so special,” said Ellen Charles, who owns Hillwood Stable, a prominent Maryland racing and breeding operation. “Bob (Manfuso) was always my friend. I think Cordmaker is my best horse, an amazing horse who is a great character in the barn. He knows he's special, and he has given us wonderful, wonderful wins. It's just great to be a part of this.”

It was the 12th victory in 34 starts for graded stakes-placed Cordmaker, who is approaching $800,000 in earnings. His MATCH Series scores came in the Manfuso, the Richard Small Stakes at Laurel, and the Victory Gallop Stakes at Colonial Downs. He also won the Harrison Johnson Memorial at Laurel, where his is stabled, earlier in 2021.

“Cordmaker is very special,” said Carrasco, who has ridden Cordmaker in all of his starts this year and some before that. “We had a good trip right off the speed, and once we turned for home and he got some daylight, he was gone. It's awesome. He's a good horse and I think it's even better when you have a home-track horse winning the series. I'm just happy for Mrs. Charles, Mr. Jenkins, assistant trainer Eveline (Kjelstrup) and the whole crew in the barn.”

Cordmaker ended the MATCH Series with 49 points in his division, the most of any horse in the 2021 series. Mary Eppler Racing Stable and Ram Racing Stable's McElmore Avenue was second with 18 points in the division, followed by Trin-Brook Stables' Forewarned in third with 6 points.

Willa On The Move Stakes

Bush Racing Stable & Liberty House Racing's Kaylasaurus, claimed for $25,000 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in her previous start, went from last to first to win the $100,000, six-furlong Willa On the Move Stakes. It was the 2021 MATCH Series debut for the 5-year-old Munnings mare.

Ridden by Horacio Karamanos for trainer Tim Kreiser, Pennsylvania-bred Kaylasaurus won for the seventh time in 19 starts and passed the $200,000 mark in earnings. Eric Rizer's Princess Kokachin, who had previously won five races in a row, finished second, with Dontletsweetfoolya third.

“She always makes a big move down the stretch,” the Penn National-based Kreiser said. “Horacio saw the early pace and saw (Hello Beautiful) struggling.”

Hello Beautiful, owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic Stables and trained by Brittany Russell, finished fifth but took the division title on the strength of two wins and a second in series competition. Hello Beautiful, with four MATCH Series starts this year, finished with 34 points (second to Cordmaker), while the retired Never Enough Time (22 points) and Paisley Singing (12 points) finished second and third, respectively, in the division.

Dave's Friend Stakes

Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki was entered in the $100,000 six-furlong Dave's Friend and scratched the morning of the race. But the 8-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Cuba had enough points to capture his third consecutive title in the MATCH Series division. Laki, trained by Damon Dilodovico, has only missed two MATCH events—the Dave's Friend and a stakes at Delaware Park—in the three years since the series returned to the Mid-Atlantic calendar.

“He's a warrior, that's for sure,” Dilodovico said. “He's a special guy. After a horse like Immortal Eyes, who we had, it's not often you get a very good, quality animal. He spiked a temperature this morning; we've had a few bugs the last seven to 10 days. But to be able to know you have a shot to get to the wire first every time you go to post—that's Laki.”

Laki, who is 11-for-38 with multiple stakes victories, has earned $833,162. He finished the 2021 MATCH Series with 21 points in his division, followed by Mucho with 20 and Whereshetoldmetogo with 10.

Pocket 3's Racing Threes Over Deuces, trained by Gary Capuano and ridden by Victor Rosales, rallied wide in the lane and got the advantage at the wire in a scramble in the Dave's Friend. The 6-year-old Flat Out gelding, first, second or third in 28 of 40 starts, cleared the $500,000 mark in earnings.

“He's always fighting,” said Jon Madden of Pocket 3's Racing. “In his last couple races the jockey sent him, but with how the track was playing today, he held him back early. It was time to turn the tables once on Whereshetoldmetogo.”

Kentucky-based Mucho, owned by WSS Racing and 4 G Racing and trained by John Ortiz, competed in three MATCH Series events, two in Maryland and one in Virginia. Ortiz said he looks forward to future MATCH appearances.

“We were very happy to be a part of the series and hope to be back again in 2022 with two new shooters,” he said.

Carousel Stakes

BB Horses' Miss Leslie and James Wolf's Artful Splatter entered the 1 1/8-mile Carousel tied at 13 points each. Miss Leslie, trained by Claudio Gonzalez, won the race, but Artful Splatter, trained by Kieron Magee, won the division with a second-place finish in her fourth series start.

Miss Leslie, a 3-year-old Paynter filly, won her third race in a row, all under jockey Angel Cruz, with a strong rally from the back of the pack. She was one of two 3-year-olds in a field of eight.

“She's a good filly,” Cruz said. “She's nice to ride. In the morning she's kind of laid-back; I have to work hard with her. I felt really comfortable with her today. Just about every horse was coming from off the pace.”

Artful Splatter, under Carol Cedeno, sat just off the early leader before taking the lead on the far turn. She maintained the lead until the final sixteenth of a mile but held for second, which gave her the division victory. Artful Splatter, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred mare by Bandbox, made four series starts to three for Miss Leslie.

“I'm thrilled,” Magee said of winning the MATCH Series division. “I brought her here last week (from Pimlico Race Course) to work on this track. She broke well and took herself into the race. The filly that beat us obviously is very nice, but Artful Splatter has been a really good mare for a $16,000 claim.”

Artful Splatter finished with 25 points in the division, followed by Miss Leslie with 23 and Lookin Dynamic with 9 points.

MATCH Series division bonus money is awarded to the owner and trainer of the top horses based on points as follows: $20,000/$10,000 for first, $15,000/$7,500 for second, and $7,500/$3,000 for third. In addition, the owner and trainer of the overall points-earner regardless of division will receive $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. A horse must start at least three times in one division to qualify for bonus money.

In addition, bonuses will be distributed to the breeder of the top overall point-earning Maryland-bred horse and Maryland-sired horse in the series as follows—$3,000 for Maryland-bred and $3,000 for Maryland-sired.

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The inaugural Manfuso for 3-year-olds and up going about 1 1/16 miles and the return of the 1 1/8-mile Carousel for fillies and mares 3 and up, which carried Grade 3 status from 1988 through 1997 and was last run in 2002 at Laurel, were among six $100,000 stakes on a nine-race Christmastide Day program.

Cordmaker ($4.40) was bred in Maryland by Manfuso and his life partner, Laurel-based trainer Katy Voss, who presented the winner's trophy to the connections, including Hillwood's Ellen Charles, trainer Rodney Jenkins and regular rider Victor Carrasco.

A longtime owner and breeder and former owner of both Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course who was instrumental in revitalizing Maryland racing, Manfuso passed away in March 2020.

“We've all been talking about it for about a week. I'm glad we were able to get it done,” Jenkins said. “It was nice. He's such a good horse.”

A gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, Cordmaker won for the third time in four starts – all in stakes – and clinched the older male long dirt division and overall MATCH Series titles.

Breaking from the rail as the 6-5 favorite in a field that scratched down to six, Cordmaker settled in fourth as multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining took the lead and held it through a quarter-mile in 23.47 seconds and a half in 47.38 pressed by Workin On a Dream, who finished second to Cordmaker in the Richard W. Small Nov. 27 at Laurel.

Carrasco tipped Cordmaker out leaving the far turn and set his sights on 3-2 second choice Shackqueenking, who had inherited the lead after Alwaysmining began to fade. Cordmaker straightened out, powered past Shackqueenking and opened up for a 3 ½-length victory. Workin On a Dream edged Shackqueenking by a half-length for second, with Plot the Dots a nose better than McElmore Avenue in fourth.

“Naturally he drew the one hole of all days, but he figured it out,” Jenkins said. “He got around that turn and saved some ground there, and then when they straightened out and Victor asked him, I think he won as easy as he's won any race in his life.”

Cordmaker has finished third or better 23 times in 34 career starts including 12 wins and $794,640 in purse earnings. He is 17-for-26 in the money at Laurel, his home track, with other stakes wins in the 2018 Jennings, 2019 Polynesian, and 2019 and 2021 Harrison Johnson Memorial and last month's Small. He also won the Aug. 23 Victory Gallop at Colonial Downs and 2019 DTHA Governors Day Handicap at Delaware Park, and was third in the 2019 and 2020 Pimlico Special (G3).

Miss Leslie wins her third consecutive race in the Carousel for trainer Claudio Gonzalez

Miss Leslie Runs Win Streak to Three in $100,000 Carousel
BB Horses' Miss Leslie extended her win streak to three races including back-to-back stakes after sweeping to the lead once straightened for home and sprinting clear through the stretch to a 3 ¾-length triumph in the $100,000 Carousel.

Ridden by Angel Cruz for fall meet-leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Miss Leslie ($5) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.21 over a fast main track as the 3-2 favorite in a field of eight fillies and mares. Fellow multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter was second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Kiss the Girl, who edged Belle of the North by a neck for third.

Scatrattleandroll, breaking from one spot inside Miss Leslie who drew the far outside, was sent out of the gate by jockey Jaime Rodriguez and in front through fractions of 24.58 and 49.11 seconds, pressed by Artful Splatter. Smooth With a Kick, racing for the first time since Jan. 17, led the second flight with Kiss the Girl.

Cruz gave Miss Leslie her cue leaving the backstretch and the 3-year-old daughter of Paynter began to roll while in the clear on the outside, reeling in Artful Splatter at the top of the stretch and opening up after a mile in 1:39.52.

“I felt really comfortable because we worked her last week and she worked really good,” Cruz said. “Today, every horse was coming from off the pace and my filly comes from off of it. It played out really well.”

Miss Leslie won the Anne Arundel County to cap her 2-year-old campaign and the April 24 Weber City Miss in her third start at 3. She went winless in five starts, including graded attempts in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2), Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Charles Town Oaks (G3), before ending the slide with a last-to-first optional claiming triumph Oct. 21 at Delaware Park.

In her prior start, Miss Leslie rallied from next-to-last to capture the Nov. 13 Thirty Eight Go Go going about 1 1/16 miles at Laurel. Each of the wins during her streak have come over older horses and with Cruz aboard.

“She's a good filly. She's nice to ride. We've had to work hard with her but she does everything right,” Cruz said. “A lot of times I just work her because she's really nervous in the morning. Claudio lets me work her and it's been playing out really good. She works good and she runs good.”

Notes: Laurel will host a special Monday program of nine races Dec. 27 featuring carryovers of $10,645.14 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and $2,170.08 in the $1 Super Hi-5. Tickets with five of six winners in Sunday's Rainbow 6 each returned $1,419.50.

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With regular rider Victor Carrasco aboard, Cordmaker broke well in the 1 1/8-mile stakes and found himself in a good spot in third behind Workin On a Dream and Shackqueenking, who raced one-two, respectively, until a duel developed on the far turn. Cordmaker, nursed along by Carassco, rallied three-wide on the turn, reached the front in the final eighth of a mile, and pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths for his third stakes victory of the year.

Workin On a Dream, a blowout winner of an allowance race at Laurel in his last start for owner Steven Walfish and trainer Robin Graham, held gamely for second under jockey Forest Boyce. Shackqueenking, who had won his last two starts in allowance company at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., for owner Pocket 3's Racing and trainer Gary Capuano, easily held for third under Jaime Rodriguez as the favorite.

Cordmaker, who cleared the $700,000 mark in career earnings with his 11th win in 33 starts, paid $12.40 to win as the fourth choice in a field of 10. The 6-year-old Maryland-bred gelding by Curlin was bred by Robert Manfuso and Katy Voss and purchased as a yearling for $150,000 by Hillwood Stable, which is operated by longtime Maryland Thoroughbred owner Ellen Charles.

“I wanted him to stay close early,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said after Cordmaker won his second MATCH Series stakes in the 3-Year-Olds and Up Long—Dirt division in 2021. “I didn't want him to have a lot of ground to make up. I told Victor, 'Keep him up there and make them run.' This is a great result for the horse, the barn and Mrs. Charles.”

Cordmaker, who has started in all five legs thus far in his division, won the Victory Gallop Stakes at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., in August. He returned in the Polynesian Stakes at Laurel in September and crossed the finish line in second but was disqualified and placed sixth for drifting out near the three-sixteenths pole. Despite the setback, he picked up 5 MATCH bonus points in the Polynesian and padded his division lead.

“He broke well and we had a great trip,” Carrasco said. “I followed (Shackqueenking) because I thought he was the only horse who could beat us. As soon as we passed the five-sixteenths pole, I said, 'Go,' and he responded nicely. He got the job done.”

Cordmaker entered the Richard Small with 24 points. He earned 10 points for the victory and another 2 bonus points for making his fifth start in the division. That gives him 36 points, nine more than Hello Beautiful, who leads the Filly and Mare Sprint—Dirt division with 27 points.

The division winners and the overall champion will be decided at Laurel the day after Christmas, when the final stakes for each of the MATCH Series' four divisions will be run.

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Voss also had a rooting interest in seeing Max Player do well in the $6 million G1 Classic, having bred the colt's dam, stakes winner Fools in Love, with her late-life partner, Bob Manfuso, who passed away in March 2020.

But much of Voss' attention was focused on Aloha West, a 4-year-old son of Hard Spun that she and Manfuso bred and who went into the G1 Sprint with relative anonymity.

“Well, I had certainly heard of him,” Voss said. “I had been following him, and praying.”

Purchased privately by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners following two starts for Gary and Mary West, Aloha West rallied for his first career stakes victory with an 11-1 upset in the six-furlong Sprint, beating Dr. Schivel by a nose on the wire.

“That was pretty exciting,” Voss said. “I've watched every one of his races. I don't know what they paid, but when Eclipse bought him they were very excited.”

Aloha West is out of the Speightstown mare Island Bound, a member of the broodmare band at 191-acre Chanceland Farm in West Friendship, Md. that was established by Voss and Manfuso in 1987. Island Bound was owned by Manfuso and made the final three starts of her racing career for Voss at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. , after going 5-for-24 with trainer Ian Wilkes including a win in the 2012 G3 Winning Colors.

Hard Spun, who ran third in the 2007 G1 Preakness Stakes and went on to become a Grade 1-winning sprinter, stands at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky. Aloha West was foaled April 16, 2017.

“I give Bob the credit for that. He always had a great relationship with Darley, and we bred several other mares to Hard Spun so we had been a supporter of Hard Spun from the get-go,” Voss said. “They had sent him to Japan and he had just come back when we sent [Island Bound] down there. We'd always liked Hard Spun. In fact, I just bred Parlay to Hard Spun this year.”

Aloha West went unraced at both 2 and 3, making his debut Feb. 7 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., for trainer Wayne Catalano, winning the six-furlong maiden special weight by three-quarters of a length over a muddy track.

“I was wondering what happened to him, because he never showed up until last winter as a 4-year-old,” Voss said. “First time out, he kind of broke slow, trailed the field, and then circled the field and just won going away. That was exciting.”

Aloha West was brought along patiently by the connections, progressing through his conditions that included back-to-back optional claiming allowance victories over the summer at Saratoga. He was beaten a neck in the G2 Phoenix Oct. 8 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., in his Sprint prep.

“After Saratoga, they were going in the Ack Ack, which seemed like a natural for him to go a mile off of his two [sprint] races at Saratoga. The Ack Ack was the Saturday before the yearling sale, so I was counting on him getting some black type because I was selling his sister. Then they scratched and went in the Phoenix. It was a 'Win and You're In' and they were going three-quarters instead of a mile. I suspected Life is Good is probably why, and they figured they had a better shot in the Sprint.”

Aloha West got shuffled back at the start and chased the pace racing three-wide behind favored Jackie's Warrior. Tipped out in the stretch by jockey Jose Ortiz, he came with a steady run to catch Dr. Schivel in the final jump. 

It was another success story for the Voss-Manfuso partnership, also responsible for breeding such stakes winners as 2016 G1 Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia, four-time graded-stakes winner International Star, and multiple stakes winners Cordmaker and Las Setas.

“It's awesome,” Voss said. “I'm sorry I wasn't there.”

Max Player, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, ran last in the Classic behind Knicks Go, the likely 2021 Horse of the Year that was bred in Maryland by Angie and Samantha Moore.

“Maryland was very well-represented,” Voss said. “Nobody was going to beat Knicks Go. They kept talking about how Max Player developed a better style of running, and I just felt like they were all chasing. He was wide on the first turn and he was digging and trying. I've got two half-sisters to his dam, so I'm not complaining.”

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Eventually, the lure of a life he had always known won out.

“There's a saying, 'You can only outrun your breeding for so long,'” Merryman said, “and I find that to be very true.”

Merryman, 29, is among the latest generation of successful Merryman horsemen carrying on a family tradition in Thoroughbred racing that is one of the best known and diverse in the industry with a depth and breadth – as owners, breeders, trainers and even auctioneers and equine dentistry – that is unsurpassed.

“It's great. I think it's a tribute to our parents, who were excellent horse people,” trainer, owner, breeder and Michael Merryman's aunt Katy Voss said. “They would be very pleased.”

Nowhere has that success been more evident than in the Maryland Million, which will celebrate its 36th year Saturday at Laurel Park. The Merrymans own 25 wins as breeders, owners and trainers going back to the very first year in 1986 when 3-year-old filly Smart 'n Quick – a homebred of her father's trained by Voss – captured the Maryland Million Oaks.

“We look all year for a Maryland Million horse and we train for it. It is the biggest day of the year for us. Preakness is great and everything, but this is our day to show off Maryland-breds,” Michael Merryman said. “It's just a great thing to be able to find a horse, point for that race and get to make some good money with a nice horse that you may [otherwise] never get that shot if not for Maryland Million Day.”

John B. Merryman was born and raised in Cockeysville, Md., married Katharine 'Kitty' Warfield and purchased a 500-acre farm called The Orebanks in 1947, which today is operated by their daughter, Ann, and grandson, Michael. As a teenager, John Merryman foxhunted, participated in horse shows and point-to-point races and was the second generation of his family to ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup.

A Marine who served as a fighter pilot stationed in Okinawa, Japan during World War II, John Merryman took over the family livestock auctioneering business upon his return to Maryland and managed nearly every major Guernsey sale in North America, selling dairy cattle in 40 states in Canada.

John and Kitty Merryman – herself from a prominent Maryland family – had six children, all of whom were instilled with a love of horses and cattle and a tireless work ethic gleaned from their parents – daughters Katy, Frances, Ann and Elizabeth and sons Edwin and John Jr. Of them, all but Frances became trainers.

“We grew up in it. We grew up with horses and cows. We drew straws and I won what I believe are fifth or sixth generation silks,” Edwin Merryman said. “I have a picture of a horse of my great-grandfather's [wearing them]. I don't know about his father, but it goes back four generations anyway.”

John and Kitty Merryman raised and raced numerous stakes winners such as Pistol White, Smart 'n Quick, Due North, Push N Six, Run Spot, Lady Lyndy, Rebuff and Wood Fox, and John was named Maryland's Breeder of the Year in 1988. Their biggest success was the homebred Twixt, who at the time of her retirement was Maryland's all-time money-winning mare and ranked sixth in the country.

Twixt, trained by Voss, was a Maryland-bred champion every year she raced (1972-75), won 26 races, 18 in stakes including the 1974 and 1975 Barbara Fritchie (G3), $619,143 in purses and was a member of the inaugural Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Class of 2013.

Based at Laurel, Voss began training in 1972 and has won 858 races and more than $16.3 million in purses. She has trained four Maryland Million winners, the most recent being Saratoga Bob in the 2018 Classic, a horse named for her longtime life partner, Bob Manfuso, who passed away in 2020. Saratoga Bob is also one of four Maryland Million winners bred by the pair.

“One summer my sister and I took a bunch of horses to Marlboro. Maryland was closed in the summer basically and the only track open was Marlboro,” Voss said. “My parents' trainer took the runners to Monmouth, so we spent the summer at Marlboro. I was going to college and my sister was back in school and our trainer quit, so there I was training all these horses. It kind of went on from there.”

Edwin was the next to begin training, in 1976, and has won 176 races and more than $3.6 million in purses. He shares a barn at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. with his sister, Elizabeth. His best horse was Jazzy Idea, who he bred, owned and trained to five career stakes wins include the 2012 Maryland Million Oaks.

Edwin's son, Louis, and daughter-in-law, Grace, operate Anchor & Hope Farm in Port Deposit, Md. which stands stallions Bourbon Courage, Editorial, Holy Boss, Imagining and Long River. Louis Merryman also serves the Maryland Million as president of its executive committee, with Voss serving as secretary/treasurer.

“We've all done OK,” Edwin Merryman said. “Maryland Million is a fantastic program. Hopefully we can get the Maryland-sired, Maryland Million eligible numbers back up as far as the in-state breeding. The initial foal report came out and the Maryland foals were up a tick, anyway. There's some decent young horses standing in Maryland now.”

Ann Merryman began training in 1981 and won 653 races and more than $15.3 million in purses, five of her wins coming in the Maryland Million. Among her top horses were Goldminer's Dream, a four-time stakes winner of $511,261 lifetime that placed in three Grade 3 stakes, and 1999 Laurel Dash (G3) winner Grapeshot.

Her son, Michael, took over the training duties this fall following the conclusion of the Maryland State Fair meet at Timonium. They rotate horses between historic Pimlico Race Course, where Ann – a member of the Maryland Million Board of Directors – was based for years, and The Orebanks, located about 15 minutes north.

“I'm the one at the track every morning and my mom kind of runs the farm. She loves bringing the horses along and being there,” Michael Merryman said. “We do it a little different than most people. We only have about 11 stalls at Pimlico but we have about 27 in training. We have two operations going every morning. We've always kind of worked together and built a pretty good partnership. It came to be that it was time for me to step up and take over, and I'm OK taking that role.”

Elizabeth Merryman, the youngest of the siblings, lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Bill Rubin, who also raises buffalo on their farm. Based at Fair Hill, she launched her training career in 2004 and has won 156 races and nearly $6 million in purses.

“My dad didn't really want me to end up on the racetrack, so I went away to college. I went to Cornell as an animal science major, hopefully to be a vet. But then I circled back and came back into it. It's a very addicting sport,” she said. “It's pretty neat that we all kind of carried on the breeding, owning, training and all that, the whole circle. One day, I can't remember how long ago, I think four of us all had winners on the same day – Edwin, Katy, Ann and I – that we all owned and bred and trained. That was kind of neat.”

Her best horse, Roadhog, ran in the Maryland Million Turf five consecutive years, won it in 2012 and 2013 and finished second in 2015 and third in 2014. Her current star is turf sprinter Caravel, who she bred, owned and trained before selling a majority interest to celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Winner of the July 24 Caress (G3) at Saratoga, she is now trained by Graham Motion.

“It's so exciting, Maryland Million. When Roadhog won his couple races for me, I was so excited. Yes, they're restricted stakes and all, but it's such a Maryland feeling and there's so much enthusiasm and so much excitement around that day, and it's so fun,” she said. “It really is special, especially since my dad was so instrumental in all the horse breeders' organizations and Maryland Million and all. He was very passionate about it. It's kind of a cool tribute to him that he did very well in it before he passed away, but also all of his offspring have continued on.”

Like Ann Merryman's son, Michael, Elizabeth Merryman's children are carrying on the tradition. Her son, McLane Hendriks, works as her assistant trainer and is preparing to start his own stable. Her daughter, Liza Hendriks, is co-founder of Wannamaker's, which hosts monthly on-line Thoroughbred auctions.

“My sister, Ann, and I, we talk about it all the time about our kids being hooked into it, too,” she said. “It's really neat.”

Michael Merryman continues to operate an equine dental practice, treating horses at Pimlico as well as various farms throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania, though he has had to cut back from doing as many as 50 to 60 horses a week to concentrate on training. He also runs 50 head of Devon beef cattle at The Orebanks.

“It's very rewarding to be able to help horses be more comfortable with the bit as well as grinding and eating properly,” he said. “I also feel it helps me to be more well-rounded as a horseman. You have to be pretty in tune with them to get your whole arm in their mouth. You can see and notice things that others may not.”

Given his varied roles, it's hard to believe Michael Merryman almost passed on helping carry the family torch.

“Growing up, just the way my mom is, she never really talked about any of it. I grew up in the dirt at Barn A at Pimlico,” he said. “I've been at the races since I was born, and I was probably on a horse with her in her belly. It's pretty ingrained in me. I did kind of get worn out by it, being in it my entire life and everything, and I loved the farm. But I had to, as one does, go out and find [my] way and think about what [I] want to do.

“I went to a liberal arts college that I thought was my shot at going to the majors pitching. That didn't work out. I ended up out at Montana State, studied [agricultural] business. Engineering, architecture is what I was thinking about. I gradually learned that's just not for me.”

Michael gave the family reason to celebrate ahead of Maryland Million at his Oct. 2 wedding to wife, Christine. The ceremony, naturally, was held at The Orebanks.

“The original deed when my grandfather bought that land was as far as the eye can see in every direction. The spot we got married in was my grandmother's spot and it just ended up being the spot my whole life where I went to reflect, good times or bad,” he said.

“My grandparents would say, some years the horses carry you, some years the cows carry you. Diversity helps to keep our farm going. That being said, the horse racing is always our main focus,” Michael Merryman said. “Really, we just all love horses. The fact that we get to do it for a living is a bonus.”

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Karamanos was blanked on four mounts Saturday, finishing second three times and ending the extended summer stand with a one-win edge over runner-up Jevian Toledo, 42-41, who won twice to close the gap. Karamanos earned his first title since sharing the 2017 Preakness Meet at Pimlico crown with Feargal Lynch and Kevin Gomez.

“I kept finishing second today, I couldn't win. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't have the luck. That's what happened to me today,” Karamanos said. “But it's the game. You need some luck. I think I had beautiful luck because I didn't get hurt or anything like that. To me, when I finish my races in one piece it's my best win, and I think for everybody it's the same.”

It is the sixth Maryland meet title for Karamanos, who won Pimlico outright in 2003 and 2010 as well as finishing first during Laurel's 2002 summer and 2007 fall stands. He ranked second in purse earnings with more than $1.35 million, trailing only Toledo's $1.52 million.

Toledo, Maryland's leading overall rider in 2015 and 2017, won twice Saturday aboard Created Special ($3.60) in Race 3 and Quiet Company ($14.80) in Race 7 to get within one, but was second with favored Beacon Hill in Race 8 and sixth on Shezalemondropkid in Race 9. Karamanos' lone win over closing weekend came in Friday's fourth race with Successful Zip ($6.60).

Seventeen-year-old apprentice Charlie Marquez, riding his last day in Maryland before moving his tack to New York with Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr. as his agent, captured the ninth race finale on Gennie Highway ($18) and finished third with 34 wins.

“I feel so good. We had a beautiful meet and good competition with my friends. We had good luck this year,” Karamanos said. “I had nice horses to ride and good people to ride for like [trainers] Damon [Dilodovico], Jose Corrales, Ferris Allen. I'm so happy because this is my home. This is the place I want to live forever.”

Represented by agent and ex-rider Frank Douglas, Karamanos had five wins in his first 50 mounts to open the summer meet once live racing resumed in Maryland May 30 following a 2 1/2-month pause amid the coronavirus pandemic. When the calendar turned to July, Karamanos caught fire with 11 multi-win days including hat tricks July 4, July 25 and Aug. 14.

A native of Argentina, where he won more than 1,500 races before coming to the U.S. in 2000, Karamanos landed full-time in Maryland in 2002 and tied a Laurel Park record with seven winners on a single card that October. He also owns multiple riding titles at Colonial Downs in neighboring Virginia.

Laurel was the site of Karamanos' 2,000th career victory aboard Liquid Aloha on Father's Day, June 17, 2017. Over Labor Day weekend, he won the $100,000 Twixt Sept. 5 for trainer Ferris Allen on Wicked Awesome.

“I want to say thank you to my agent, my wife who supported me and my beautiful daughter. All my friends help me, all my trainers support me,” Karamanos said. “I try hard all the time with my people so I feel really confident in myself to ride.”

Claudio Gonzalez finished as leading trainer with 27 wins to earn his 13th career title and 10th in the last 11 meets in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2017 spring stand. Damon Dilodovico was second with 16, while Jamie Ness and Jose Corrales tied for third at 15.

One of Gonzalez's main clients, Robert D. Bone, wound up as the meet's leading owner with 14 wins, five ahead of Ness' Jagger Inc.

Live racing moves to Baltimore for the six-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico which runs Sept. 24-28 and Oct. 1-3. The final three days will feature a blockbuster lineup of 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.35 million in purses highlighted by the 145^th running of the Preakness Stakes (G1) Oct. 3.

Molto Bella Spoils Stablemate Las Setas' Return in Saturday Feature
Molto Bella, a stakes winner last winter for Ian Wilkes racing first time for trainer Katy Voss, scooted through an opening on the inside in mid-stretch and drew off to a 2 3/4-length win in Saturday's featured fourth race at Laurel Park.

Owned by the partnership of Randall Bloch, Six Column Stables, Voss, Fred Merritt and John Seiler, Molto Bella ($7) ran six furlongs in 1:10.12 over a fast main track in the third-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up originally carded for the Fort Marcy turf course.

“I didn't have to do much with her. Ian sent her down ready,” Voss said. “We've had trouble finding a good spot for her this year. Ian thinks she likes the turf better but we're having a serious problem [having] turf [races] so I thought if she ran back to any of her dirt races from last year she'd be tough. I think the race set up for her.”

Angel at War and S W Briar Rose, both entered for main track only, were the main combatants through fractions of 23.02 and 46.10 seconds. Jockey Trevor McCarthy settled Molto Bella in fourth, bided his time and took advantage of an opening once straightened for home.

S W Briar Rose passed Angel at War late for second, with Molto Bella's stablemate Las Setas completing the order of finish. Named the Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old filly after stakes wins in the Wide Country, Beyond the Wire and Weber City Miss last spring, Las Setas was racing for just the second time since the 2019 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), where she ran seventh, and first since a fifth in the six-furlong Politely Stakes last Dec. 7 at Laurel.

Voss had also considered the $100,000 Skipat on the Preakness (G1) undercard Oct. 3 for Las Setas, but wanted more time before the Maryland Million Distaff Oct. 24.

“She wasn't really ready, but I knew she needed a race and the Pimlico race is too tough and too close. This was my only option,” Voss said. “The goal is Maryland Million, and we wanted to get a race into her before that.”

Notes: Jockey Trevor McCarthy posted a hat trick Saturday with Hot Choice ($9.20) in Race 2, Molto Bella ($7) in Race 4 and Pretty Lori ($4) in Race 6. Favored at even money for her career bow and trained by Ham Smith, 2-year-old filly Pretty Lori won in 1:04.65 for 5 ½ furlongs in the off-the-turf maiden special weight … Trainer Dale Capuano swept the late double with Dixie Drawl ($3.80) in Race 8 and Gennie Highway ($18) in Race 9 … Mandatory payouts returned $1,537.40 in the $1 Super Hi-5, $1,101.65 in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 for tickets with all five winners, and $633.94 in the 20-cent Pick 6 for tickets with all six winners.

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