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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Maryland Million: Streaking Fiya Claims Turf Sprint; Epic Idea Stretch Out In Ladies

Robert Masiello's Fiya continued his hot streak this year, stepping up to stakes company for the first time and extending his win streak to four races with a popular 2 1/4-length triumph in Saturday's $75,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint Handicap at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The 5 1/2-furlong Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up and $100,000 Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and older going 1 1/8 miles, both contested over Laurel's world-class grass course, were among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Fiya ($2.20), bred in Maryland by Ann Merryman, completed the distance in 1:03.56 over a Bowl Game turf course layout rated good to give jockey Trevor McCarthy his third stakes win of the day following the $100,000 Ladies with Epic Idea and $100,000 Lassie with Miss Nondescript.

This year marked the return of the Turf Sprint to the Maryland Million program following a seven-year absence, won in each of its final three years by late Mid-Atlantic legend Ben's Cat (2010-12).

Sent off as the 1-9 favorite in a field of eight, Fiya settled behind intent pacesetter Grateful Bred through splits of 21.95 and 45.03 seconds, swept to the lead rounding the far turn, took command once straightened for home and steadily edged away to remain undefeated in four starts this year.

“It looked like he got over the track well. I saw the first fraction was pretty quick and then they didn't go super quick the second quarter,” winning trainer Tom Albertrani said from his base at Belmont Park. “I thought he ran like we were hoping to see. He was able to sit off the pace and he stalked well and had something left for the end.”

Fiya made his first four starts in Maryland, two of them on dirt last fall, before being gelding and switched to the turf this year. The Friesan Fire gelding sold at auction for $400,000 following an allowance triumph July 17, and debuted for his new connections with a 3 1/4-length score Sept. 20 at Belmont – registering the fastest Beyer Speed Figure (100) for a 3-year-old on turf this year.

“Actually, it worked out perfect just like I thought it would. If he broke in front I would have gone to the lead, but when the other horse went I could just stalk,” McCarthy said. “We had a great position. He had a nice break and really settled off the pace nice, and when I asked him to accelerate he surely did.”

McCarthy was aboard for Fiya's race debut last November for previous trainer Michael Merryman, the breeder's son, and was impressed by the horse's development over the past 11 months.

“Big time. Definitely today I was like, 'Wow.' He's so much stronger and so much bigger,” McCarthy said. “Ann and Tom have done a great job with him; I was just lucky to be aboard him today. He just outclassed these horses. He just showed his true talent and made us all look good.”

So Street came on late for second, a length ahead of 45-1 long shot Godlovesasinner. It was another half-length back to Grateful Bred in fourth.

Albertrani said the $835,000 Claiming Crown Dec. 5 at Gulfstream Park is the next likely landing spot for Fiya, who ran for a $25,000 tag in his debut.

“Right now, short-term we have two options. Our first option is to get him to Florida and run him in the Claiming Crown,” Albertrani said. “We may decide to stay in New York and run him in the Turf Sprint at the end of November at Aqueduct. I think we're more in favor of getting him down to Florida, but that's something we'll talk with Rob about.”

Epic Idea Stretches Out to Win $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies
Vivian E. Rall's homebred Epic Idea, a two-time winner sprinting on the turf but who had never beyond one mile, successfully stretched out to 1 1/8 miles to earn her first career stakes win in the $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies.

The first of back-to-back wins for jockey Trevor McCarthy, who followed up in the $100,000 Lassie with Miss Nondescript, Epic Idea ($13.60) gave her sire, Great Notion, a Maryland Million winner for the 11th consecutive year. She is trained by Ann Merryman and assisted by her son, Michael.

“That's pretty cool. That is amazing,” McCarthy said. “Big credit to these guys, Ann and Michael. I always thought she was a great sprinter. Going into it I said, 'I guess we'll try and nurse her for as long as we can,' and when I slowed it up the second quarter, she turned off so nice. Even though she had a little bit of company next to her, she was going really smooth and she gave me a nice kick turning for home.”

The winning time was 1:55.06 over an Exceller turf course rated good.

Epic Idea settled through fractions of 24.85 and 51.73 seconds under McCarthy pressed by 2-1 favorite Something Magical, fourth in last year's Ladies after setting the pace. Gennie Highway was in the clear three wide to join the chase and launched her bid approaching the stretch, but after giving his filly a breather, McCarthy set down for the wire. Epic Idea held off Gennie Highway through the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length despite drifting out, and survived a claim of foul from Gennie Highway's rider Jorge Ruiz.

Epic Idea winning the Maryland Million Ladies

“Every time I would lean on her she kind of kept drifting. I kept trying to straighten her up a little bit but she just wasn't getting the best hold of the ground. I think she was kind of spinning her wheels a little bit,” McCarthy said. “Luckily she didn't make any contact, so that was nice.”

Gennie Highway stayed up for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Mosalah.

Epic Idea now owns three wins from 10 starts, her others coming at 5 ½ furlongs in a maiden special weight last August, also under McCarthy, and an open allowance July 10, both at Laurel.

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