Buff Hello Wins Maryland Million Nursery At Laurel

In a crowded race loaded with speed, no one could catch Buff Hello.

Joseph Besecker's Buff Hello ($13) broke running from his inside draw and never looked back, sprinting clear to a two-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The Nursery for 2-year-olds and Lassie for 2-year-old fillies, each contested at six furlongs, were 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.

It was the sixth career Maryland Million win for trainer Claudio Gonzalez and second of the day for 18-year-old jockey Charlie Marquez, who also captured the Turf Starter Handicap to kick off the Maryland Million program. The winning time for the Nursery was 1:10.51 over a fast main track.

“It was not an easy race, especially with the [post] position we had today. The [rail] position is really hard, especially with [14] horses and a lot of horses that have speed,” Gonzalez said. “The good thing about Charlie is, he listens. He warmed up the horse really good, he broke and rushed up and took the lead, and he did the right thing. He stayed on the rail and he won the race.”

A maiden special weight winner July 31 at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., where he also led from start to finish, Buff Hello entered the Nursery off a sixth-place finish in the one-mile Sapling Sept. 5 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Marquez wasted no time getting the Buffum colt involved, hustling to the front and posting fractions of :22.12 and :45.21 with Hickory Tree winner Local Motive and narrow 7-2 favorite Mr. Mox alternating in second.

Buff Hello remained in command as the field straightened for home and was set down for a drive by Marquez, opening up after going five furlongs in :57.62. Coastal Mission came with a run on the far outside to edge Local Motive by a neck for second, with Buff Hello's stablemate, Shady Munni, another 2 ½ lengths back in fourth.

“He had the blinkers on and I know, watching the replays, he kind of looked like a little lazy of a lazy horse, so we warmed him up good. I sent him out of there and he's the kind of horse you have to keep on going the whole way. He really dug in deep today,” Marquez said. “I got headed at the top of the stretch but I knew that I had a lot of horse, and coming to the wire was a great feeling.”

Buff Hello was purchased for $26,000 as a yearling last fall at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md. He was making his Laurel debut after racing twice each at Monmouth and Pimlico, where he was beaten a neck in a July 11 maiden special weight by Mr. Mox.

“I was really confident with both my horses in here. [Shady Munni got] bumped really hard in the gate and that's why he finished fourth. But, doesn't happen maybe he's there, too,” Gonzalez said. “Buff Hello, all the time he showed he had talent, that's why I gave him a chance in the stake at Monmouth. That day we didn't get lucky, but today he proved he had talent.”

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Maryland Million: Cynergy’s Star Tests Streak In Nursery, Sparkle Sprinkle Looks To Shine In Lassie

Bonuccelli Racing's Cynergy's Star, a stakes winner in his most recent start nearly eight weeks ago, goes after his third consecutive victory and second in stakes company in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery at Laurel Park.

The Nursery for 2-year-olds and Lassie for 2-year-old fillies, each contested at six furlongs, 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.

Cynergy's Star, a $25,000 yearling purchase last fall at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, began his career on the grass in the five-furlong Hickory Tree Aug. 2 at Colonial Downs, finishing seventh after getting stuck down inside. He graduated in a front-running three-quarter-length triumph Aug. 14 going 5 ½ furlongs over the main track at Pimlico Race Course.

Trainer Kenny Cox wheeled Cynergy's Star back just 15 days later in the 6 ½-furlong Timonium Juvenile, where the bay Great Notion gelding forged a short lead after a half-mile and went on to win by two lengths. Great Notion ranks third all-time among Maryland Million stallions with 16 wins, three coming last year.

“There was a race at one point that I could have ran him in as a prep. It was a little earlier than I wanted to run him and I said, 'You know what? I'm sticking to what my plan was, to have him ready for this,'” Cox said. “He's as good as I can ask him, and I think he's gotten a lot better since his last race. This will be the first time he'll be able to run out of his own stall and not ship somewhere to make a start.”

Cynergy's Star has worked four times since mid-September at Laurel for his return, and will have Timonium Juvenile rider Jevian Toledo back aboard from Post 12 in a field of 16 that includes also-eligibles Al Loves Josie and We B Shackin.

“I wouldn't say he's matured, but he's definitely better than he was. His last few works were exactly how we asked him,” Cox said. “I know the last one Saturday went in 50 [seconds], but I told Jevian to go in 49 or 50 because he's pretty fit, just as a tightener and to keep him from being too sharp. The two works before that, he finished up really impressive. We had him relax early and when we let him out a notch he just kept going. In one of the works he galloped out in [1:13] that day. He's coming into the race good and I'm really happy with the way he's training right now.”

The narrow 9-2 program favorite in a wide-open Nursery is Mr. Mox, owned by Morris Kernan and trainer Jamie Ness. A gelded son of Grade 3 winner Divining Rod, who ran third behind Triple Crown champion American Pharoah in the 2015 Preakness (G1), Mr. Mox debuted with a neck maiden special weight triumph July 11 at Pimlico in gate-to-wire fashion.

Purchased for $5,500 out of the same sale as Cynergy's Star, Mr. Mox went five furlongs again in an optional claimer July 21 at Delaware Park, where he was second by a neck before stepping up into stakes company in the 5 ½-furlong Rosies on the Colonial turf, running fourth. Back on the dirt and stretched out to a mile, he led from start to finish to romp by 10 ¾ lengths Sept. 20 at Delaware.

“We've been really high on this horse since we first got him. He was kind of a cheap horse and right away we could tell he was OK,” Ness said. “We got him stretched out to a mile at Delaware and he loved it. We're cutting back to six furlongs, but I think that's OK. His best races are going long but hopefully he's good enough to get it done short.

“I think he was just the best horse those days [he won]. I think there's going to be a little bit more speed in this race, which is fine,” he added. “He doesn't have to go to the lead. Maybe he will, we don't know.”

The fastest turnaround in the Nursery comes from Steven Newby's Vance Scholars, entered to run just six days after an impressive 5 ¾-length maiden claiming score going one mile at Laurel. The gelded son of Holy Boss had run at Delaware in his first two starts, running second by a head to fellow Nursery entrant Under the Radar in debut Sept. 9 and fifth in the First State Dash Sept. 25.

“He won so easily, and he went into that race real good. Six days, sometimes it's quick for some of them and sometimes they relish it. He seems the type that wouldn't mind it. He seems to feel good, so we'll play it by ear,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “We've always liked him. I knew he needed to go further. The stake was 5 ½ and it was too short for him. Three-quarters is a little bit better, but I think his best races should be at a distance of ground.”

Hickory Tree winner Local Motive; Under the Radar, third in Aug. 26 Dover; Buff Hello, Gallant Gold, Shady Munni, Coastal Mission, All for Love, Good Idea, Witty, Bet On Bitz and Free Sailin complete the field.

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Five of trainer John 'Jerry' Robb's eight career Maryland Million wins have come with 2-year-olds, and he will look to add to his record of success with Eric Rizer's homebred filly Sparkle Sprinkle in the $100,000 Lassie.

Robb has won the Lassie for 2-year-old fillies previously with Ameri Allen (1990), Carniraibow (1992) and Jonesin for Jerry (2013). He also won the Nursery for 2-year-olds with Run Alden (1993) and Glib (2011).

Sparkle Sprinkle, a bay daughter of Holy Boss, debuted with a 3 ½-length maiden claiming victory sprinting four furlongs Aug. 28 during the Maryand State Fair meet at Timonium. She went all the way on the lead for a 6 ¼-length open allowance triumph going six furlongs Sept. 18 at Laurel.

Most recently, Sparkle Sprinkle got bumped at the start and was challenged on the lead before fading to be last of six in a six-furlong optional claimer Oct. 3 at Laurel behind Click to Confirm, one of four also-eligibles in the Lassie.

“The last race she had a little bit of a problem so, hopefully, we got that fixed,” Robb said. “She was very impressive when she won that starter allowance race here. She just ran very, very fast. But, she kind of had everything her own way that day, too, and that makes a difference. The last time she got hooked and pressured and had a few problems. Hopefully we see a little better race.”

Regular rider Xavier Perez climbs back aboard Sparkle Sprinkle (6-1) from Post 3.

Clark Brewster's Waterworks, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, is the narrow 3-1 program favorite in the Lassie. The Mosler filly has raced twice, both at Monmouth Park, and exits a 9 ¼-length victory in a one-mile maiden special weight Sept. 10 that was originally carded for the turf.

Bird Mobberley's Buff My Boots (7-2) figures to be prominent early for trainer John Salzman Jr. By Buffum, she and Sparkle Sprinkle are the lone two-time winners in the Lassie. She has stakes experience, having run fifth in the Aug. 2 Keswick on the turf at Colonial Downs, and was third to Click to Confirm in the Oct. 3 race at Laurel.

Rounding out the main body of the race are Dowser, Luna Belle, My Thoughts, Sweet Gracie, Derby Julep and Moon Boss. The also-eligible list also includes Jester Calls Nojoy, exiting the Frizette (G1) for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, She's Mo Better and No More Mask.

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Capuano Considering Next Start For Alwaysinahurry

Mopo Racing's Alwaysinahurry is set to return to action later this month for the first time since his impressive upset victory over Grade 3-winning favorite Mighty Mischief in the July 4 Concern Stakes at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Trainer Dale Capuano said the Great Notion gelding is being considered for both the $75,000 Star de Naskra Aug. 21 at Pimlico as well as the $150,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Aug. 27 at Charles Town in Charles Town, W. Va., contested at six and seven furlongs, respectively. Both races are restricted to 3-year-olds.

The Star de Naskra is among four $75,000 stakes for Maryland-bred/sired horses on Pimlico's Maryland Pride Day program, along with the Miss Disco for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs on the main track, 1 1/16-mile Find for 3-year-olds and up, and 1 1/16-mile All Brandy for fillies and mares 3 years old and older, each on the turf.

“He's doing well. We're looking at the race at Charles Town, possibly the Star de Naskra. We're just going to play it by ear,” Capuano said. “We'll take a look at things and see how it shakes out.”

Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Quin Bowman, and Rebecca Davis, Alwaysinahurry burst from beneath the shadow of his multiple stakes-winning stablemate Kenny Had a Notion with a 4 ½-length triumph in the Concern at odds of 9-1. Mighty Mischief, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, had won three straight races including the May 15 Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico.

The six-furlong Concern was only the second race this year for Alwaysinahurry, who needed five tries to break his maiden and raced eight times at 2 with two wins and a second to Kenny Had a Notion in the Maryland Million Nursery, one of his three runner-up finishes. Alwaysinahurry came back six months later to run fourth in a Delaware Park starter allowance as a tune-up for the Concern.

“It was impressive, wasn't it? He did it the right way,” Capuano said. “I always felt this horse could run. It took a little while for him to come around, so, hopefully, he's gotten it together now. We'll see what happens.”

Alwaysinahurry has worked three times at Pimlico since the Concern, with bullets going four and five-eighths and, most recently, an easy five-furlong move in 1:02.80 Aug. 6.

“Hopefully, he'll just improve a little bit more and get a little bit better as we go on,” Capuano said. “Time will tell.”

Louis Ulman and Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion won stakes on turf and dirt as a 2-year-old and opened his 3-year-old season with a neck triumph over favored Maythehorsebwithu in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Jan. 16 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. He got a break after running third in the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 20 and was sixth to Wondrwherecraigis in his July 18 return at Pimlico.

Capuano put Kenny Had a Notion back on the grass for his most recent start, a five-furlong dash July 30 at Pimlico, where he raced between horses early before tiring to be seventh behind Mamba On Three.

“He ran OK the other day on the turf,” Capuano said. “He just hasn't come back to himself. It's a bit disappointing.”

Capuano said he plans to run Taking Risks Stable's Cannon's Roar in the Find. The 7-year-old gelding, second in the 2020 Maryland Million Turf and third in the July 8 Sussex at Delaware Park, was third to Logical Myth and Monarchs Glen in the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup Aug. 7 at Mountaineer Park in New Cumberland, W.Va.

“He ran a big race, so my plan is to back in the Find,” Capuano said. “He ran his race and ran terrific. The two favorites beat him. He got beat a length and a half. They just outran him. He did everything right, he just wasn't quite good enough. The Maryland-bred race hopefully will be a little bit easier, and we won't have to ship six hours to get there.”

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Maryland Million: Kenny Had A Notion Best In Nursery; Miss Nondescript Snatches Lassie

Under a ground-saving trip by jockey Jorge Ruiz, Louis J. Ulman and Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion ran away from a dozen others down the stretch to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery Saturday on the 35th edition of Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

A 2-year-old son of Great Notion trained by Dale Capuano, Kenny Had a Notion beat stablemate Alwaysinahurry by five lengths while covering six furlongs in 1:10.55. Reassured was third.

Kenny Had a Notion, a determined head winner of his maiden special weight debut July 30 at six furlongs at Delaware Park, cut back to 5 1/2 for the First State Dash there Sept. 26, contested over a sloppy track. Capuano brought him back in 13 days for the Jamestown Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash for Virginia-breds Oct. 9 at Laurel, where he romped by five lengths as the favorite.

On Saturday afternoon at Laurel, Kenny Had a Notion broke well and raced third down the backstretch behind pacesetter Tiz Golden and inside San Antone past an opening quarter mile in :22.68. But around the turn, Ruiz drove Kenny Had a Notion to the front along the rail and then cruised away. Alwaysinahurry, who also saved ground entering the stretch, split horses to get up for the place.

“They're both nice,” said Capuano of his first two finishers. “Kenny is getting better and so is Alwaysinahurry. [Kenny] showed more speed than I thought he would. He was on the bit very early and the rider had to just get a seam and lucky the rail opened up and he got through.”

Miss Nondescript Gives Sire Mosler First Stakes Winner
Barak Farm's Miss Nondescript, making her second start and first for trainer Michael Trombetta, rallied down the stretch and got up in the final strides to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie by a neck over Street Lute, giving freshman sire Mosler his first stakes winner.

Miss Nondescript, who broke her maiden at first asking Sept. 4 at Monmouth Park, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.13 under jockey Trevor McCarthy.

“This filly gave me a great effort today,” McCarthy said. “She had a nice break and the pace was quick … we had a perfect pace to run at.”

Miss Nondescript (outside) is up just in time to win the Maryland Million Lassie

Trip to Freedom, who broke her maiden a week earlier, shot out of the gate and went the opening quarter in :21.93 and the half in :44.38 before Street Lute and Miss Nondescript both rallied to the outside inside the final eighth. But in the final yards, it was Miss Nondescript who put her neck out front at the wire.

“I was worried that she might run out of time,” Trombetta said. “I could see her chiseling into the margin but I didn't know if she had enough time. Fortunately it worked out.”

Trombetta, who has only had the filly about a month, said there were “a real good set of circumstances” about the Lassie, with the filly having seven weeks since her debut and the quick early pace of Saturday's race. When asked about the offspring of Mosler, Trombetta said, “From what I'm seeing of these guys I think they'll run on whatever you ask.”

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