Maryland Million day celebrates state racing

Two weeks before the best horses and horsemen in the world gather for a lucrative weekend of championship racing, Laurel Park will once again play host to Maryland’s version of the Breeders’ Cup. The Jim McKay Maryland Million will celebrate its 33rd year Saturday featuring a program of races for horses by 110 stallions conceived in Maryland and fully nominated and certified to the Maryland Million program, led by the $150,000 Classic. Already the second-biggest day on Maryland’s racing calendar behind the spring’s Preakness Stakes (G1), “Maryland’s Day at the Races” will include the inaugural Clubhouse Festival, modeled after the Preakness’ InfieldFest and featuring Grammy-nominated Steve Aoki. “It’s our Breeders’ Cup,” Laurel-based Hall of Fame horseman King Leatherbury said. “Jim McKay said to me on the first day we had one, I had won a race and he said, ‘You know what makes this great, don’t you King?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it’s Maryland’s day.’ He said, ‘You’re right.’ This is a day where the Marylanders all get to participate and get to run and get the money.” Of the great horses to come out of the Maryland Million, Leatherbury had one of the best. He bred, owned and trained late MidAtlantic legend Ben’s Cat to 32 wins, 26 in stakes, and more than $2.6 million in purse earnings from 63 starts before his retirement in June 2017 at age 11. Ben’s Cat shares the record for most starts in the Maryland Million with seven and most wins with three, taking the Turf Sprint from 2010-12. When the race was discontinued, he finished a close second in the 2013 and 2014 Turf and 2015 Sprint. “We’ve been lucky to have seen so many great horses over the years. Of course, in my mind it’s the great Ben’s Cat. He was very special to me and to the fans. He was an amazing animal,” Leatherbury, 85, said. is fourth in FCS with 350.8 yards of total offense per game. He also ranks 14th nationally with 278.3 passing yards per game and tops the conference with 15 touchdown passes. Flacco also has rushed for 435 yards and two scores. DIVISION III HONORS: Stevenson junior linebacker Hanif Jones was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week. Jones had two interceptions and three tackles in Stevenson’s 20-6 win at Widener. ... Salisbury sophomore safety Sean Carroll also was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after leading the Sea Gulls with seven solo tackles in a win over Montclair State. SPRINT FOOTBALL: Navy kicker Jared Swenson earned his third Collegiate Sprint Football League Special Teams Player of the Week accolade this season for his performance in the Midshipmen’s 45-14 victory over Caldwell.