Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Strong card reflects growth
As The Stronach Group has pumped money into Laurel Park the past five years and state casino revenue has boosted purses, optimism has grown throughout the industry. The results can be seen on Saturday’s 34th edition of the Maryland Million as large fields dominate the 12-race card.
The Maryland Million is for Maryland-sired horses, although Maryland-breds can compete if a field drops below eight runners. The seven Maryland Million stakes have 73 horses in the body of their races, and all have Marylandbreds on the also-eligible list hoping to draw in.
According to Jim Steele Jr., president of the Maryland Million Ltd. board of directors, 2019 was the second consecutive year of double-digit percentile gains in the number of Maryland-sired foals.
“The number of Marylandsired foals this year was up 11 percent from 2018,” Steele said at the Maryland Million Classic draw.
The card, which has a noon first post, includes four Maryland-restricted starter stakes and closes with a maiden race on turf. The 12 races offer total purses of $1.06 million.
The main talking points include Saratoga Bob, who will attempt to come off a 4 1/2-month layoff and win the $150,000 Classic for a second year in a row; Marylandsired/West Virginia-bred Anna’s Bandit, winner of the $157,000 Cavada Breeders Classic last Saturday at Charles Town, who will be shooting for her second win in a week in the $100,000 Distaff; and My Sistersledge, who is going for a three-peat in the $125,000 Ladies after winning by a neck last year and a nose in 2017.
From an emotional standpoint, it will be hard to top the $100,000 Lassie, which trainer Phil Schoenthal will try to win with Gifted Heart. Earlier this year, the Schoenthal family was alerted that a suitable donor heart had become available for their young son Emerson, who underwent a successful transplant.
Michael Pons, who operates Country Life Farm, which stands Super Ninety Nine, the sire of Gifted Heart, put the importance of Maryland Million Day this way, “For folks like us, this is Christmas.”
The Maryland Million Classic, a 1 1/8-mile dirt race, will not be an easy return spot for Saratoga Bob, who went to the sidelines in June with a minor issue, according to trainer Katie Voss.
“He’s training fine,” Voss said. “He doesn’t deal with hot weather very well and we had planned to give him the summer off. It’s unfortunate that his prep race didn’t go, so we’re trying to train him up to the race.”
Clubman, who won the 6 1/2-furlong Maryland Coalition Stakes by 9 1/2 lengths at Timonium for trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, but the distance of the Classic will test his stamina. His other stakes win this year came in the sevenfurlong Russell Road at Charles Town. Clubman finished third in last year’s Classic, 1 1/2 lengths behind Saratoga Bob.
Prendimi is an alternative to the locally based horses. A New Jersey-bred stabled with trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. at Monmouth Park, Prendimi won the statebred John J. Reilly and dropped a nose decision in the Friendly Lover at six furlongs this summer. He then was second when stretched out in distance in a second-level optional claimer last time out.
Torch of Truth, trained by Jamie Ness, and Forest Fire, who races for John Servis and is cross-entered in the Turf, also are contenders.
Cordmaker would be favored but it is unlikely the Marylandbred son of Curlin will draw into the race. Bonus Points, the 2017 Classic winner, will likely be excluded for the second year in a row.
Distaff: At age 5, Anna’s Bandit has turned into a tiger for her owner, breeder, and trainer, Jerry Robb. She has steadily improved the past two years since returning from a serious injury sustained as a 2-year-old, and has won seven of her last nine starts, including five stakes.
She won the Cavada Breeders Classic by 5 1/2 lengths last Saturday under regular rider Xavier Perez and seems poised for a unique double.
“She’s overcome every tough test that has come her way,” Perez said.
Sprint: Lewisfield won last year’s renewal by 8 3/4 lengths for trainer Jeff Runco. He will meet a familiar foe Saturday in the Damon Dilodovico-trained Laki, whom he has raced against seven times before. On their best day, they are pretty equally matched.
Call Paul is 2 for 2 in Pennsylvania-bred stakes company. Trained by Jason Servis, he will ship in from New York to test Maryland-restricted company for the first time. He is coming off a three-length victory in the restricted New Castle Stakes at Delaware Park and may be catching Lewisfield and Laki at the right time.
Ladies: Mysistersledge, trained by Mike Trombetta, won the open All Brandy stakes two races back and then lacked racing room in the stretch of the All Along Stakes in her most recent start. The Ladies looks like her race for the taking.
Turf: This one-mile race has a 14-horse field and can go many different ways, but Taxable Goods has been in good form since May for trainer Lynn Ashby. Love You Much also has had a good season for Ferris Allen III but will be making his first start since mid-August.
Nursery: Ournationonparade, a son of successful freshman stallion Bourbon Courage, just missed in his debut while earning a 76 Beyer Speed Figure. He will take on So Street, who won the open Howard County Stakes on Sept. 28, and Tommy Shelby, who finished second in the restricted First State Dash Stakes at Delaware.
Lassie: Gifted Heart won her first two starts and then dropped a three-quarter-length decision in the open Dickie Moore Stakes on Sept. 21. Hello Beautiful, who races for Brittany Russell, is fast and will be in the mix from the outset.