MARYLAND MILLION UNDERCARD INCLUDES SOME OF LAUREL PARK’S FINEST
LAUREL, MD. 09-30-10---The 25th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million not only showcases five horses back to defend titles Saturday at Laurel Park but three of the top runners on the Laurel backside. First post for the 11-race program is 12:35 p.m. The $150,000 Classic is race 10 with a post time of 5:55 p.m. Eastern.
Of the five defending champions, Roaring Lion is the 7-5 morning line favorite in the $100,000 Sprint, while Talkin About Love (4-1, $100,000 Ladies), All Giving (9-2, $100,000 Distaff) and Serenadia (5-1, $50,000 Distaff Starter Handicap) figure as contenders. Natural Seven is 15-1 on Frank Carulli’s morning line in the $100,000 Turf Sprint.
Much of the talk around the central Maryland track heading into the Maryland Million has focused on Ben’s Cat, Twelve Pack Shelly and Celtic Innis.
Ben’s Cat is the 9-5 morning line choice in the Turf Sprint. Owned and trained by King Leatherbury, the son of Parker’s Storm is five-for-five this year, including a victory in the 6-furlong Mister Diz Stakes on the turf. Now four, the gelding suffered a broken pelvis as a 2-year-old and spent six months in a stall. He didn’t make his debut until May 8 at Pimlico and ran in claiming races in his first two career starts.
“I had no idea he was going to be such a good horse and each win he’s had was a pleasant surprise,” said Leatherbury, who has seven Maryland Million wins on his resume. “Each time he ran he proved himself to have more talent than I thought. If I’d known he was going to be a stakes horse I certainly would not have run him for the $25,000. I was lucky I didn’t lose him.”
The 5 ½ furlong Turf Sprint also features Phosphorescent (5-2) and millionaire Heros Reward (4-1). Trained by Dale Capuano, Heroes Reward has 12 victories and 26 in the money finishes from 40 starts with earnings exceeding $1.1 million. The 8-year-old son of Partner’s Hero hasn’t won since Aug. 2009.
“Capuano’s horse is the one to beat,” added Leatherbury, who ranks third on the all-time win list with 6,303 winners. “The shorter distance is going to favor him.”
“He isn’t as quite a good as he has been in the past,” said Capuano, who has eight Maryland Million scores. “But I think he’s going to run really well.”
Twelve Pack Shelly is the prohibitive 4-5 favorite in the opening race on the card, the $100,000 Lassie. The 2-year-old daughter of Deputy Storm is four-of-six, including a pair of stakes wins. In her debut on Apr. 8 she shattered the Laurel Park track record at 4 ½ furlongs stopping the clock in 50.83 seconds, while winning by 10 ¾ lengths.
“She’s making it look easy,” said trainer John Salzman, Jr., whose father, John Sr. trained Eclipse Award winner Xtra Heat. “It’s hard to compare her to Xtra Heat. She’s got a long way to go but she’s on her way. She’s done everything I’ve asked.”
While Twelve Pack Shelly is at the beginning of her career, multiple stakes winner Celtic Innis will make the final start in the Sprint. The Tim Keefe trainee, who won this race in 2008 and was second in 2006 and 2009, is the fourth choice at 8-1 behind Roaring Lion, Jack On The Rocks and Peter’s Creek. With lifetime earnings of $627,638, the 8-year-old son of Yarrow Brae, is nine-for-36 with 25 in the money finishes at the 6-furlong distance.
“He’s the best horse I’ve ever had. When you think of my barn you think of Celtic Innis. He’s the figure on my racing logo and when he finishes he’s going to my farm so my wife can have him and turn him into a jumper,” Keefe said. “It’s going to be real sad to see him go but it takes him a bit longer now to get up to his races. We always point toward the Maryland Million.”
Introduced in 1986, the Maryland Million, a program of races restricted to the offspring of Maryland-based stallions, has been duplicated by 22 other states. Maryland-sired Thoroughbreds are nominated before they become 2-year-olds and remain eligible for life to run in the Maryland Million races. After twenty-four runnings, 210 stallions have been represented in Maryland Million races.
Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim McKay originally proposed the concept and remained Chairman of the Board until his death two years ago. Twenty times attendance figures have topped 20,000 for the event.
The first 4,000 full-paid admissions and Maryland-licensed owners and trainers will each receive a free Maryland Million Sport Cap. On-track entertainment between races will feature Goshen Fox hounds, the Master of the Horse for Medieval Times, retired racehorses from Thoroughbred Placement & Rescue Inc. and CANTER Mid-Atlantic plus a display from Special Olympics Maryland.
Country music sensation James Otto will hold a special concert in-between the fifth and sixth races. The 37-year-old will be performing his 2007 number one single “Just Got Started Lovin You” and his current chart-climbing single “Groovy Little Summer Song”.
HRTV will have a live presence for the entire card with hosts Caton Bredar and Dick Jerardi on site.
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Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
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