REGAL SOLO ROMPS IN MARYLAND MILLION CLASSIC
LAUREL, MD. 10-02-10---Trainer Damon Dilodovico waited until this morning to declare Regal Solo from the Maryland Million Turf, which allowed him to go in the $150,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Classic instead. His decision was fortuitous as Regal Solo, third in last year’s Classic, came barreling down the stretch to win the marquee event on Maryland’s Day at the Races at Laurel Park.
The Maryland Million is the second-most important racing day in the state after the Preakness with 11 races for runners sired by Maryland-based stallions for combined purses totaling $1.05 million. The 25th annual event drew a crowd of 23,367, ninth best in the history of the event, on a picture perfect fall afternoon. Attendance figures have exceeded 20,000 on twenty-one occasions.
Sheldon Russell, who won two other Maryland Million races earlier on the day, was in the irons on the 5-year old son of Preakness winner Louis Quatorze. Claimed for $40,000 last year, Regal Solo has won three times for his present connections including the Jennings Handicap last year. As a 2-year old in 2007, while in the Linda Albert stable, he won the Maryland Million Nursery.
The pace of the Classic was pedestrian, as longshot Movin’ Out led the field around the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch. Post time favorite In The Juice and 9-year-old warrior Cuba raced in close pursuit, while Regal Solo was content to travel at the back of the field. Russell kept his mount tucked in behind them all, then sent him wide around the turn and widest into the stretch, where he catapulted to the lead and pulled away to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Not Abroad finished second, Regal Warrior was third.
“We had to go to plan B because he did not break sharply from the gate,” said Russell. “He gave me a particularly good race, though, and sat comfortably around the entire track. We had to be a bit cautionary going around because the ground had been somewhat wet all day. All I had to do was keep out of trouble and when I let out a notch, he really took off for me. He was a lot sharper at the end then I thought he might be.”
Regal Solo paid $13.40. The exacta came back $36 and the triple paid $188.80.
“I thought we could get the job done here,” said Dilodovico, who has five Maryland Million victories, all off the claim. “We’ve been pointing for this race. Had a couple setbacks with this horse in the spring but he’s come on lately. We went back to last year when he ran third. I was happy with last year. We just needed to tweak a few things, although I was a little concerned with the distance. We didn’t know what to expect so we told Sheldon to be ready for anything. When he was settling, with a ton of horse, as close as he was, I felt good about it. If he had done anything careless early, the horse would have taken off with him.”
After Regal Warrior came In the Juice, and 2008 Classic winner Cuba. Movin’ Out was pulled up by jockey Eric Camacho and did not finish.
Nick Petro (jockey, Not Abroad) said, “We saved ground and I was more worried about the seven (Regal Warrior) than I was the five (Regal Solo). I figure the longer I waited the better shot I had to win. I was very happy today. He tried hard and he finished up well.”
Julian Pimentel (jockey, Regal Warrior) said, “I thought he ran really well. There was no pace. He was very eager to go and I am happy with how he ran, a 3-year-old against older horses.”
Oliver Castillo (jockey, In The Juice) said, “When Julian (Pimentel on Regal Warrior) moved I let out the reins but he flattened out. No excuses.”
Elvis Trujillo (jockey, Cuba) said, “We were laying second. The horse was going along good. He just couldn’t keep up but he tried.”
Eric Camacho (jockey, Movin’ Out) said, “He was running hard but just shut down. I had to check him slightly when they went by us and he just turned it off immediately. He went from on to off. I knew there wasn’t any speed in the race so I tried to go to the front from the one-hole and take a chance.”
Introduced in 1986, the Maryland Million has been duplicated by 22 other states. Hall of Fame TV Broadcaster Jim McKay originally proposed the Maryland Million concept and remained the Chairman of the Board until his death on June 7, 2008.
Country music sensation James Otto held a special concert in-between the fifth and sixth races. The 37-year-old performed for 40 minutes, singing his 2007 number one single “Just Got Started Lovin You” and his current chart-climbing single “Groovy Little Summer Song”.
-mjc-
PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
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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