LAUREL, MD— Alani is among the Mid-Atlantic’s most reliable yet underrated sprinters. The multiple stakes-winning 5-year-old has finished in the exacta in 18 of her 24 starts and beat her six rivals in Sunday’s featured ninth race, a $56,000 allowance race for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Ridden by Andy Hernandez for trainer Mike Moore, Alani never gave her rivals a chance. She broke right to the lead, flicked away her closest pace pursuer, Joyous Song, through fractions of 22.48 and 46.10 seconds, kicked clear in the upper stretch, and always had enough left to win by 3 ¾ lengths in 1:11.00 on the fast track.

“When Andy got her in front, you knew she was going to be tough from there,” Moore said. “He rode her like the best horse. She showed good speed, and they weren’t catching her today. She likes Laurel, too.”

Alani has won one-third of her races and is now 4 for 5 at Laurel, never finishing outside the top three when she is shipped here from her base at Parx.

Alani, a daughter of Competitive Edge, was bred in Kentucky by Patricia Ziefle. A $24,000 short yearling buyback, she was bought back again as a yearling for $19,000. The following year, Alani sold for $57,000 and went to trainer John Servis.

Alani started seven times for Servis, winning once, before Hardesty Stables and Michael Day claimed her for $75,000 following her third-place finish at Parx on December 18, 2024.

“She was a nicer young horse,” Moore explained. “She had run a number early on that I liked, and I thought that maybe she’d get better. And she got better.”

Alani won three of her first four starts for her new connections. In 2025, she emerged as a bona fide stakes competitor, winning Colonial’s Love Sign on July 26 and Parx’s Cornucopia on November 26. She also finished second in Laurel’s Alma North and Delaware’s Endine.

Not only did Alani prove talented and versatile – she won races at Parx, Laurel, and Colonial – but she also was hickory, racing 19 times without a layoff from August 24, 2024, to March 17, 2026.

“She needed a little break. She had a pretty tough campaign,” Moore admitted. He sent her out to rest and didn’t run her again until three weeks ago, when she finished third in a high-level allowance at Laurel.

“She definitely needed that last race,” Moore said. “She was dull that day.”

She was much sharper this afternoon, and Moore expects she’ll be back in stakes races soon.

*Barbadian Runner draws post 2 in $150,000 Brown Advisory Maryland Million Classic

Defending champion Barbadian Runner drew post 2 in the $150,000 Brown Advisory Maryland Million Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, the highlight event of Saturday’s 12-race Jim McKay Maryland Million extravaganza.

Trained by Henry Walters and ridden by Forest Boyce, Barbadian Runner recently became a millionaire by winning the $200,000 Battery Park Stakes at Delaware Park.

Bred by Shamrock Farm, Barbadian Runner, a 4-year-old gelding by Barbados, sold for $5,000 as a yearling and has compiled an enviable record of 26 starts, 10 wins, 8 seconds, and 4 thirds. Among his eight stakes victories was his gritty win in last year’s Maryland Million Classic, in which he denied the popular graded stakes winner Post Time by three-quarters of a length.

Maryland-bred horses that are not Maryland Million-eligible may enter a Maryland Million race only if fewer than eight Maryland Million-eligible horses are entered.

The Brown Advisory Maryland Million Classic drew eight entries, including three also-eligibles.

Madison Avenue Racing Stables and Morris Kernan Jr.’s Market Maven, second in the 2023 Maryland Million Classic after being disqualified from the win, drew the rail post for jockey Mychel Sanchez and trainer Jamie Ness. Market Maven recently earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure by wiring $25,000 claimers at Parx on October 5. Ness saddled Ournationonparade to win the 2022 Maryland Million Classic.

Sacred Thunder, trained by Gary Capuano and ridden by Emanuel Rosario, will break from post 7. John Hazard’s 8-year-old gelding won the 2024 James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel.

Bonuccelli Racing’s Wickeddivine, third in this year’s Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel, will race beyond six furlongs for the first time. Trained by Kenny Cox, who won the 2023 Maryland Million Classic with Ain’t Da Beer Cold, Wickeddivine drew post 8. Jeiron Barbosa will ride.

Both the Brown Advisory Maryland Million Classic and the $125,000 Andor Farm Maryland Million Ladies were drawn at a special “Jim McKay Maryland Million Draw Party” held this afternoon at the Laurel Park Sportsbook. The remaining ten races will be drawn in the racing office today.

*Around the track:

Jockey Martin Chuan won two races on Sunday. He guided Tiz Candy ($10.40) to a pace-pressing victory in the second race for trainer Wayne Potts, then won the sixth aboard Jungle Glow ($6) for trainer Jamie Ness.

Trainer Ferris Allen also won two races. Armed N Dangerous ($7), entered Main Track Only in the fifth race, rallied from last under apprentice rider Leandro Briceno. Red Sea ($3.20) was very rank early in the finale, finally settled down late on the backstretch, took over on the second turn, and held sway under Horacio Karamanos.

Live racing resumes Friday with nine races. First post time is 12:00 pm, and two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.

The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. Friday’s guide is available Thursday night. Click here to view it.

Join us at Jimmy’s Seafood in Dundalk on Thursday, October 22, from 7 pm to 9 pm for a free Jim McKay Maryland Million Handicapping Party. Hosted by ESPN Louisville and the Horse Racing Happy Hour Podcast’s Louie Rabaut, the event will feature handicapping analysts sharing their picks for the twelve races.

The excitement continues on Friday, October 23, from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm at the Jim McKay Maryland Million Kickoff Celebration at Citron Restaurant. Tickets are $83 each. Enjoy live music, great food, and plenty of opportunities to mingle. Tickets can be purchased here.

Laurel Park’s gates open at 10 am on Jim McKay Maryland Million Saturday. The first race starts at 11:15 am.

The Jim McKay Maryland Million is also about fun for the whole family. Meet and greet the Maryland Miniature Ponies at Horseland, watch exciting pony races featuring the next generation of Maryland jockeys, visit our face painters, and enjoy plenty of hands-on crafts and games.

Take part in the Maryland Million Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The event is held at Laurel Park or on Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, HPIBET, and TwinSpires. The $800 buy-in includes a $400 entry fee and a $400 live bankroll. Cash prizes will be awarded, along with two seats to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and two NHC Prize Packs. With 120 entries, the total prize pool is $48,000. For registration and rules, visit here.

Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.

Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.

The post Consistent Alani Too Strong in Sunday’s Laurel Feature first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD— Bruno snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, rallying resolutely down the Laurel Park home stretch to win Saturday’s featured eighth race, a $49,000 first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.

Although never off the board in six prior starts, some handicappers questioned Bruno’s staying power – this was his first race around two turns – and his ability to handle a sticky, muddy track.

Those questions were answered decisively after 1:46.30 of hard racing, but not before Bruno gave his supporters anxious moments.

Both Spring Decision and Forrest City were aggressive from the start, with the former holding a short lead while racing in the two-path through an opening quarter in 22.90 seconds.

Spring Decision cleared to the lead and to the inside after a half-mile in 47.04 seconds. Forrest City resumed the chase after angling outside the pacesetter.

Meanwhile, jockey Jevian Toledo saved as much ground as possible on the first turn with Bruno, then angled four wide and into the clear as they entered the backstretch. They rolled past the tired favorite, Objection, on the far bend and sailed after Forrest City, who had dispatched Spring Decision.

“At the three-eighths, I felt like a winner,” Toledo said.

Toledo was concerned. “Coming to the quarter-pole, [Forrest City] opened up on me, and I thought, ‘Oh man, I’m not going to run that good.’”

Bruno likes a challenge, however. He displayed courage by rallying from left field to win his previous start, a restricted six-furlong allowance at Colonial Downs on September 4.

At the three-sixteenths pole, one could almost see Bruno grit his teeth and drive his legs. Slowly but surely, he gained ground on Forrest City and drove past that foe in the shadow of the wire, scoring by a neck.

“In the last eighth, he finally came back and dug in,” Toledo said admiringly. “The other horse looked like he slowed down, too, so that kind of helped, but he definitely came back and dug in. He took dirt. To be honest, it looked like he was going to get beat, but he showed his heart, and he got the job done.”

Forrest City finished 2¾ lengths ahead of Pea Ridge. Spring Decision, Mugatu, and Objection followed. Tell ‘Em I’m Comin was scratched.

Bruno, the second choice in the betting, paid $9 to win.

Bred in Virginia by the late R Larry Johnson, Bruno is a 3-year-old gelding by Independence Hall out of Everything Magic (by Street Sense). A half-brother to the multiple stakes-placed sprinter Heldish and from the family of Grade 3-winning sprinter Street Magician, Bruno sold for $25,000 as a yearling and was acquired by Eubanks’s Rising Sun Stables for $40,000 this January.

Bruno, owned by Rising Sun in partnership with Darkside Racing and Paul Willis, has shown his versatility, winning at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles on wet and dry tracks, around one turn and two. He has earned $246,793.

“He’s an honest horse. He always tries. Cool horse,” Toledo concluded.

*Full slate of events next week for the Jim McKay Maryland Million

On Sunday, October 18, from 12 pm to 1 pm, the Jim McKay Maryland Million Draw Party will be held at the Laurel Park Sportsbook. The event is free and open to the public. Watch the post-position draw, enjoy entertainment and snacks, and then stay for live racing.

Join us at Jimmy’s Seafood in Dundalk on Thursday, October 22, from 7 pm to 9 pm for a free Handicapping Party. Hosted by ESPN Louisville and the Horse Racing Happy Hour Podcast’s Louie Rabaut, the event will feature handicapping analysts sharing their picks for the twelve races.

The excitement continues on Friday, October 23, from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm at the Jim McKay Maryland Million Kickoff Celebration at Citron Restaurant. Tickets are $83 each. Enjoy live music, great food, and plenty of opportunities to mingle. Tickets can be purchased here.

Laurel Park’s gates open at 10 am on Jim McKay Maryland Million Saturday. The first race starts at 11:15 am.

The Jim McKay Maryland Million is also about fun for the whole family. Meet and greet the Maryland Miniature Ponies at Horseland, watch exciting pony races featuring the next generation of Maryland jockeys, visit our face painters, and enjoy plenty of hands-on crafts and games.

Take part in the Maryland Million Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The event is held at Laurel Park or on Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, HPIBET, and TwinSpires. The $800 buy-in includes a $400 entry fee and a $400 live bankroll. Cash prizes will be awarded, along with two seats to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and two NHC Prize Packs. With 120 entries, the total prize pool is $48,000. For registration and rules, visit here.

*Around the track:

Trainer Linda Albert won her 750th career race when War Report captured Friday’s finale under jockey Matilda Burnham. Albert, 67, a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, was Maryland’s top female trainer for eight consecutive years (1998-2005). She trained Water Cannon to win the 2004 Miracle Wood, Private Terms, and Federico Tesio Stakes, then saddled the 3-year-old in the Preakness Stakes. Former jockey Albert was named Maryland’s Outstanding Trainer by the MTHA in 2004 and has conditioned seven Maryland Million winners.

Jockey Jose Vargas rode two winners on Saturday. He gave Ready for Magic ($12.80) a lovely trip in the fourth race, riding in the pocket before angling three wide into the stretch for trainer Troy Singh. Vargas then took the field gate to wire in the seventh race with Mo Lake Time ($7.80) for trainer Graham Motion.

Live racing resumes Sunday with ten races. First post time is 12:00 pm, and two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.

The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. Sunday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.

Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.

Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.

The post Bruno Never Gives Up first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD— “He wowed me,” jockey Sheldon Russell said after Frustrated completed six furlongs in a sprightly 1:10 flat to win his career debut in Friday’s second race at Laurel Park, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up.

“That’s a cute horse, man,” said Sheldon’s wife, trainer Brittany Russell, as she headed onto the track to congratulate her team.

A talented one, too.

Frustrated broke from the outside post position in the five-horse field and rated comfortably while outside and clear of traffic, as favored Card Shark covered the opening quarter in 22.82 seconds, prompted by Beach Landing.

Card Shark, a $1 million yearling trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Jorge Ruiz, scooted clear of his primary pace pursuer at the three-eighths pole and braced for Frustrated’s challenge after a half-mile split of 45.72 seconds.

“He came over like a complete pro, traveled like a good horse,” Sheldon Russell said. “You just don’t know how much Jorgie is sitting on. I knew I had horse, but he seemed like he was going easy enough [too].”

Frustrated switched to his right lead just outside the eighth pole and scampered home to win by 2 ¼ lengths over the late-running Plentyof Rogue. Card Shark was another length back in third. Beach Landing and Eclipticals Empire were next. Mythical Magic scratched.

Frustrated paid $4.40 to win as the second betting choice.

Bred in Kentucky by Bridlewood Farm, Frustrated is a 3-year-old gelding by Maclean’s Music, out of Embur’s Zip (by City Zip). His second dam, Embur’s Song (by Unbridled’s Song), was a multiple Grade 3 winner on synthetic tracks.

A $235,000 yearling buyback, Frustrated was purchased by Mike Repole’s Repole Stable for $425,000 last year and sent to trainer Todd Pletcher for early lessons. Frustrated breezed once for Pletcher at Monmouth before being laid up and transferred to Russell.

“He had some setbacks,” Brittany Russell said. “They sent him to Bruce Jackson at Fair Hill, and they obviously got him sorted out. These good ones get ready. He didn’t take much time, really. That was impressive. We were fond of him for a while. He had spent all of his time at Fair Hill with my crew up there. From the first few works, [assistant trainer Emma Wolfe] said this one might be all right.”

*Around the track:

Frustrated completed the early Daily Double for the Russells after Ready Set ($5) romped by 17 ¼ lengths in the opener. They notched a hat trick when Sota Summers ($4.40) blitzed the field in the sixth race. Both Ready Set and Sota Summers are owned by Jeffrey Drown and moved from turf to dirt while dropping from maiden special weights to maiden claiming competition.

Live racing resumes Friday with eight races. First post time is 12:00 pm, and two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.

The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. Saturday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.

Join us at Laurel Park on Saturday for “Cigars & Bourbon On The Rail,” presented by WBAL News Radio 1090 AM/101.5 FM. Your all-inclusive ticket includes the finest cigars, bourbon, and whiskey selections at the premium bar, a chef-prepared trackside luncheon, and live Thoroughbred racing. For the menu and tickets, click here.

Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.

Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.

The post Frustrated a Sharp Debut Winner first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

Laurel Park ran a special nine-race program on Thursday, a normally dark day for live racing, after the remnants of Hurricane Isaias forced the postponement of Sunday’s card.

Ridden by Jorge Ruiz for trainer Graham Motion, Sewanee Inn broke well and pulled herself forward to contest the pace with a hard-sent News of the Week while racing well off the inside.

News of the Week, a 111-1 outsider on the tote, set fractions of 24.54 and 49.15 seconds before Sewanee Inn decided to put her hoof down. She spurted to a clear lead after six furlongs in 1:14.26 and drew off under a steady drive to prevail by ten lengths in 1:40.19 on the fast track.

Jesse Marie rallied to finish a well-beaten second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Always Ours. Hugh’s Legend, News of the Week, Good Wishes, favored She’s the Moament, Souper Taylor, A.P. Class, and Dr. Evans completed the order of finish.

Sewanee Inn, the fourth choice in the betting, returned $12 to win.

“We really liked this filly,” said Motion’s assistant, Anne Sinchak. “She handles the dirt really well, and she’s classy. That was really nice.”

Sewanee Inn finished third in her career debut, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park on August 29, then faltered as the favorite, finishing seventh of nine in a similar event at six furlongs on September 16.

“She was just learning a lot in that last race,” Sinchak noted. “More and more [racing] with her will help.”

She really seemed to appreciate today’s added ground.

“She’s a big, long-striding filly, so it seemed to definitely help her today,” Sinchak said. “There was no pace in there. She could do that all day long.”

A homebred owned by the Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Kentucky-bred Sewanee Inn is by Upstart, out of Piney Point (by Curlin). Her dam is a half-sister to Grade 2-winning turf router Significant Form, and Grade 3-winning turf sprinter Hay Dakota.

“She can get a little silly here and there, but she loves her job,” Sinchak admitted. “She’s lovely. I love this filly. She’s such a sweetheart.”

*Around the track:

Live racing resumes Friday with eight races. First post time is 12:00 pm, and two “Value Pick 5” wagers feature a LOW 12% takeout.

The free “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available on every race day. It features picks, analysis, trainer stats, trip notes, horses to watch, track bias information, and more from The Maryland Jockey Club’s handicapping team. Friday’s guide is available. Click here to view it.

Join us at Laurel Park on Saturday, October 17, for “Cigars & Bourbon On The Rail,” presented by WBAL News Radio 1090 AM/101.5 FM. Your all-inclusive ticket includes the finest cigars, bourbon, and whiskey selections at the premium bar, a chef-prepared trackside luncheon, and live Thoroughbred racing. For the menu and tickets, click here.

Never miss a second of the action on the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to watch full pan and head-on replays.

Watch “Today at the Races,” the Maryland Jockey Club’s morning handicapping show every racing day at 11 am ET on the Maryland Jockey Club’s X account. Click here to watch.

The post Sewanee Inn Dominates Thursday Feature first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

One rainy morning at Laurel Park, I sat down to catch up with outrider Emilee McClun.

Emilee has been an outrider for the Maryland Jockey Club for many years, working both mornings and afternoons. On her days off, she gallops horses or helps others around the barns or on the racetrack.

So many varied backgrounds come together to make our backstretch civilization. Understanding this provides insight into the diversity and personalities it takes to build this eclectic community.

Emilee told me she has worked at the racetrack since she was 16.

“My mom’s friend took me on a trail ride, and I went with her to work,” she recalled. “I looked down the track and knew this was what I wanted to do.” She began her journey by ponying horses.

Emilee shared that her family wasn’t into racing, but her mom rescued horses. “We always had horses since I was little,” she said.

Emilee shared that she’s worked at several racetracks over the years.

“Each year, I’ve learned a little more,” she said. “Each track is a little different, and I’ve learned something new at each place, whether it’s about the dynamics of the racetrack or tips on tough horses from other riders.”

Emilee works with up to four other outriders. “It’s about communication without talking, timing, and being willing to work as a team. You learn to be one with your outriding partners, and after a while, it all just kind of comes together.”

She is not blind to the job’s dangers, having narrowly avoided serious injury in a full-body incident during the Laurel Park spring meet.

With a consistent daily presence in the Laurel Park community, Emilee also strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance. She continues to advocate for rider and horse wellness while spending quality time with her family. You will sometimes see their smiles at the races or when they visit her at work over the rail. She shares her life and passion for horses with her three kids and two dogs.

About the Author:
As a jockey, Emily Fewster rode winners at Colonial Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds, Laurel Park, Meadowlands, Pimlico, Timonium, and Yavapai Downs. She actively supports Thoroughbred Aftercare and OTTB promotion. She now works as an equine appraiser, an exercise rider at Laurel Park, and contributes to TMJC broadcasts as a handicapper and paddock analyst.

The post Catching Up: Emilee McClun first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.

LAUREL, MD—The 41st edition of the Jim McKay Maryland Million, presented by Brown Advisory and held at Laurel Park on Saturday, October 24, drew 245 pre-entries, including 2025 winners Barbadian Runner, Had to Have Him, Slewperstitus, Onyx Ten, and Whiskeyinthejaro.

Final entries for the Jim McKay Maryland Million, popularly known as “Maryland’s Day at the Races,” will be accepted on Sunday, October 18. A special post-position draw will be held at the Laurel Park Sportsbook that afternoon, beginning at 12 pm ET.

The first post time for Jim McKay Maryland Million Day is 11:15 am ET. Gates at Laurel Park open at 10:00 am. General admission is free.

Maryland-bred horses that are not Maryland Million-eligible may enter a Maryland Million race only if fewer than eight Maryland Million-eligible horses are entered.

Barbadian Runner is the marquee name among 15 pre-entrants in the day’s featured event, the $150,000 Brown Advisory Maryland Million Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. Owned by AJ Will Win Stables and trained by Henry Walters, Barbadian Runner earned millionaire status by winning his most recent start, the $200,000 Battery Park Stakes at Delaware Park on October 3. He defeated the popular Post Time in last year’s Maryland Million Classic.

Gracie Mae Stables & Great Lake Stable’s Had to Have Him finished third in the 2024 Maryland Million Turf Sprint, but it was his time to shine last year, when he defeated the favored Whenigettoheaven by three-quarters of a length. Both Had to Have Him, trained by John Salzman Jr., and Whenigettoheaven were pre-entered in this year’s $100,000 1/ST Bet Maryland Million Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at 5 ½ furlongs. The race drew 28 pre-entries.

Eric Rizer’s Slewperstitus rallied from off the pace to win last year’s Maryland Million Lassie for 2-year-old fillies. Trained by Robbie Bailes, she’s likely to run in this year’s $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, though she may face stiff competition from reigning winner Onyx Ten. Owned by Frank Sample and trained by Gary Capuano, Onyx Ten also surged late to win the 2025 Distaff. The Distaff drew 17 nominations.

The $125,000 John Deere Maryland Million Turf for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles drew 21 nominations. Among them are owner-trainer Sammy Davis’s Wicked Prankster, the 2022 and 2023 winner. Michael Foster’s Crabs N Beer has competed in the race for the past four years, finishing third in both 2022 and 2024. Keri Brion conditions the 7-year-old Blofeld gelding.

Seventeen fillies and mares are nominated to the $125,000 Andor Farm Maryland Million Ladies at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Smith Farm and Stable’s Precious Avary competed in the previous three editions, winning in 2023 and finishing a close second the following year. Tim Shaw trains the 6-year-old by Divining Rod.

Lewis Family Racing Stable’s Celtic Contender and Rising Sun Racing Stables and Annette Eubanks’ Band Camp, the one-two finishers in 2024, might rematch in the $100,000 Fair Hill Training Center Maryland Million Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Haileysfirstnotion, third in last year’s race, is also among the 26 quality pre-entrants.

Twenty-seven promising juveniles pre-entered the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Maryland Million Nursery for 2-year-olds at six furlongs. Among them are Louis Ulman, Walter Vieser II, and Michael Scheffres’ Walt’s Notion. Trained by Phil Capuano, Walt’s Notion recently won the James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel Park.

The $100,000 Glenangus Farm Maryland Million Lassie drew 18 pre-entries, including Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds, and Non Stop Stable’s Whitten Way, and Charles Blanford and Teresa Haupt’s Olivia’s Legacy.

In addition, four starter handicaps are reserved for Maryland-sired or -bred horses. Farmacy Brewing, The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Willow Oaks Farm, and Maryland Horse Fencing sponsor these races. Whiskeyinthejaro won the 2025 Maryland Million Turf Starter and was pre-entered again.

The Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Million Ltd. also thank our additional sponsors: Northview Stallion Station, Country Life Farm, Hess Equine Veterinary Services, Urgent Vet Care, and Atlanta Hall Racing.

With three winners on last year’s program, Jevian Toledo surpassed Hall of Famer Edgar Prado to become the winningest jockey in Maryland Million history. Toledo has won 21 Maryland Million races.

John “Jerry” Robb is the leading active trainer in Maryland Million history. His 12 wins leave him three behind all-time leader Dale Capuano.

Pensioned Great Notion, Maryland’s leading sire since 2016, has produced at least one Maryland Million winner for 16 consecutive years. The streak continued in 2025 with Slewperstitus, Big Cuddle, and Slam Notion. Great Notion’s progeny have won 25 Maryland Million races. He ranks second all-time behind Maryland Million leading sire Not For Love (38).

The Jim McKay Maryland Million isn’t just about thrilling racing action. A week of festivities builds up to the big event.

On Sunday, October 18, from 12 pm to 1 pm, the Maryland Million Draw Party will be held at the Laurel Park Sportsbook. The event is free and open to the public. Watch the post-position draw, enjoy entertainment and snacks, and then stay for live racing.

Join us at Jimmy’s Seafood in Dundalk on Thursday, October 22, from 7 pm to 9 pm for a free Handicapping Party. Hosted by ESPN Louisville and the Horse Racing Happy Hour Podcast, the event will feature handicapping analysts sharing their picks for the twelve races.

The excitement continues on Friday, October 23, from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm at the Jim McKay Maryland Million Kickoff Celebration at Citron Restaurant. Tickets are $83 each. Enjoy live music, great food, and plenty of opportunities to mingle. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Jim McKay Maryland Million is also about fun for the whole family. Meet and greet the Maryland Miniature Ponies at Horseland, watch exciting pony races featuring the next generation of Maryland jockeys, visit our face painters, and enjoy plenty of hands-on crafts and games.

Take part in the Maryland Million Handicapping Challenge, a one-day contest available both on-site and online. The event is held at Laurel Park or on Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, HPIBET, and TwinSpires. The $800 buy-in includes a $400 entry fee and a $400 live bankroll. Cash prizes will be awarded, along with two seats to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and two NHC Prize Packs. With 120 entries, the total prize pool is $48,000. For registration and rules, visit here.

Named for the late Hall of Fame broadcaster and 13-time Emmy Award winner who launched the groundbreaking concept in 1986, the Jim McKay Maryland Million has become the state’s second-largest day on the racing calendar, behind only the Preakness Stakes card.

“Maryland’s Day at the Races” celebrates the stallions that stand in the state and honors its rich and diverse racing history, dating back to the founding of the Maryland Jockey Club in 1743 and spawning copycat events across the United States and Canada.

For more information on Jim McKay Maryland Million activities and the event schedule, visit here.

The post 41st Jim McKay Maryland Million Attracts 245 Pre-Entries first appeared on Maryland Jockey Club.