LAUREL, MD – Maryland Jockey Club handicappers Gabby Gaudet and Stan Salter have handicapped the 11 races comprising Saturday’s 30th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day.

 

Million Day will include seven restricted stakes with a 12:15 p.m. first race post. The day will include Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury saddling the popular 9-year-old gelding Ben’s Cat in the $100,000 Sprint, and Talk Show Man and Phlash Phelps in the $150,000 Classic.

Race 1:

Gaudet

Wild for Love has had a successful year as a 5-year-old, finishing “in the money” five out of eight starts. She’s faced tougher company in her dirt starts this season and has enough speed to either dictate or sit just off of Heavenly Encore in this short field. Northern Cherokee attempts to transition her competitive form Charles Town to the Laurel oval in her first start under for Dale Capuano. Reflecting Riva has a pair of thirds at this distance and her late, closing running style should suit the second wire finish.

Salter

Northern Cherokee is a win machine, as she has won 8 races from 16 lifetime starts.  The 4-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Outflanker comes into this race with a three-race winning streak, as she tries the Laurel Park surface for the first time for trainer Dale Capuano, who claimed the filly last time out at Charles Town.  Reflecting Riva has closed well in her last two starts going six & a half furlongs on the synthetic at Presque Isle and should like the added distance in this spot on the main track, a surface she has had success on in the past.  Wild for Love is the 6-5 morning line favorite, but she is stretching out from sprint races to a distance where she is 0-2.

Race 2:

Gaudet

I give Lexington Street the slight preference because I thought she got a tremendous amount of schooling in her debut and it paid off second time out. She’s shown versatility in both starts and has the ability to hold form despite the trip or the surface conditions. Despite being the smallest physically in the field of nine in debut, Maryland’s Love sat just off the pace and shook clear at huge odds. Head Games intrigues me. She’s out of a very nice mare who won on every surface and she ran very respectable against a larger field last out. We could see her play a huge role in the late stages.

Salter

The racing gods will be shining brightly upon Maryland’s Love, as she runs for her late breeder and owner Howard M. Bender, who recently passed away leaving behind a huge imprint on the Maryland Racing and Breeding industry.  He bred another good filly here, as this Larry Murray-trained Maryland-bred 2-year-old daughter of leading Maryland Million Sire Not For Love got everybody’s attention when she won first time out at odds of 32-1.  Lexington Street was beaten in her first start by Maryland’s Love, but then came right back and won impressively in her second start.  Table Jumper was a dominant winner in her first start and will try to regain that sharp form following a fourth place effort against open stakes company in her last start.

Race 3:

Gaudet

Irina Baranova was covered up most of her last race. She had early trouble going into the first turn and steadied throughout the backstretch. Once she finally had room to run mid-stretch there was no catching eventual winner Moon Over Paris, who is a few notches above this field. Flit debuts as a 4-year-old for Graham Motion. Seems like they’ve taken their time getting her to the races and place her in a good spot here going long on the turf. She is a half sister to Joy who is a stakes winner on the turf. Icy Miss found good position early despite the tough, outermost post position last out. Should hold her own against this field with a better post.

Salter

Irina Baranova has improved since switching to the turf in her last three starts and is the horse to beat in this spot for trainer Tim Keefe and jockey Forest Boyce.  Two races back the 3-year-old Maryland-bred filly faded after making a big middle move, but she continued to improve in her last start when she was a good second after being steadied early on.  Flit is bred, owned and trained by top connections for her debut here and she is by Not For Love and out of a Flatter mare, so she could be a runner.  Icy Miss improved in her last start, finishing third for maiden claiming $25,000.

Race 4:

Gaudet

The venerable Ben’s Cat skips the turf and heads to the dirt - his first time since he romped in the Fabulous Strike at Penn National last November. Whether it be turf sprints or dirt sprints, his numbers are significantly higher than today’s field. Jack’s in the Deck is capable of really strong races, as he showed back in March. The turf to dirt angle should set him up nicely for this spot. Can’t overlook returning champ D C Dancer. However, last year he had the opportunity to prep with a nice allowance score…this year he’ll have to face The Cat off the shelf.

Salter

Most of Ben’s Cat’s 30 wins and nearly 2.5 million in earnings have come sprinting on the turf.  However, the 9-year-old Maryland-bred son of Parker’s Storm Cat trained by King T. Leatherbury has a solid resume sprinting on the dirt as well.  For the last three years he has won the Fabulous Strike Handicap going six furlongs at Penn National and last year he crushed his competition in that race, which some people said was his most impressive win of all.  He also has three wins from five starts on the dirt at Laurel Park, which is his home track, and this year he will be trying for his fourth overall Maryland Million win.  Sit back and enjoy watching a special horse, Ben’s Cat.  D C Dancer won this race last year when not facing Ben’s Cat and will try to repeat this year coming off nearly a five month lay-off.  Jack’s in the Deck had a strong win at Laurel Park last March sprinting over a muddy track, but has not been able to duplicate that kind of effort since.

Race 5:

Gaudet

I’ve stuck with Daniel Le Deux the past few starts. I have to stick with him today with the blinkers going on, and hope that patience pays off. He improved drastically in his performance on Maryland Pride day back in August when stretching out on the turf. He’s kin to Larry Le Roi, who slowly but surely developed in the afternoon and I think the same goes for him. Minor Legend has been stuck in the dreaded rail post in all of his career starts which has led to some unfortunate troubled trips. Better post today. Grand Notion drew towards the inside in his turf debut. He managed to get a good position early but that all fell through at the top of the stretch when he steadied and checked to last. 

Salter

Tempt Me Twice is out of the same Not For Love mare, Love Me Twice, that produced Action Andy, a $673,390 earner who also won two turf stakes going long.  This Ann Merryman-trained 3-year-old Maryland-bred son of Temple City is also a half-brother to Saintly Love, who won nine times going long on the grass for earnings of $147,518 in that category.  And, my top pick here is also a half-brother to Phlash Phelps, who is a rising star on the grass and is one of the favorites later today in the Maryland Million Turf Mile.  Sideling Hill had some run in him last out, but found some traffic problems in the stretch in a race where the second-place finisher was a next-out winner.  Daniel Le Deux was a game rallying third two back going the same distance as today on the turf.

Race 6:

Gaudet

Over the past two years, the Mike Trombetta barn has maintained an 11% win percentage with 2-year-old first timers. Usually the program focuses on getting a foundation in their horses before immediately breaking their maiden. That said, the fact that Flash McCaul won his debut, and so convincingly, tells me that he’s precocious and talented enough to fire back to back here. Captain Alex faced a tough group last out in the slop and keeps getting better and better. Ravenheart gets to a fast track today and holds the highest Beyer Speed Figure exiting the race. 

Salter

Captain Alex was an impressive first out winner in August at Laurel Park for freshman sire Admiral Alex.  The Donnovan Haughton-trained 2-year-old Maryland-bred followed that up with a strong rallying second-place effort in the Laurel Futurity, when he chased home runaway winner Formal Summation in the slop.  Flash McCaul overcame a sluggish start in his debut to rally from off the pace to win going away impressively.  He is by freshman sire Friesan Fire, who is the #1 Freshman Sire in the Mid-Atlantic Region for earnings and winners currently.  Ravenheart won at first asking at Delaware in September and if he is half as fast as his Olympic Skiing Gold Medal-winning owner Bode Miller, then look out.

Race 7: 

Gaudet

Magician’s Vanity got a nice, ground-saving trip in the Brookemeade last out but unfortunately ran out of real estate. She’s never tried a distance farther than 8.5 furlongs but her running style screams that she’ll love it. Taylor Hole, who is very good with these type of deep closers on the turf, holds the call. Monster Sleeping hold the class on the field but this distance isn’t her best. She’ll need a patient ride to reserve some energy early. Can’t Explain is no slouch against this field either, but although she ran her “best” last out, her back turf numbers would win this.

Salter

Can’t Explain was fourth in this race as a 3-year-old back in 2013.  Now at age five, the Not For Love mare brings in a more accomplished resume, as she has won two of her last three races this year, one on the turf in a Gulfstream Park Allowance race, and most recently in the slop in the Wasted Tears Stakes at Gulfstream.  Her jockey Tyler Gaffalione is the leading apprentice jockey in the country and he just started his journeyman career this past Sunday at Gulfstream, where he won four races on the day.  Monster Sleeping won this race in 2013 and also had a sharp win two back in the Jameela Stakes here at Laurel.  Magician’s Vanity has been begging for more real estate in her last two races, and should love the added distance in this spot.

Race 8:

Gaudet

Lionhearted Lady exits a sharp race last out at 1 1/16 miles where she was just nabbed at the wire against heavily favored Tom Proctor runner Please Explain. I love the cutback to 7 furlongs. Although she has never been this distance before, she absolutely loves the one-turn mile at Laurel. Usually we see horses who relish that distance, hold form when cutting back slightly to the 7 furlongs out of the chute. Aix En Provence runs consistently higher numbers but has to overcome the outside post. Spotted Heart won the Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship last year at this distance. Although a subpar effort at Parx last out, those fillies where much faster than what she faces today and blinkers go on.

Salter

Aix En Provence is six for eight in the money at Laurel Park, with two wins.  She rallied from off the pace for an impressive win last out in a two other than allowance race at Monmouth going six furlongs.  The Joe Orseno-trained 7-year-old daughter of Rock Slide loves Laurel and she should love the seven-furlong distance in this spot.  Lionhearted Lady also loves Laurel Park, as she is five for five in the money, with two wins at her home track.  She went to the lead in her last race, a tough upper-level allowance race going two turns, and just got beat at the wire.  I like the cut back in distance, but don’t like her post today.  My Magician won the Maryland Million Lassie last year and is making her second start off of a seven month lay-off.  She was full of run in her return race in September, but had nowhere to go in deep stretch.  She should improve in this spot and is my longshot play of the day.

Race 9:

Gaudet

Havelock enters here in his first time ever facing restricted stakes company. He does exit a disappointing finish in the Grade 3 Woodford last out, but that’s not his ideal surface. Perhaps his best races are between 5 1/2 and 6 furlongs on the turf, but don’t forget he is a Grade 2 winner

at 7 furlongs on the turf and a Grade 3 winner at a mile on the synthetic. We’ve seen a different horse in Phalsh Phelps lately, especially last out when he split horses through a tight gap to win the Find stakes. Something’s clicked lately and he’s perfectly capable of upsetting here. Last time Barrel of Love went long on the turf, he was completely stifled behind a wall of horses during the run through at Saratoga. Stretching back out to a better distance today, you have to respect.

Salter

Phlash Phelps is my Best Bet of the day!  The 4-year-old Maryland-bred son of Great Notion has greatly improved this year after being gelded last winter, and is a perfect three-for-three so far this year.  The turf pedigree in this horse’s family is very strong and going by how he looked in the paddock before his last win, he is one of the best looking horses in Maryland right now.  All signs point to this Rodney Jenkins-trained horse sitting on another big performance today.  He will need a big effort today, because the five-time graded stakes winning 8-year-old Maryland-bred Havelock is coming to Laurel for the first time in his career that has produced over $650,000 in earnings.  Don’t forget about Roadhog, who won this race in 2012 and 2013, and was third in this spot last year behind Talk Show Man and Ben’s Cat.  All in all, a very tough race, but I’m going with the rising star and my best bet Phlash Phelps.

Race 10:

Gaudet

Last time Talk Show Man was on the dirt, he romped against five others and received his highest number on form. Although he did get a perfect setup in the race he won in March on the dirt, I like him in here because he’s versatile and he’s been facing tougher this year on the grass. Would be great to see Not Abroad win here in his second start since “retiring” in 2012. Although it may be a tough task to ask, he has a lot of class and determination and he could win this on that alone. I’m Mr. Blue draws the rail and should get a ground-saving trip throughout. He loves the Laurel oval and could be a factor if the other two don’t bring their A-games. 

Salter

Talk Show Man has been running against some of the best turf horses in the country.  His last race was against the likes of Mr. Speaker and Legendary in the Grade II Commonwealth Cup, where he was beaten eight lengths.  His last race on the dirt was an upper-level allowance race back in March at Laurel Park, where he romped home by five and a half lengths over a salty bunch.  The 5-year-old Maryland-bred son of Great Notion is trained by Hamilton Smith, who has been a top conditioner around here for a long time and will have this horse ready to fire a big effort.  Not Abroad won this race back in 2012 and was retired that year after sustaining an injury in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.  Not Abroad did not like being retired, so now the 8-year-old Maryland-bred son of Not For Love is back doing what he likes best…being a racehorse.  His comeback race off the long three-year lay-off a couple of weeks ago was encouraging enough to give this classy veteran campaigner a shot to recapture his Maryland Million Classic winning form.  Bullheaded Boy is also cross-entered in the Turf Mile, but if his connections elect to go here, the Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-old deserves some consideration.

Race 11

Gaudet

Lunar Rock came back from the layoff last out against a very tough field, and on a surface he doesn’t necessarily flourish on. When he runs his best, he’s capable of beating nice horses like Eyeplayeveryday and Dynamic Strike (back at Pimlico). Five-time winner at Laurel should be sitting on a big race here. Perhaps Star Maneuver isn’t the same as he was last year, but with that outside post and his natural quickness - he should be able to stalk and sit a good trip. Thought Stolen Love was a winner last out but couldn’t quite hold off the late run from Thunder Lord at 9-1. He used to love 7-furlong and mile distances at Laurel and that could give him the upper hand. 

Salter

Stolen Love is 12 for 17 in the money, with five wins here at Laurel Park.  The Claudio Gonzalez-trained 5-year-old Maryland-bred son of Not For Love is in sharp form and exits two tough starter allowance races, where he finished second in both races.  Lunar Rock is making his second start off of a four-month layoff and he has been running against tougher competition.  Shordawatyadrink won this race in 2011 and if there is a fast pace early on, look for this 10-year-old veteran to be making his trademark late run.