Maryland Million Pre-Entry Deadline Wednesday, Oct. 9

LAUREL, MD – No Guts No Glory Farm’s multiple stakes winner Anna’s Bandit, bred and trained by Jerry Robb, and William Bayne Jr. and Super C Racing’s impressive debut winner D C Fireman continue to train forwardly toward possible starts in the Maryland Million.

The 34th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, featuring 11 stakes worth $1.02 million in purses highlighted by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up, will be held Saturday, Oct. 19 at Laurel Park.

Anna’s Bandit, 5-year-old West Virginia-bred daughter of Great Notion, owns 13 career wins from 29 starts with $521,815 in purse earnings. Three times she has won three or more consecutive races including her current stretch, the last two coming in the Timonium Distaff and Sadie Hawkins Stakes, the latter Sept. 21 at Charles Town.

“She’s doing real good, knock on wood,” Robb said. “She’s coming off three wins in a row now, so we’re trying to find another easy spot for her.”

Anna’s Bandit worked five-furlongs in a bullet 59.20 seconds Oct. 6, the fastest of 15 horses at the distance. She made her Maryland Million debut last fall, running third in the seven-furlong Distaff just one week after a similar finish in the West Virginia Cavada Breeders’ Classic.

Once again, the Cavada will be run seven days before the $100,000 Distaff, leaving Robb – who ranks among the leading trainers with seven career Maryland Million wins – to mull over his decision.

“She wants to win every time, just as much as we want her to win. She always tries hard,” he said. “She just keeps getting better. She’s still on the improve.”

Maryland’s leading trainer the past two years, Claudio Gonzalez is pointing both D C Fireman and Imagine Winning to the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery for 2-year-olds going six furlongs.

A bay son of Friesan Fire, who also sired 2018 Maryland Million Classic winner Saratoga Bob, D C Fireman was determined half-length winner of his unveiling Sept. 2 at Timonium in front-running fashion, holding off the Robb-trained favorite Dreaming of Love.

“It was an impressive race because he had to go fast from the gate. He beat the John Robb horse that was pretty fast, too,” Gonzalez said. “He’s doing good. He came back good after the breeze. We’ll see how he’s doing in a couple of days, but we’re going to point for the [Nursery] if everything is OK.”

Robert D. Bone’s Imagine Winning, by Imagining, was a 3 ¼-length winner of his debut in a Sept. 7 maiden claimer at Laurel. In his most recent work, Imagine Winning went five furlongs over Laurel’s main track in 1:02.80 Oct. 5.

“We’re going to try it,” Gonzalez said. “I believe he wants to go longer, but we’re going to try to make it.”

Maryland Million Pre-Entry Deadline Wednesday, Oct. 9

Wednesday, Oct. 9 is the deadline for pre-entries to the 34th renewal of the Jim McKay Maryland Million scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 at Laurel Park.

All Maryland-breds that are not Maryland-sired, along with Maryland Million-sired horses, must be pre-entered to be eligible for when entries are taken Wednesday, Oct. 16 for a program of 12 races worth $1.02 million in purses led by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles.

Horses may be placed on an also-eligible list. A race with less than eight Maryland Million-eligible entries will open up to registered Maryland-breds. Registered Maryland-breds will draw in based on total earnings over dirt or turf since Oct. 21, 2018 and/or total earnings since Oct. 21, 2018.

Maryland-breds not by certified Maryland Million stallions also need to be pre-entered to be eligible for Maryland Million entry. There are no supplemental nominations to Maryland Million races.

Horsemen are asked to contact the Laurel Park racing office at 800-638-1859 or Maryland Million Ltd. at 410-252-2100 for more information.