Eighttofasttocatch takes Maryland Million Classic for third time

Eighttofasttocatch takes Maryland Million Classic for third

time

Eighttofasttocatch will attempt to become a millionaire in his final career start in the Jennings Handicap (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Eighttofasttocatch was the popular winner of Saturday's feature on Jim McKay Maryland Million Day, defending his title in the $150,000 Classic in wire to wire fashion at Laurel. The 29th annual event, for runners sired by Maryland-based stallions for combined purses totaling $1 million, drew a crowd of 18,870 on a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon in central Maryland. Sent to post as the 3-5 favorite, Eighttofasttocatch carried Forest Boyce to a driving, 4 1/2 length victory in 1:50 2/5 for the 1 1/8-mile distance. Concealed Identity beat the rest to finish second, while Turbin was third.

"I let him out a notch earlier this year," Boyce said. "There were more

horses in here I thought could go with me this year. I wanted to make sure I had

a nice big lead on them. They had every opportunity to catch us but I also

didn't want them breathing down our necks all the way around."

This was only the second start of the year for the son of Not for Love.

Trainer Tim Keefe gave Eighttofasttocatch a prep in the Japan Racing Association

over turf on Laurel's opening weekend, where he led early but tired to finish

last.

Saturday was different as he dictated the pace throughout and was only under

mild pressure to win off as his rider pleased. It was the third Classic score in

the last four years for Eighttofasttocatch, owned by Sylvia Heft.

"Everything looks well planned after the fact but he came in well to this

race," Keefe said. "That 24 and change in the first quarter, that was sweet.

Forest was just sitting, relaxed over the first half. They couldn't get close to

him today."

The eight-year-old has now won 10 stakes races at Laurel and improved his

career earnings to $997,970. He can become the 24th Maryland-bred to reach

millionaire status in his final career start here in the Jennings Handicap on

December 6.

"He's won that three times, too," Keefe added. "We'd like to win a fourth and

wind up his career. He's going to my farm where my wife and daughter are

planning to give him a second career as an event horse. You know how thrilled I

am when my horses get second careers. My daughter, Ryan, is 14 and will be

stepping up to eventing and she thinks he could be a good horse for her. Any

time you can dictate a horse's career from start to finish and end like this is

very fulfilling."

Eighttofasttocatch paid $3.20. He was the fourth son or daughter of Not foror

Love to win on the card.

Eighttofasttocatch joins Hall of Famer Safely Kept (Distaff, 1989-91),

Countus In (Ladies, 1989-91), Mz. Zill Bear (Ladies, 1993-95), Docent

(Sweepstakes, 2001 & Classic, 2002-03) and Ben's Cat (Turf Sprint, 2010-12) as

the only runners to win three times on Maryland Million day.

Talk Show Man scored his first stakes win in the Maryland Million Turf (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Talk Show Man caught the ever gallant Ben's Cat as the duo closed in on the finish line and won the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf. For the second year in a row Ben's Cat placed in the Turf. Last year he fell victim to Roadhog, who loomed large but finished third in this edition of the one mile test over the good turf. Saturday all the shouting belonged to Talk Show Man, jockey Xavier Perez and trainer Hamilton Smith. The son of Great Notion, who finished second in this summer's Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park to subsequent Arlington Million winner Hardest Core, was winning his first stakes. He took the long way home, circling the field on the turn and surging in late stretch to get up and win by a half-length. Roadhog was another 1 1/2 lengths back.

"Hammy told me to break over and stalk the pace from the outside because the

rail is deep on the inside turf," Perez said. "I got bumped a little bit by

Roadhog at the beginning of the backstretch. At the three-eighths pole we

started chasing the horses in front. At the quarter pole I started working him

with the left hand. Ben's Cat pinned his ears back and I could see he was all

out but the turf is deep on the rail and I knew it would be tough. So with the

left hand down the stretch he responded and got up to win."

Talk Show Man covered the mile distance in 1:39 1/5 and paid $11.

"At the three-eighths pole, when he made his move, it looked like it would

three horses to the wire," Smith said. "I was a little concerned when he lost as

much ground as he did. He recovered and wore them down the last part. He ran a

tremendous race and I'm really proud of him. I worked him a mile on the grass

last week and he worked huge. We didn't overdue it and he looked faster the last

part than the first. It set him up real good and I was real happy with the way

he came in."

Ben's Cat, the King Leatherbury homebred, won three straight Maryland Million

Turf Sprints before that race was eliminated before the 2013 Maryland Million.

One of the top turf sprinters in the country, the eight-year-old is 27-of-44

lifetime, with 17 stakes victories on the turf.

"He ran a dynamite race," Leatherbury said. "I've got no complaints on that.

This makes me feel better. He didn't want to go a mile, but he dug in the best

he could. The eleven (Talk Show Man) I liked the best from the beginning. That

horse was bred to run long. I was worried that Ben would throw in a bad race

today but he didn't. He gets older every year but keeps his form and he

acquitted himself today."

Bear Access blew the tote board to Baltimore with her upset victory (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Bear Access rushed to the front at the start and led the rest of the way to post an upset victory at odds of 66-1 in the $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies. Horacio Karamanos put the daughter of Gators N Bears on the engine from go, crossing ahead of the field from her outside post to reach the front passing the finish line the first time around and then moderated the tempo until they reached the finish line again in 1:54 4/5 for nine furlongs over the good turf, winning by three-quarters of a length over 4-5 favorite Devilish Love. The four-year-old paid $134.20. "It impressed me how much she paid to win but I knew I had a chance," Karamanos said. "She responded and did what she needed to do today."

Larry Murray trains the Howard Bender-owned Bear Access, who had never won on

the turf nor raced in a stakes. She came into the race off an eighth place

finish at Laurel on September 10 in allowance company.

"This filly always tries," Murray said. "She wasn't very impressive in her

last race but she trained very well coming in here. When I looked at the program

I didn't see much speed. At 50-60 to 1, I told Horacio you might be on the front

end and they might forget about you. I thought if she does 50 (half-mile in 50

seconds) she has a chance and that's exactly what she did and then she spurted

away at the thre-eighths pole and I said, 'my gosh they won't catch her.'"

Pagan Priestess, the 2012 winner, was third. Defending champion Monster

Sleeping finished fifth.

D C Dancer was one of many who made it a big day for his sire Not for Love (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) D C Dancer emerged from the pack to capture the $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint. Mike Trombetta saddled the four-year-old son of Not for Love, who completed the six-furlong distance in 1:09 4/5, winning for the second time during the fall meeting. He beat Always Smiling by 1 1/4 lengths, with Avarice finishing another 2 1/2 lengths back in third. "My horse showed me a lot of class last time out at five-eighths and won easily," jockey Angel Serpa said. "I knew we had a good shot today going six. I just wanted to sit behind the speed and make a move at the top of the stretch. When I asked him for run I had plenty of horse and he gave me everything he had." This was the first stakes win for D C Dancer, who paid $15.

"This was kind of our target," said Trombetta, who trains the horse for

TomRus LLC. "We gave him a little time over the summer. It's so cool because

it's home. He's getting better and better. The 2013 General George winner (fifth

place finisher Javerre) was in this field and several other good horses and he

had his way with them. He's four years old. There's no reason he can't be an

open stakes horse. Why not? It's a big day for us and our owners."

Classy Coco reached the Maryland Million winner's circle for a second time on Saturday (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Classy Coco swept by her filly and mare rivals as she romped to victory in the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff. Trevor McCarthy was at the controls as the four-year-old won off by six lengths in 1:23 4/5 for the seven-furlong distance. Steady N Love came along late to take second over Jonesin for Jerry, who loomed a threat but gave way and finished third. "I broke her sharp today. I knew there was going to be a lot of pace in there and made sure we were not too far out of it," McCarthy said. "She said to me 'come on, let's sit back and settle a little bit.' She got herself together and around the turn she started inching up on her own. At the top of the lane she was home free. They were really moving early. I knew they were going to come back to me and we were going to catch up. I had no worries."

The daughter of Not for Love becomes the 30th horse to win multiple Maryland

Million races, winning the Lassie two years ago.

Bernie Houghton trains the Michael Cox-owned Classy Coco, who finished fourth

in this race in 2013. She paid $5 as the betting favorite.

"She is a little finicky sometimes but we always thought she was a nice

horse," said Houghton, a former Maryland Jockey Club racing official. "I thought

Trevor gave her an excellent ride. I told him to keep her out of the dirt and

when she's ready to go, let her go. I was happy with the fast fractions up

front. It set up perfect for her. As she gets older, she likes to come off the

pace."

Golden Years kicked off Maryland Million Day with a popular victory (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Golden Years took the lead down the backstretch, then fended off his nearest rival to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery for two-year-olds. Sent to post as the heavy favorite under Victor Carrasco for trainer Rodney Jenkins, Golden Years covered the six-furlong distance in 1:10 2/5.. The son of Not for Love won by 1 1/2 lengths, with Legal Punch taking second. Stonebriar finished third. "A win like this lifts the heads in the barn," Jenkins said. "We've run second here in four stakes in this meet. We knew this was a good horse. He knew a little more about racing this time. He's never worked too much by himself, so when he's working in company he's very aggressive. When he gets in front he kind of waits but then when they get close he runs hard."

The winner, who races for Hillwood Stable, remains unbeaten after two starts

having left the maiden ranks at Laurel on September 10. He paid $2.60.

"Last time he got squished a little bit at the start and got behind horses,"

Carrasco said. "Today he broke really, really, really well, even closer than I

was expecting. I went to the left hand at the top of the stretch and he

responded well."

My Magician found a lucrative event in which to break her maiden (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) My Magician is a maiden no more after graduating in the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie. Mike Trombetta trains the Street Magician filly owned by R. Larry Johnson and R. D. M. Racing Stable. Julian Pimentel was aboard her for the first time as she held off the late surge of Rocky Policy to win by a neck, with Rockin Jojo finishing another neck back in third. "I had a good trip," Pimentel said. "There was a lot of speed in the race but the main thing was to get her to relax. She did that pretty good and when I asked her to run she did. I hadn't been on her other than in the morning. I knew if she relaxed we could go from there."

My Magician finished third in her two previous starts, once at Timonium and

once at Laurel. The filly covered the six furlongs in 1:12 and paid $59.40.

"We liked her when we bought her and took her to Saratoga but she got really

ill," Trombetta said. "She was on antibiotics most of the summer with a nasty

cold, a lot of down time. We took a shot here and this exceeds our wildest

expectations. She is still just a baby. The owner bought her at the Timonium

sale. I'm looking for a first or second level allowance race. Winning a stakes

complicates things."

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