Maryland Million draws 114 entries

Saturday's 24th Jim McKay Maryland Million attracted 114 entrants to the 12-race

program at Laurel Park. First post for the

$1.23 million afternoon is 12:15 p.m. (EDT).

Introduced in 1986, Saturday has been officially designated as Jim McKay

Maryland Million after the Maryland General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in

support during the 2009 Legislative Session. The Hall of Fame broadcaster

originally proposed the concept and remained the chairman of the board until his

death on June 7, 2008. There will be a special presentation to the McKay family

prior to the 3RD race.

In the $200,000

Maryland Million Classic, a wide-open field of 10 will go 1 1/8 miles,

including the defending champion and three others who have tasted victory on

Maryland's "Day at the Races."

CUBA (Not for Love) is back to defend his title and has been made the co-fourth choice at

8-1 by Maryland Jockey Club handicapper Frank Carulli. Trained by Bobby Dibona

at Monmouth Park, the bay eight-year-old won the 2008 Classic by four lengths as

the favorite. Since then, he has won only once in eight tries, but Dibona believes

he is peaking at the right time.

"I think we're doing great," Dibona said. "He's looks really, really good. We

pointed to this race. We had a very hard campaign last year. We won one at

Gulfstream in January, and then he got a little cranky so we backed off. We

freshened him and it looks like he's rounding into form at the right time."

BROADWAY PRODUCER (Not for Love), the 9-5 favorite on the morning line, won

the 2008 Turf and is looking to become the second horse in Maryland Million

history to follow up with a win in the Classic the following year, joining

Master Speaker (1988-89). The John Terranova charge has been pointing

toward the Classic all year, and Ramon Dominguez, the nation's leading jockey, will

ride.

"We've had this race in mind since the springtime when we decided to try to

back off and freshen after a winter campaign in which he did very well,"

Terranova said. "We kept him in New York and kind of had him in light training

for a couple of months. We gave him a turf race as a prep and we're going back to

the dirt for the Classic. He's in excellent shape. He's in top shape-real sharp.

He's rarin' to go."

RHYTHMN MASTER (Two Punch) was claimed by trainer Paul McClelland in August

and ran second in the Governor's Day S. at Delaware Park two weeks ago. Jeremy

Rose, rider of previous Classic winners Sumerset (2001),

Docent (2002) and Evil Storm (2007), has the mount aboard the 3-1 second choice.

"I think you just have to respect Damon Dilodovico's horse (REGAL SOLO [Louis

Quatorze]) a lot and Broadway Producer, they look like two of the tougher ones,"

McClelland said. "I think some of the other horses, on their best day, could

jump up and run well also. But those two horses seem to show up every time. I

talked to John Morrison who had this horse before Tony Dutrow. He told me he had

foot issues but he looked like a hard-knocking horse. He's certainly not a true,

open stakes horse at all, more like a $40,000 claimer but you got to take your

shot."

Regal Solo was claimed by Dilodovico from Linda Albert during the Laurel Park

mini-meet in August for this spot. The 44-year-old conditioner has four Maryland

Million victories on his resume, all off the claim. Regal Solo won the 2007

Maryland Million Nursery as a two-year-old.

"Everybody we've talked to sounds like we have a legitimate shot," Dilodovico

said. "We claimed him for this race and think he is sitting on a big race."

Four-year-old filly SWEET GOODBYE (Louis Quatorze) is the fourth Maryland

Million Day winner in the race. The only filly in the field, the four-year-old

won the 2008 Oaks in impressive fashion and is facing the boys for the first

time. The Chris Grove trainee has won six-of-eight lifetime with three stakes

victories, including the Pink Ribbon S. at Charles Town in August, her only

start of the year, and is listed at 8-1 on the morning line.

"This is the year of the fillies, so maybe its fate," said Grove. "I felt

good enough to put her in here. The sky is the limit with this filly. It's hard

to fault her."

The sentimental favorite in the Classic is DIAMOND DAVID (Horatius), who has

finished second, third and second in the Classic at big odds the last three

years for breeder/owner/trainer Nancy Alberts.

"He's coming into the race probably better than he's come into any of them,"

Alberts said. "He just seems to know when it's the Maryland Million. He tries

hard every time out and it would be special for him to run big again this year."

Defending champion CELTIC INNIS (Yarrow Brae), Grade 2 winner NOT FOR

SILVER (Not for Love) and New York invader ROARING LION (Lion Hearted) are among

the runners in a contentious field of nine set to go six furlongs in the

$125,000

Maryland Million Sprint.

Celtic Innis hasn't visited the winner's circle since his victory last

October, but he also hasn't run out of the top three, recording seconds in the

Chesapeake S. and Longfellow S. most recently. The seven-year-old gelding was

also third in the Maryland Sprint H. (G3) in May at Pimlico.

Not for Silver went one better than Celtic Innis in winning the Carry Back S.

(G2) at Calder in mid-July, and the three-year-old exits a respectable fifth in the

quality-laden King's

Bishop S. (G1) at Saratoga. Roaring Lion owns just two starts

this campaign, but earned a century-topping 110 BRIS Speed rating when schooling

allowance/optional claiming rivals by four lengths in his most recent try at

Monmouth Park. Neither will make it easy for Celtic Innis in the Sprint.

LOVE FOR NOT (Not for Love) is also no stranger to Maryland Million Day, and

heads a cast of eight entered in the $125,000

Maryland Million Distaff. The Kevin Sleeter runner captured the 2007

Maryland Million Lassie, then was third in last year's Maryland Million Oaks.

She's looking for her first win of the year, but has placed in both the Eleven

North H. and Open Mind H. so far this season.

The top contender in the seven-furlong Distaff is ALL GIVING (Allen's

Prospect), who is looking to pad her resume with a sixth stakes score. Second in

last year's running of the race, the five-year-old mare has run off-the-board

only once this season and has plenty of experience winning over the track.

MISS LOMBARDI (Unbridled Jet) is back to try for a title defense in the

$125,000

Maryland Million Ladies going nine furlongs on the turf. The Graham Motion

trainee rallied from next to last to take the 2008 edition and will likely have

to once again run down pacesetter BEAU'S TRIP (Valley Crossing), who finished

third last year. Beau's Trip owns just two starts since then, most recently

taking an allowance/optional claimer in gate-to-wire fashion at Colonial Downs

on July 20.

Ten evenly-matched grass specialist will line up in the $125,000

Maryland Million Turf going nine furlongs, but only three in the field have

experience on the day. INTO THE WIND (Partner's Hero) was sixth in the Turf last

year, while BELLE'S BROKER (Storm Broker) has run second and third, respectively

in the 2006 and 2008 editions of the Maryland Million Starter H. IZZY SPEAKING

(Partner's Hero), second in the Kitten's Joy S. last out, was third in the 2007

Maryland Million Nursery.

The $100,000

Maryland Million Oaks will kick off the stakes action on Maryland Million

Day, with the $100,000

Maryland Million Nursery, $100,000

Maryland Million Turf Sprint and $100,000

Maryland Million Lassie rounding out the black-type events.

The first 4,000 full-paid admissions and Maryland-licensed owners and

trainers will each receive a free Jim McKay Maryland Million Sport Cap. On track

entertainment will feature retired racehorses showcasing talents in new careers

and county music sensation Chris Young will hold a special concert in-between

the 6TH and 7TH races. The 24-year-old will be performing his top 10 hit

"Getting' You Home" (The Black Dress Song).