Regal Solo reigns in Maryland Million Classic

Trainer Damon Dilodovico waited until Saturday morning to declare

REGAL SOLO (Louis Quatorze) from the Maryland Million Turf, which

allowed him to go in the $147,000

Maryland Million Classic instead. His decision was fortuitous as

Regal Solo, third in last year's Classic, came barreling down the

stretch to win the marquee event on Maryland's Day at the Races at

Laurel Park.

The Maryland Million is the second-most important racing day in the

state after the Preakness S. (G1) with 11 races for runners sired by

Maryland-based stallions for combined purses totaling $1.05 million. The

25th annual event drew a crowd of 23,367, ninth best in the history of

the event, on a picture perfect fall afternoon. Attendance figures have

exceeded 20,000 on 21 occasions.

Sheldon Russell, who won two other Maryland Million races earlier on

the day, was in the irons on the Alvin M. Lapidus colorbearer. Claimed

for $40,000 last year, Regal Solo has now won three times for his

present connections, including the Jennings H. last year, and as a

two-year old in 2007, while in the Linda Albert stable, he captured the

Maryland Million Nursery.

The companion $100,000

Maryland Million Distaff saw William Backer's BLIND DATE (Not for Love)

rally four wide down the stretch to catch 1-5 favorite Love That Dance (Not for

Love) just before the finish line to score a half-length victory. Sent to post as the 5-1 second choice under Russell, Blind

Date was turning the tables on Love That Dance, who beat her by a head in last

year's Maryland Million Oaks. The Hamilton Smith trainee finished seven furlongs

in 1:28 4/5 to pay $13 at 5-1.

"Our concern going into the race was the seven furlongs because this is a

really big filly, so her style was going to make this race a little bit too

short," Russell explained. "The pace has been setting up very well today and we

were going into the race sharp. As we went along I thought that we would get up

in time."

"She's not a sprinter by any means," Smith agreed. "She's almost 17 hands and

she comes on and made it very exciting."

It was another three lengths back to third-placer and last year's Distaff

second Saxet Heights (Outflanker). Defending champion All Giving (Allen's

Prospect) wound up sixth.

Charles McGill's POCKET PATCH (Partner's Hero) finished off the board

in last year's

Maryland Million Turf but proved much the best by 3 1/2 lengths

while scoring his first stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 edition

under jockey Jonathan Joyce. The five-year-old gelding tracked the

leader all the way around in the nine-furlong contest, edged by eventual

third Eighttofasttocatch (Not for Love) at the top of the lane and drew

off to stop the clock in 1:52 1/5 on the yielding ground. Ham and Ernie

(Polish Miner) rallied very late to nail Eighttofasttocatch for second

by a nose.

"Jonathan did a great job of getting him relaxed," said Flint Stites, who

conditions Pocket Patch at the Bowie Training Center. "It was a perfect ride,

exactly what I wanted. In the past he's been slow getting off, he gets behind,

he has to check. Today most of the speed was way outside."

While Pocket Patch provided a slight upset in the Turf, Daniel T. O'Ryan's MY

SWEET NENANA (Jazz Club) sprung a shocking 58-1 victory in the $100,000

Maryland Million Ladies, leading from start to finish to pay $119 and begin

the $796.40 exacta and $9,343.20 trifecta (8-7-1). The win payout was the

largest in the 25-year history of the Maryland Million, $30 more than Missy

White Oak in the 1991 Lassie.

Last year, the O'Ryan trainee finished second in the Maryland Million Distaff

Starter H. at odds of 67-1. This was just her second attempt on the grass and

second start under apprentice Christopher Ho, who was winning his first stakes,

as was My Sweet Nenana. The victory doubled her earnings to $113,830 and her

line now reads 13-3-4-2.

"We planned to make the lead and sit there on an easy pace," Ho said. "The

last time on turf, which was her first time, she ran real good for us but we

just didn't get the position we wanted. This time we got to the rail. This filly

likes to lay on other horses when she's outside."

Funky Munky Stable LLC's JACK ON THE ROCKS (Outflanker) led into deep

stretch, lost the lead but then surged back to win the $100,000

Maryland Million Sprint by a half-length under smart handling by Russell. Piloting his second winner of the afternoon,

the rider guided

Jack on the Rocks through six furlongs in 1:09 4/5.

"This horse was very game today," Russell said. "I wasn't concerned today

when the horse (Celtic Innis) came up to me in the stretch because my horse was

still running at full speed and as we continued on the other horse didn't."

Jack on the Rocks, who is trained by Gary Gullo in New York, made his stakes

bow in this event and held a very gusty Celtic Innis (Yarrow Brae) on the wire

to move his career line to 31-8-8-5 and boost his earnings to $284,846.

"The horse that ran second tried his heart out, gave his all, and I almost

had a heart attack," Gullo said. "My horse got beat that way one time at

Saratoga but he kept going today. He's based at Belmont and I brought him down

here before just to give him a race over the track (in his race prior to this

one). I thought we came down to win but it didn't quite happen last time."

The Jim Stable's BEN'S CAT (Parker's Storm Cat) made it six-for-six with a

convincing score in the $100,000

Maryland Million Turf Sprint. A maiden claiming winner in May at Pimlico,

the four-year-old gelding has now reeled off six victories, with his last two

coming in turf stakes. Bred, owned and trained by King Leatherbury, Ben's Cat

had Julian Pimentel aboard for five of his six trips to the winner's circle.

"This is a phenomenal horse who just runs," Pimentel said after completing

the 5 1/2-furlong yielding turf affair in 1:05 2/5. "He broke good and I had a

good hold of him all the way around. At the quarter-pole I just let him go.

Turf, dirt, it doesn't matter, he just runs."

"I hoped we'd break well and told the jock to use his judgment and to do what

was logical," Leatherbury said. "I wasn't very confident until he started to

draw away, then he looked really good when he went by us."

Ben's Cat's debut was delayed by a broken pelvis and the dark bay did not

make his first start until four months ago. He captured the Mister Diz S. at

Laurel prior to this one and now boasts $149,460 in lifetime earnings. He paid

$4.60 as the 6-5 favorite.

With a million dollar ride on Maryland Million day, Vladimir Diaz guided

BALTIMORE BELLE (Bowman's Band) to a three-quarter length victory in the

$100,000

Maryland Million Oaks. Robert Gerczak and Kaygar Stable's three-year-old was

winning for the third time in a row when taking this one-mile test in 1:38 1/5.

The J.B. Secor trainee sat behind a trio of battling leaders through the far

turn, then slipped by on the inside and drove to victory over post time favorite

Lil Kiara (Lion Hearted). Kincoralyn (Two Punch) finished third, five lengths

behind the runner-up.

"My filly put herself in a perfect spot along the rail," Diaz said. "It was

my job to stay clear of trouble and follow the eight horse. My filly has a lot

of confidence to squeeze through that tight hole. A lot of other horses would

have shied away from that."

Baltimore Belle paid $8.60 as the 3-1 second pick. She was making her stakes

bow in this spot and her resume now reads 12-4-4-1, $130,814.

"The two horse was the one to beat," Pimentel said. "We were going pretty

fast that opening quarter and we were tight all the way down to the finish.

Those two were very nice fillies running hard today."

Mike Trombetta trains Doing Great, who had romped in her only start against

maiden claimers at Monmouth Park on September 11. The juvenile lass paid $23.60

and has earned $77,400

from her two wins.

"My instructions to Julian were if nobody entertains the favorite, it's going

to be your job, because if nobody did we had no chance," Trombetta said. "If

somebody else had gone out she'd have sat third and stalked, but I knew if (Twelve Pack Shelly) got a soft first quarter nobody would have pushed her at

all."

Trained by Gary Capuano and ridden by Travis Dunkelberger, Steady Warrior had

the easiest of times, leaving the gate as the 1-5 favorite, then stalking,

circling and disposing with token pace opposition before drawing away to win by

7 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:11 for the six-furlong distance. Skip the

Trial (Domestic Dispute) came home a distant second and Lovetofinishfirst (Fleet

Foot) was another three lengths back third.

"I had to get after him on the far turn a bit because he was looking out at

his barn," Dunkelberger said. "When I straightened out it really was as easy as

I wanted. He tried hard and ran very well today."

Steady Warrior paid $2.20 in winning just his second lifetime start. He broke his maiden

against special weight company at Delaware Park two weeks ago and has now banked

$99,750 lifetime.

Laurel also hosted two starter handicaps as part of its Maryland Million

action. Trainer Dale Capuano scratched NORTHPOINT COSTAS (Bowman's Band) from

the Classic to run in the $50,000

Maryland Million Starter H. His instincts were correct as Rob Ry Farm and

Jayne Marie Slysz' chestnut gelding pulled away to win by three lengths under

Elvis Trujillo. The pair completed the mile test in 1:38 4/5 as the even money

favorite. In a sidenote, the aforementioned Let Me Be Frank, a 10-length winner of the

2008 edition, showed late interest to miss second by just a nose. He skipped

last year's running.