MARYLAND MILLION 2020 PICKS AND STORYLINES
The Biz- October 24, 2020
Saturday’s 35th annual Maryland Million at Laurel Park will be short on fans – Covid-19 gets the blame for that – but as usual, the day should be long on story lines.
Here are five major stories to keep an eye on:
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Rich get richer?
The Maryland Million’s all-time leading trainer and leading active sire both look loaded for bear.
Sire Great Notion is tied for third among sires by Maryland Million wins and will have plenty of opportunities Saturday to move ahead of Two Punch into sole possession of the show spot. Great Notion is the sire of no fewer than 14 horses in the day’s eight major stakes; that’s six more than any other stallion.
For all that, only one of his offspring is favored. That’s Onemoregreattime, who’s 3-1 on the morning line in the $100,000 Sprint.
On the human side, Dale Capuano, the all-time leader in Maryland Million wins with 11, has nine runners entered, three more than any other trainer. None of his runners is favored, though a couple are second choice.
An upset in the Ladies?
The Maryland Million Ladies – a $100,000, nine-furlong turf test for older fillies and mares – has produced the juiciest payoffs.
In fact, only once in the last 15 years has the favorite won the Ladies, that coming in 2018 when My Sistersledge got the money at odds of 3-5.
In all, the last 15 Ladies winners have gone off at average odds of more than 12-1. The average exacta in the race has returned more than $174 on a two-dollar wager.
By contrast, the Sprint has been the most formful of races, with the average winner going off at just over 3-1 and an average exacta payout of $32.63.
- HISA seeks to limit provisional suspensionsThe Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is seeking to limit the use of provisional suspensions in its medication control program.
Classic Classic
Saturday’s featured $150,000 Classic, at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, might be the best edition of that race in quite a while.
Last year’s second- and fifth-place finishers – Prendimi and Tattooed, respectively – are both back. But both are longshots, Prendimi lined at 15-1 and Tattooed at 20-1.
That’s because, with just four Maryland-sired horses entered, Maryland-breds Harpers First Ride (8-5), Top Line Growth (2-1), and Cordmaker (4-1) drew in. Harpers First Ride won the Grade 3 Pimlico Special last time out in a race in which Cordmaker finished third, and Top Line Growth most recently was second in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth, a race won by Pirate’s Punch, who’s likely headed to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile next out.
Not so sure about those? Take a look at Monday Morning Qb, who’s 5-1 on the morning line. The son of Imagining was up the track last out on the turf but prior to that was a dead-game second in the Federico Tesio behind next-out Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver.
Street Magician on the grass
While stallion Great Notion has the most runners entered in the eight major stakes, it’s Street Magician with the most turf horses.
The veteran sire has eight total runners in the eight stakes, and seven of those are in the Turf, Turf Sprint, or Ladies. He has three offspring in the Turf Sprint and two in each of the other two races. That group includes Something Magical, the 7-2 morning line favorite in the Ladies (unless there’s a scratch and No Mo Lady draws in; she’s 1-2), as well as other logical contenders.
- The story of Post Boy, the great Maryland horseIn the nation’s early days, horse racing was its only organized sport, and one of its biggest stars was Post Boy, called “the great Maryland horse.”
Short prices
Of the horses that are In the main bodies of the major stakes, the two shortest-priced are Hello Beautiful, by Golden Lad, and Fiya (Friesan Fire).
Hello Beautiful, last year’s winner of the Lassie, is the even-money choice in the seven-furlong Distaff. She’s had a somewhat uneven 2020 campaign but has been keeping much better company than these. Golden Lad is the leading second-crop sire in the Mid-Atlantic.
Fiya, 6-5 on the morning line in the Turf Sprint, has impressed since put on the turf earlier this year, winning three straight with ease, most recently in an allowance at Belmont Park. Freisan Fire is Maryland’s third-leading sire so far this year.
EXPERTS’ SELECTIONS
Maryland Million Turf Sprint
| Derby Bill Watson | Nick Hahn | John Piassek | Gary Quill | |
| First | 1 – A Great Time | 9 – Fiya | 9 – Fiya | 9 – Fiya |
| Second | 9 – Fiya | 4 – So Street | 8 – Love You Much | 1 – A Great Time |
| Third | 4 – So Street | 7 – Grateful Bred | 1 – A Great Time | 8 – Love You Much |
| Fourth | 8 – Love You Much | 8 – Love You Much | 6 – Joseph | 4 – So Street |
Maryland Million Nursery
| Derby Bill Watson | Nick Hahn | John Piassek | Gary Quill | |
| First | 7 – Sky’s Not Falling | 12 – Depository | 6 – Moochie | 6 – Moochie |
| Second | 13 – San Antone | 7 – Sky’s Not Falling | 4 – Alwaysinahurry | 3 – Reassured |
| Third | 4 – Alwaysinahurry | 10 – Kenny Had a Notion | 7 – Sky’s Not Falling | 7 – Sky’s Not Falling |
| Fourth | 10 – Kenny Had a Notion | 4 – Alwaysinahurry | 2 – Ain’t Da Beer Cold | 1 – Tiz Golden |
Maryland Million Distaff
| Derby Bill Watson | Nick Hahn | John Piassek | Gary Quill | |
| First | 6 – Hello Beautiful | 3 – Limited View | 7 – Le Weekend | 6 – Hello Beautiful |
| Second | 10 – Coconut Cake | 6 – Hello Beautiful | 8 – Quiet Imagination | 3 – Limited View |
| Third | 4 – Las Setas | 10 – Coconut Cake | 6 – Hello Beautiful | 5 – Artful Splatter |
| Fourth | 3 – Limited View | 8 – Quiet Imagination | 10 – Coconut Cake | 2 – Gifted Heart |
Maryland Million Turf
| Derby Bill Watson | Nick Hahn | John Piassek | Gary Quill | |
| First | 4 – Mr. d’Angelo | 12 – Cannon’s Roar | 9 – Nick Papagiorgio | 10 – Pretty Good Year |
| Second | 9 – Nick Papagiorgio | 9 – Nick Papagiorgio | 12 – Cannon’s Roar | 4 – Mr. d’Angelo |
| Third | 12 – Cannon’s Roar | 4 – Mr. d’Angelo | 6 – Somekindofmagician | 9 – Nick Papagiorgio |
| Fourth | 10 – Pretty Good Year | 10 – Pretty Good Year | 7 – Benny Havens | 12 – Cannon’s Roar |
Maryland Million Sprint
| Derby Bill Watson | Nick Hahn | John Piassek | Gary Quill | |
| First | 11 – Eastern Bay (AE) | 10 – Let’s Play Nine | 3 – Onemoregreattime | 3 – Onemoregreattime |
| Second | 4 – Brilliant Chase | 3 – Onemoregreattime | 8 – Karan’s Notion | 4 – Brilliant Chase |
| Third | 7 – Lewisfield | 6 – Hall Pass | 10 – Let’s Play Nine | 6 – Hall Pass |
| Fourth | 2 – Baptize the Boy | 4 – Brilliant Chase | 4 – Brilliant Chase | 7 – Lewisfield |
Maryland Million Classic
| Derby Bill Watson | Nick Hahn | John Piassek | Gary Quill | |
| First | 5 – Harpers First Ride | 5 – Harpers First Ride | 5 – Harpers First Ride | 4 – Cordmaker |
| Second | 7 – Top Line Growth | 4 – Cordmaker | 7 – Top Line Growth | 7 – Top Line Growth |
| Third | 4 – Cordmaker | 7 – Top Line Growth | 3 – Monday Morning Qb | 5 – Harpers First Ride |
| Fourth | 3 – Monday Morning Qb | 3 – Monday Morning Qb | 4 – Cordmaker | 1 – Prendimi |
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