The weather didn’t bother the show’s champion, who captured the first class of the day, for colts and geldings by Maryland stallions foaled in Maryland. The gray or roan colt is the third foal out of the Scrimshaw mare Dearie Be Good to win a class at the show – the colt’s full sister was reserve champion in 2018 and his half-sister (by Great Notion) was reserve champion in 2021. All are homebreds for Hillwood Stable LLC, the nom de course of Ellen Charles, who also campaigned Bandbox. A winner of four stakes, including the 2014 General George Handicap-G3, Bandbox stood his entire career at Northview Stallion Station before his death last year.

Bandbox also took home the Northview Stallion Station Challenge Trophy as the show’s leading sire for the third time, thus retiring the trophy.

“It’s special for Mrs. Charles to have a son of Bandbox win,” said JoAnn Hayden of Dark Hollow Farm, where the colt was born and raised. “We’ve loved this colt since birth. This one is big, robust, and looks very mature.”

Jonathan Thomas, who judged 59 yearlings at this year’s show, concurred with Hayden’s assessment.

“He was the best of a very good group. When you have to pick five finalists per class, you end up leaving out a bunch of good ones every time,” said Thomas. “Everyone looked very well-raised and prepared, but he had the best balance and substance.”

The reserve champion is a bay Force the Pass filly owned and bred by Katharine M. Voss, who has bred or co-bred the champion or reserve champion five times in the last eight shows. The winner of Class III, for fillies by Maryland stallions foaled in Maryland, she is out of the Dance With Ravens mare Corbeau, herself a class winner in 2008. The filly’s sire Force the Pass stood his first season in 2020 at Anchor and Hope Farm in Port Deposit before being sold.

“She looks like she’ll be very fast,” said Thomas. “She just had the best muscle structure, and looked like a made horse already.”

All yearlings who were judged are now eligible for the $40,000 premium award which is split annually, with $20,000 going to the exhibitors of the four show contestants who earn the most money as 2-year-olds during 2023, and another $20,000 divided among the exhibitors of the four highest-earning 3-year-old runners the next year.

Complete results follow:

Class I: For colts and geldings foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in Maryland (19 exhibited):

1. gr./ro.c., 3/24/21, Bandbox—Dearie Be Good, by Scrimshaw. Owned and bred by Hillwood Stable LLC, Washington, D.C.
2. b.c., 4/19/21, Golden Lad—Renaissance Rosie, by Jump Start. Owned and bred by Ann B. Jackson, White Hall, Md.
3. JASIEL, b.c., 4/4/21, Golden Lad—Congaree Princess, by Congaree. Owned and bred by Daniel Marconi, Mount Airy, Md.
4. gr./ro.c., 2/10/21, Long River—Bedtime for Jr., by Buddha. Owned and bred by Lady Olivia at North Cliff LLC, Rixeyville, Va.
5. LADDIE DANCE, ch.g., 3/23/21, Golden Lad—Enterprise Value, by Bellamy Road. Owned and bred by Leaf Stable, Upperco, Md.

Class II: For colts and geldings foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in states other than Maryland (10 exhibited):

1. b.c., 4/26/21, City of Light—Joy, by Pure Prize. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.
2. MISSION NORTH, b.c., 2/26/21, Noble Mission (GB)—Dream Exchange, by Exchange Rate. Owned and bred by Northwoods Stable, Butler, Md.
3. b.c., 4/19/21, Air Force Blue—Saltworks, by Bullsbay. Owned and bred by Katharine M. Voss, West Friendship, Md.
4. dk.b./br.c., 3/25/21, Speightster—Cap’s Vow, by Broken Vow. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm and John Foster, Upperco, Md.
5. dk.b./br.c., 3/28/21, Malibu Moon—Mystic Love, by Not For Love. Owned and bred by GreenMount Farm and Spendthrift, Upperco, Md.

Class III: For fillies foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in Maryland (20 exhibited):

1. b.f., 4/11/21, Force the Pass—Corbeau, by Dance With Ravens. Owned and bred by Katharine M. Voss, West Friendship, Md.
2. dk.b./br.f., 3/11/21, Mosler—Fifteen Moons, by Malibu Moon. Owned and bred by Country Life Farm and Fifteen Moons LLC, Bel Air, Md.
3. dk.b./br.f., 2/28/21, Great Notion—Misty in Malibu, by Malibu Moon. Owned and bred by Hillwood Stable LLC, Washington, D.C.
4. b.f., 3/22/21, Divining Rod—Basedonatruestory, by Broken Vow. Owned and bred by Country Life Farm and Basedonatruestory LLC, Bel Air, Md.
5. PEACH BLOSSOM, ch.f., 5/13/21, Golden Lad—Southern Peach, by East of Easy. Owned and bred by Leaf Stable, Upperco, Md.

Class IV: For fillies foaled in Maryland, the produce of mares covered in states other than Maryland (10 exhibited):

1. dk.b./br.f., 3/12/21, Liam’s Map—Caught Dream’n, by Blame. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Dorsey Brown, Mr. and Mrs. A. Davidov and Mr. and Mrs. D. Schwaber, Upperco, Md.
2. SUGAR DROP, ch.f., 1/29/21, Free Drop Billy—Sugar Shack, by Shackleford. Owned and bred by James Stevenson, Cincinnati, Ohio.
3. b.f., 2/24/21, Hard Spun—Clever Girl, by Biondetti. Owned and bred by Walter N. Vieser II, Crownsville, Md.
4. dk.b./br.f., 5/4/21, Unified—Plum, by Pure Prize. Owned and bred by Dark Hollow Farm, Upperco, Md.
5. ch.f., 1/25/21, Catholic Boy—Miss Mystique, by Teuflesberg. Owned and bred by Country Life Farm and Miss Mystique LLC, Bel Air, Md.

Champion: gr./ro.c., 3/24/21, Bandbox—Dearie Be Good, by Scrimshaw. Owned and bred by Hillwood Stable LLC, Washington, D.C.

Reserve Champion: b.f., 4/11/21, Force the Pass—Corbeau, by Dance With Ravens. Owned and bred by Katharine M. Voss, West Friendship, Md.