In a pair of races contested roughly two hours apart on Saturday afternoon on the main track at Laurel Park, both the Maryland Million Nursery for two-year-olds and the Maryland Million Lassie for two-year-old fillies offered their connections rewards that could not be measured by money alone.

Heading into the Maryland Million Nursery for juvenile boys, offered as the back half of the early daily double, much of the attention was focused on recent debut winner Say Me True (Jevian Toledo up), who was made the 9-5 favorite, and Do It for Michael (Xavier Perez), who already boasted a pair of wins in his first three outings for trainer John (Jerry) Robb, the 5-2 second choice in the six-furlong affair.

But from the outset and through much of the one-turn sprint, the focus was on Do It for Michael, who overcame a very slight stumble at the break to gain command down the backside, open a clear lead on the far turn then outlast the late bid of Re Markably (Carol Cedeno) for a neck score in 1:10.57. 

In the winners’ circle afterward, owner-breeder Gina Robb admitted that her No Guts No Glory homebred’s victory had emotional heft. 

“We named this colt for my first son, Michael, who passed away when he was born,” Robb recalled. “This horse had some very funny eyelashes and a big head and as soon as I saw him I thought there was our champion.”

A homebred, juvenile son of Uncle Lino out of the Great Notion mare Gracie’s Hero, who was retired from racing after suffering an injury in her career debut, Do It for Michael has now won three of four starts and earned just over $140,000. 

“My husband [trainer Jerry Robb] has done a great job with this colt, but I also wanted to recognize [assistant trainer] Jessica Lindsey and Patricia Garcia for all the work that they’ve done,” Gina Robb said. “Patricia has been with me now for four years and Jessica follows all the horses all the time. We wouldn’t have any success without them.”

His owner-breeder contends that the success of the sire and the broodmare underscore the importance of Maryland Million Day.           

“When we got this mare, I told my husband that we needed to keep her for breeding,” Robb said. “She was bred by the Bowmans and they have done such great work breeding horses in Maryland for so many years. I mean, there wasn’t much else we could do with her. She could not race and she was not sound enough to be a show horse, so we really had no other choice. But she’s been a great producer for us and Uncle Lino really is an underrated sire. We need this day to keep highlighting the stallions that we have in Maryland.”

Trainer Jerry Robb said that he was not surprised that Do It for Michael made the lead down the backside despite the modest stumble at the break.

“I wasn’t surprised that he made the lead,” Robb said. “There were only two speed horses in the race and I trained both of them and I knew this one was faster. He’s done everything right since we started with him. This is the first one that she named for Michael. We were waiting for a good one. But I let her name them – she’s in charge of that.”

Then just past the midway point of the card, the latest renewal of the Maryland Million Lassie for freshmen fillies appeared to be wide open on paper and lived up to that billing. Shkhara Fire (Angel Cruz) validated the competitive nature of the event when she rallied from well off the pace and widest of all to forge an upset by overhauling Malibu Hooch in the final strides for a neck tally.

Shkhara Fire paid $19.80 to win.

A juvenile daughter of Friesan Fire trained by Jose Corrales for co-owners and co-breeders Barak Farm & Dinos Thoroughbreds, Shkhara Fire recorded the second victory of her six-race career and doubled her earnings past the $100,000 mark while getting the six furlongs on the main track in 1:11.24. Her connections admitted some concerns about her reluctance to break sharply but have little doubt about her willingness to rally willingly.

“Jose has been doing a lot of work with her at the gate and she broke better today than she has been,” jockey Angel Cruz said. “She settled down the backside and I was able to angle her out on the far turn. When she fanned wide, I knew I still had a lot of horse under me. She’s definitely going to be better going long.”

“Her first start she didn’t break real sharp, but then in her second start she made the lead easily and went wire-to-wire, so I know she has more speed,” Corrales said. “I knew once Angel got her going on the far turn she would be okay. She’s going to be good going a mile, even further. But until then we have to race in spots that we can get.”

CHECK OUT THE LATEST OFF TO THE RACES RADIO!