Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a horse name is just a name. But sometimes a name carries extra meaning.

The latter is the case for Sheilahs Warcloud, a horse owned, trained, and co-bred, with spouse Megan Kerford, by Justin Nixon. Sheilahs Warcloud, runner-up in last year’s Maryland Million Lassie, is 10-1 on the morning line in Saturday’s Maryland Million Distaff.

And the eponymous Sheilah? That’s Nixon’s mother.

“She’s 83, and she doesn’t take any guff from anybody,” Nixon said of mom.

But in last year’s Lassie, sitting on the apparent hunch play of the century, Nixon blinked. There was Sheilahs Warcloud, the 5-2 favorite, and there was Miss Harriett, a first-time starter who went off at 62-1.

“The funny story is that my mother’s middle name is Harriett,” Nixon added. “And like an idiot, I don’t bet a little $5 chilly exacta or hunch exacta. There’s my mother’s name right there, and of course, Harriett ends up beating us.”

Miss Harriett won by a neck in that contest, with Sheilahs Warcloud in second. That unplayed exacta returned $447.80 for a one-dollar wager. Alas.

“Hats off to Miss Harriett. She ran dynamite,” Nixon acknowledged. “She maybe come out on us a little bit. Do you want to say that cost you the race? I don’t know, but it was a good race. It was a good horse race, and we were second to her, and she’s gone on to do good things.”

Sheilahs Warcloud finished her juvenile season by finishing second in the Maryland Juvenile Filly Stakes and then winning a first-level allowance, the latter on January 12 of this year. She missed most of her 2024 campaign but has run a pair of good races since returning, finishing second in a second-level allowance at Colonial Downs and then easily winning a Maryland-restricted allowance at Laurel.

“We thought we’d give her a little time, maybe heat her up for the summer,” Nixon said. “But she had a paddock accident, and she actually broke her cheekbone. Then when we brought her back in, she wasn’t going any good at all.”

Diagnostics didn’t reveal anything “outstanding,” Nixon said. Just a need for more time on the sidelines.

“The extra time worked out perfectly,” he added. “She’s been dynamite since she came back. She’s just a real nice filly to have.”

Sheilahs Warcloud is out of the winless Sky Mesa mare Sky Lani, who proved to a productive broodmare. In addition to Sheilahs Warcloud, she is the dam of the solid turf mare Gastown Babe and the promising juvenile Reggie Runs Rogue.

The Distaff is no easy spot. Miss Harriett is back, for one thing – hey, Justin, don’t forget to bet the exacta! – along with tough customers like the late-running Malibu Moonshine, $700,000 earner Malibu Beauty, five-for-six Bourbon Bon Bay after a year layoff, and promising Binnie, a full-sister to two-time Distaff winner Crabcakes. But Nixon arrives with hopes.

“Megan and I have invested quite a bit of money here with the mares and supporting the program,” Nixon said. “So to get a win for both of us as the breeders – obviously we haven’t done it yet, but it would just be a thrill. So hopefully, we’ll be able to cheer and get something done.”

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