Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: BRILLIANT ICE. The feature on the 39th Jim McKay Maryland Million day card at Laurel Park on Saturday was the Maryland Million Classic, going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Brilliant Ice, sent off as the 5-1 third choice in the contentious 11-horse field, came from midpack and made a bold move up the inside on the final turn. He drew off in the stretch and won by 5 1/4 impressive lengths, covering the distance on a fast track in 1:50.19. The Crystal Park Stables Inc. homebred gelding improved his career record to 5-5-4 in 26 starts, with earnings of $314,990. A son of Northview’s Great Notion, he’s trained by Annette Eubanks and ridden by Jeiron Barbosa.

SECOND STAR: RUNALDO. A few hours later, and 73 miles to the west, some of the best West Virginia-breds in the land did battle in the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic. Huntertown Farm LLC homebred Runaldo, making his stakes debut, pulled off the upset over 1-10 favorite Jubawithatwist. He made his way towards the inside in the early stages, then made a three-wide rally on the third and final turn and chased after Jubawithatwist, who had a slight jump on him in the lane. Runaldo dug in and fought hard, and wore down his rival to win by three-quarters of a length. The gray 4-year-old gelding ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.23 to improve his career record to 5-3-1 in 12 starts, with earnings of $228,326. He’s trained by Jeff Runco and ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica.

THIRD STAR: STARSTRUCK NOTION. Earlier on the Maryland Million card, Jersey-bred Starstruck Notion, also by Great Notion, wore down clear stretch leader Sky’s Not Falling and won by a nose in an exciting finish. Second in last year’s Turf, Starstruck Notion sat on the rail most of the way, moved into the two-path in the stretch, and kicked on late to secure the win. He’s now a six-time winner in his 15-race career, with earnings of $331,557. The Kenneth Garcia homehred is trained by Pat McBurney and ridden by Forest Boyce.

Laurel Park

FIRST STAR: BRILLIANT ICE. Answered all distance questions with an impressive Classic victory.

SECOND STAR: STARSTRUCK NOTION. Ran a big race in the Turf for the second year in a row; this time, it was a winning effort.

THIRD STAR: CELTIC CONTENDER. Struck the front in the stretch and held off Band Camp’s late surge to win the Maryland Million Sprint.

Delaware Park

FIRST STAR: IT’S HAMMERTIME. Maryland-bred 2-year-old colt earned his second career stakes win in Wednesday’s Rocky Run Stakes.

SECOND STAR: BEAUTIFUL BLOME. Maryland-sired runners didn’t just do well on Maryland Million day; this daughter of Blofeld thrived around two turns in the White Clay Creek Stakes earlier on the Wednesday card.

THIRD STAR: PAPER MANSION. Earned her seventh win in nine starts on the year in a starter optional claiming contest on Wednesday.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: RENALDO. Earned his first stakes win in dramatic style on Saturday.

SECOND STAR: OVERNIGHT POW WOW. Led every step in the Cavada Breeders’ Classic on Saturday, for her third stakes victory and seventh overall win of the season; her brother, Duncan Idaho, won earlier on the card.

THIRD STAR: DIRECT THE CAT. After suffering her first career defeat last out, this promising filly, and stablemate of Overnight Pow Wow, won the West Virginia Lottery Breeders’ Classic as the 1-10 favorite.

Meadowlands

FIRST STAR: SUMMER’S COMIN. Sat just off the pace and converted to beat Jersey-bred allowance rivals on Saturday.

SECOND STAR: FRANCISCO MARTINEZ. Rode four winners on the weekend: a pair on Friday, a pair on Saturday.

THIRD STAR: MICHAEL DINI. Trained three winners on the weekend, all of them ridden by Martinez.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: CONFIRMED STAR. Third in the Plum Pretty Stakes in her prior start, she found her way to the winner’s circle for the fourth time this year with an impressive Pennsylvania-bred second-level win on Tuesday.

SECOND STAR: JEANNE MARIE. Stakes-winning filly led every step in a Pennsylvania-bred first-level contest on Wednesday.

THIRD STAR: MYCHEL SANCHEZ. Guided home four winners on the Tuesday program.