Maryland Million Wrap-Up

-Due carried Rosie Napravnik from last to first and scored an upset victory in the $250,000 Maryland Million Classic. Napravnik, Maryland’s leading rider, won three races on the 12-race card. A crowd of 24,836 attended the running of Maryland’s Day At The Races, second best total in the 21-year history of the event. Handle figures on the live card were $4,897,708, also the second most in the history of the event. Due is trained by Dale Capuano. The 5-year-old gelded son of Rinka Das won the 1-3/16th mile race by 2 ¼ lengths in 1:58.38. Diamond David finished second and Evil Storm was third. Due paid $21.80. Today was the swan song for 3-10 post time favorite Cherokee’s Boy, who is retiring to stud. Cherokee’s Boy, with Travis Dunkelberger, led early, gave up the lead entering the far turn, fought back in the stretch but finally gave way and finished off the board. His off the board finish triggered large payoffs in the show position. Due paid $21.80, $8.80 and $12. Diamond David paid $16.20 and $22.20. Evil Storm paid $18.20. The exacta paid $280.80 and the triple $2,403.60.

-Jeremy Rose made all the difference when he held Smart And Fancy together to win the $150,000 Maryland Million Oaks. He held off a determined assault by For Kisses and (Bug Boys favorite) Rosie Napravnik to win by a half-length. It was the third Maryland Million win on the afternoon for Rose. The 27-year-old rider now has eight Maryland Million wins, tied for fourth overall with Julie Krone and Mark Johnston. Anthony Dutrow trains Smart And Fancy. The daughter of Not For Love won the Maryland Million Lassie in 2005. She went to post as the 6-5 favorite and paid $4.60. Dutrow has now saddled seven winners on “Maryland’s day At The Races”, which places him in a second place tie with King Leatherbury and Dale Capuano, one behind leader Bill Boniface. Her winning time was 1:37.34 for one mile on the main track. Smart And Fancy is now six for nine lifetime. She won the Beautiful Day Stakes at Delaware Park in July and placed in the Twixt Stakes in August.


-Private Scandal became the third Not For Love offspring to win a race on today’s Maryland Million card when he came outside a group of runners at the top of the lane and drew off to win the $150,000 Capital Bank Maryland Million Turf. Jockey Horacio Karamanos moved Private Scandal wide down the backstretch and sent the six-year-old around eight horses at the top of the lane in the 1-1/8 mile race. They completed the distance in 1:47.56 and won by 2-1/4 lengths. D.J.’s Hero Came in second and Quantico Joe finished third. The winner paid $8.60. He is trained by Peter Bazeos.


-Spectacular Malibu, making her second lifetime start, gave strong indication that she’ll be making waves in the future when she raced to a 3-3/4 length victory in the $125,000 Maryland Million Lassie. Spectacular Malibu is a grey-roan daughter of Malibu Moon and grand-daughter of Spectacular Bid. She’s trained by Mike Trombetta at Laurel and was ridden by Julian Pimentel. Spectacular Malibu covered the seven furlong distance in 1:25.3. Expected Pleasures made a late run to take second and Paying Off was third. Co-favorites Akronism and What Time It Is were both off the board.


-Debbie Sue bounced her way through traffic and bounded away under jockey Jeremy Rose to a big win the $150,000 Maryland Million Ladies. Debbie Sue won by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:47.63 for the nine-furlong distance. Sticky got up in the last jump to nip Rowdy for second. She paid $15.Debbie Sue is a 5-year-old Citidancer mare, and is trained by Hamilton Smith.

-Ironton trained by Scott Lake won the $150,000 Maryland Million Sprint. Ironton and jockey Jeremy Rose had to survive a claim of foul before they would be awarded the winner’s trophy, but it was Two Heros, racing close to the winner, who was bothered by Love’s Strong Hart and not Ironton. In the end Ironton was declared first, post time favorite Celtic Innis was second and Love’s Strong Hart third. The winner paid $6.80 and completed the six panel distance in a impressive 1:09.54 winning by 6 ¼ lengths.

--Deliver The Roses, the only female in the field, upset ten horses and geldings to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint. The daughter of Same Day Delivery was part of a scramble for the lead. She raced in second just outside the leader to the turn and wrested control heading into the stretch. Deliver The Roses and jockey Erick Rodriguez won by 1-3/4 lengths over speedy Tommie’s Star. Bingobear, the 4-5 post time favorite, never mounted a threat and finished fifth. Deliver The Roses paid $43. She covered the five furlong distance in 55.91. Bobby Leaf trains the six-year-old mare for owner Paul Hartman.

-Rosie Napravnik sent Clifton Park to the lead, then looked back only once as they sped to victory in the $125,000 Maryland Million Nursery, the fourth race on the 12-race program. Clifton Park, a son of Allen’s Prospect, Napravnik had a mount in every race on today’s card. On Thursday she said, “Last year I was excited about riding on Maryland Million day. This year I am going to be excited about winning on Maryland Million day.” They won by 2-1/2 lengths. Crypto Prime rallied to take second. Man In Grey chased the leader into the turn but tired to finish third. Clifton Park paid $6.60 as the post time favorite. The colt is a perfect three for three lifetime for trainer Bruce Jackson. Napravnik rode him last time when they won the Oliver’s Twist Stakes at Laurel against fellow Maryland-breds.

-Five-year-old Silmaril, a local favorite, scored her seventh lifetime stakes victory this afternoon, she put away post time favorite Yolanda B. Too to win the $150,000 Baltimore Examiner Maryland Million Distaff. Chris Grove trains the daughter of Diamond. Ryan Fogelsonger guided her under the finish line in 1:23 for seven furlongs on the main track. Yolanda B. Too, with Jeremy Rose, finished second, 3-1/4 lengths behind the winner. Immune To Gloom rallied to take third. Silmaril paid $5.60 as second choice in the wagering. Her previous claim to fame was a victory in last year’s Pimlico Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Grade III) over champion Ashado. She won the 2004 Maryland Million Oaks at Pimlico.