Defending Maryland Million Classic champion Evil Storm headlines a group of 113 entrants that will participate in the 23rd Maryland Million Saturday at Laurel Park.
The first post is set for 12:15 p.m. in the 12-race card, which is restricted to the offspring of Maryland-based stallions. The feature race of the day is the 1 3/16th-mile $300,000 Maryland Million Classic, which will have a field of five horses, including the first three finishers from a year ago. The Classic is the 11th race on the card with a post time of 6:03 p.m.
The early 6-5 favorite in the race is Cuba, who placed third on Sept. 20 in the $500,000 Mass Cap. Jockey Pedro Cotto will look to ride Cuba to his seventh win in 11 races this year.
“This horse runs well with races spaced close together,” trainer Bobby Dibona said. “He came out of the Mass Cap well and this is a restricted race so we have to take a shot.”
Also in the Classic is Five Steps (7-5), who finished three lengths behind Evil Storm last year and comes into Laurel Park having won three races in four starts this year, including a victory in the Taking Risks Stakes at Timonium last month. The 7-year-old is trained by Chris Grove at the Bowie Training Center with the mount going to J.D. Acosta.
Evil Storm’s odds are at 9-2 after upsetting the field last year as a 12-1 longshot. The 7-year-old gelding, which will have Jeremy Rose on the mount, is winless in five starts this year.
“He’s doing great, actually,” said trainer Michael Gorham, who is based out of Delaware Park. “He likes that Laurel track; that’s where he does his best running. It’s kind of hard to spot him throughout the year. He doesn’t seem to run as well at Delaware [Park] as at Laurel.”
Rounding out the field is Blue’s Baby Boy (20-1) and Diamond David (20-1). Diamond David, who finished third at the Classic in 200, is owned and trained by Nancy Alberts and will have the riding services of Maryland’s all-time winningest rider Mario Pino on Saturday.
Introduced in 1986, the Maryland Million, has been duplicated by 22 other states. Hall of Fame TV Broadcaster Jim McKay originally proposed the Maryland Million concept and remained the Chairman of the Board until his death on June 7. State Del. Sandy Rosenberg (D) is planning to propose to a joint resolution to the Maryland General Assembly in January that, McKay’s name by officially added to the Maryland Million in 2009.
