LAUREL, Md. - The third time was the charm for Ain’t Da Beer Cold as the 5-year-old homebred son of Freedom Child was placed first via disqualification in Saturday’s $150,000 Maryland Million Classic for 3-year-olds and upward racing 1 1/8 miles at Laurel Park. The Classic was one of eight stakes restricted to Maryland-sired or -bred performers, and it featured an exciting stretch duel between Ain’t Da Beer Cold, who set fractions of 23.59, 48.40 and 1:13.30 seconds, and Market Maven, who tracked in second. Market Maven crossed the line first by a neck in 1:52.39 over the good track under jockey Carlos Lopez, but he drifted inward and bumped Ain’t Da Beer Cold inside the furlong pole. That prompted Ain’t Da Beer Cold’s rider, Jevian Toledo, to lodge an objection. After several minutes, the stewards moved Ain’t Da Beer Cold up to the winner’s position. He returned $75 as the longest shot in the field. Favored Double Crown finished another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Then came Dolice Vita, All Threes, Loose Ends, Rhumjar and Ournationonparade. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Ournationonparade, last year’s Million winner, had a troubled trip, and was reported to have bled. Eighth in both the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Classic, Ain’t Da Beer Cold’s career has been plagued by quarter crack issues. “Before the last Maryland Million, in all honesty, he wasn’t training 100 percent,” winning trainer Kenny Cox said. “I sent him to get a whole body scan before I ran him because I said I’m not running a horse if there’s something going on. They said it was still probably the quarter crack. Three or four months ago, the bar shoes came off. He’s had the glue-ons, and his feet have never bothered him since that day.” Cox credited Toledo with the decision of be aggressive leaving the gate. “Toledo said the last time he rode him, [he] wanted to put him on the lead. [He thought] he’s going to be gamer like he was as a young horse. The first thing he said today when he walked out [to the paddock], was ‘I don’t care what you say, I want to send this horse and put him on the lead.’ ” A 5-year-old homebred owned by Matt Spencer, Kelly Jo Cox and Bonuccelli Racing, Ain’t Da Beer Cold has won 6 of 32 starts for career earnings of $383,559. The Classic was his first stakes win and he is the first Maryland Million winner trained by Cox. Previously, Ain’t Da Beer Cold placed in the three stakes races. “He saved it for today,” Cox said. *Turf For the second consecutive year, Wicked Prankster ($7.60) wired the field in the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/8 miles. Owned and trained by Samuel “Sammy” Davis, Wicked Prankster bounced straight to the lead under jockey Yomar Ortiz, and cut out fractions of 23.75, 47,38 and 1:11.35 while prompted from the outside by favored Crabs N Beer, and from the pocket by Tappin Cat. Wicked Prankster turned for home through a driving rainstorm with the advantage, and kept grinding to the wire with the closers giving futile chase. Under the line, it was Wicked Prankster by three-quarters over Starstruck Notion in 1:48.28 over the still-firm turf. Jack’s Legend finished a neck back in third. Wicked Prankster did not have the most ideal preparation for this year’s Turf, having been pulled up on the first turn of his most recent start, the restricted Find Stakes on Aug. 19. That race perplexed Davis. “I don’t know [what happened],” said Davis. “Ask the jock. He said he didn’t feel comfortable so I can’t blame him because he’s on top of him, not me.” Davis was pleased with Wicked Prankster’s subsequent training, and was very happy with some give in the Laurel turf. “I wanted the rain because he broke his maiden in the slop, and he always ran big on the soft turf.” Davis claimed the 5-year-old Mosler gelding for $25,000 out of his career debut, a runner-up effort sprinting on dirt at Laurel in 2020. “I had a Mosler before, and he was training super, but he got hurt,” Davis said. “Then I saw this Mosler for $25,000 and that’s why I claimed him.” Wicked Prankster has won 5 of 30 starts for earnings of $301,271. *Turf Sprint Witty ($3.40) hasn’t yet reached the heights of his older half-sister, reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel, but he’s getting there. Last on the rail turning into the long Laurel stretch, favored Witty kicked like a mule under Toledo to grab the $100,000 Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and upward at 5 ½ furlongs. He finished the distance in 1:02.64 seconds while 1 ¼ lengths better than Tidewater with Whenigettoheaven another neck back in third. Witty had suffered from poor starts in some of his races, but he’s gotten away better in his last three races. A Pennsylvania-bred 4-year-old gelding by Great Notion, Witty was a three-time stakes-winner sprinting on dirt earlier in his career, Witty moved to turf this summer, and he hasn’t finished worse than second from five starts on the surface, including a victory in the restricted Ben’s Cat at Pimlico in his final start before the Turf Sprint. “I think he does break better on turf,” said owner, breeder and trainer Elizabeth Merryman said. “He’s a great big horse, and he’s able to grip the turf better leaving the gate.” *Nursery “When he saw room, he just exploded,” jockey Xavier Perez told trainer Jerry Robb as he dismounted Catahoula Moon ($10.20) in the winner’s circle following the $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds at six furlongs. A Golden Lad colt bred by Angela Coombs, Catahoula Moon settled in behind horses and was travelling sweetly turning into the stretch. The problem was that there was a wall of horses in front of him. Like the Red Sea, the traffic parted, and Catahoula Moon did the rest, bounding under the line 4 ¾ lengths in front of Prado Road with favored Kohler’s another three-quarters behind in third. Robb mentioned that he feels Catahoula Moon was very green as a baby, but has slowly matured, and is a candidate to appreciate additional distance down the road. *Sprint Seven’s Eleven ($11.80) had no problems stepping up in class as the 3=year-old Bandbox gelding drew away to an authoritative five-length win under jockey Angel Cruz in the $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs. Trained by Carlos Mancilla, the Cottonwood Stable homebred returned from a March layoff with a prep run on turf before giving a breakthrough effort in a state-sired allowance at Laurel on Sept. 29, winning off by 8 ½ lengths with a career-best 83 Beyer. Favored Twisted Ride ran well for second after being steadied and shuffled back in the opening quarter mile. Holy Synchronicity placed third. Seven’s Eleven showed good speed from the start, pushed Johnyz From Albany from the outside, then forged past that one when called upon for his best. He has won 4 of 10 starts for $170,560. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.