Earlier this year, apprentice jockey Yedsit Hazlewood was a 17-year-old from Panama learning to ride in the United States under the tutelage of Jose Corrales. In cold mornings at Fair Hill and Laurel, he said that he had to make plenty of adjustments before he could contend in the Mid-Atlantic region. On Saturday, he became a stakes winner at Laurel. “This is my house,” Hazlewood said. “I like it here.” In a surging stretch run, Hazlewood and 3-year-old filly Onyx Ten advanced from seventh and powered past the stubborn front-runner Green Eyed Monster to win the Maryland Millions Distaff by 1 3/4 lengths. Hazlewood rode her for the first time at Delaware Park last month, her first race off a layoff of nearly six months for trainer Gary Capuano. “Me and the bug. I love the bug,” Capuano said. “You know, I ride the bug all the time, and [Hazlewood] really is a good rider and he's coming around and getting better and better. He’s got a bright future.” Green Eyed Monster, a 3-year-old filly trained by John Robb, seemed likely to pull away in the stretch under Xavier Perez after setting the pace on the front end through an opening quarter-mile in 22.97 seconds and the half-mile in 46.20. Foxy Junior, the 4-5 favorite and last year’s Distaff winner, made a strong bid from off the pace but was repelled by the stubborn front-runner, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind in third for trainer Bernie Houghton. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. With Foxy Junior and jockey Jomar Torres coming up short, Hazlewood and Onyx Ten succeeded in emphatic fashion. The young rider kept finding more aboard the filly, a two-time stakes winner earlier this year who needed to improve to contend against older stakes rivals. She delivered for her fourth victory in five starts this year, completing the seven-furlong distance in 1:24.34 and laying $15.20 to win. Maryland Million Nursery An hour after Hazlewood and Capuano struck gold with Onyx Ten in the Distaff, the pair connected again when 2-year-old colt Big Cuddle overcame a brutal start to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery. When the 3-5 favorite was shut off at the start and forced all the way to the back of the field, Hazlewood had no choice but to carry the second-time starter wide and make one run to the wire in a deep field of 13. Hazlewood was still well behind and gradually advancing through the field when 20-1 front-runner Mo’s Glitter entered the stretch in front, having completed the opening quarter-mile in 22.67 seconds and the half-mile in 46.70. Mo's Glitter, trained by Kieron Magee, held off stalking contender Lundi Loot by a neck for second, but he could not deny Big Cuddle when he finally came calling. The heavy favorite closed from fifth in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length, completing the six-furlong sprint in 1:12.10 and paying $3.40 to win. In June, Hazlewood’s bid for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey was halted when he and another rider were involved in a car accident. The apprentice required wrist surgery and didn’t return to the track until late August, but since then, he has made up for lost time. He entered Maryland Million Day atop the jockey standings for the Laurel fall meet, and with four victories on the card, including two in stakes, he is firmly back on track to be considered for prestigious end-of-year honors. Maryland Million Turf Sprint Trainer John Salzman Jr. said that one of the biggest challenges in Had to Have Him’s 4-year-old campaign has been finding the right jockey. He might have found a permanent solution on Saturday, as Jevian Toledo hopped aboard for the first time and found the perfect trip to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint. “I was scared that the outside horse to favor might get away, but I told Jevian that I don't want to use him early, and it worked out good,” Salzman said. “I mean, he broke good. He's sitting there with a handful of horses behind those three horses, and I was a little concerned whether he'd get him out or not, but he did a great job. Jevian rode a super race.” After Witty scratched, Had to Have Him remained as one of two serious contenders in the Turf Sprint coming off a two-length win in the $100,000 Laurel Dash last month. Even-money favorite Whenigettoheaven, winner of two $100,000 races over the summer, seemed likely to get an uncontested lead, but outside contenders Tidewater and Noah Chance beat him out of the gate to engage in an unexpected three-way duel. The leading trio completed the opening quarter-mile in 22.84 seconds and maintained similar formation around the far turn and into the stretch through a half-mile in 45.10. Toledo, who kept Had to Have Him along the rail in fourth on the backstretch, began urging him forward as the field turned for home and easily picked off the three front-runners to take a short lead in the final furlong. Tidewater and Noah Chance had nothing left in the late stages, but Whenigettoheaven carried on and kept the winner busy near the wire. Jockey JG Torrealba, who rode Had to Have Him in both of his victories this year, has had even more success aboard Whenigettoheaven going back to last year, but dueling on the outside likely cost him and his chosen gelding on this occasion. Toledo and Had to Have Him, closing down the center after saving all the ground early on, prevailed by three-quarters of a length and completed the 5 1/2-furlong sprint in 1:02.47. He paid $4.80 to win. Whenigettoheaven ran on to finish second for trainer Nolan Ramsey, holding on by a head over deep closer Great Idea, who started last and made up late ground for third for trainer Phillip Capuano. Maryland Million Turf With help from a scratched stablemate, also-eligible runner Coringa drew into the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf and made every step a winning one, kicking away on the front end to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Trainer Mike Trombetta said that scratching Sky’s Not Falling was not a matter of strategy, but it gave his other gelding a profound chance in his stakes debut. “He handles the grass really well,” Trombetta said. “As long as he can, you know, he's learned to relax, and he's gotten so much better.” Coringa was the clear second choice throughout the post parade but was bet heavily as the field approached the starting gate . The unexpected 6-5 favorite paid $4.60 to win. Several rivals briefly gave chase out of the gate, but by the time jockey Mychel Sanchez guided Coringa through an opening quarter-mile in 23.28 seconds, he was already two lengths in front. When 29-1 longshot Goodbye Note rushed up to challenge the pacesetter on the backstretch, Trombetta worried that it would ruin his race. “I thought [Forest Boyce aboard Goodbye Note] was going to mess it up for me,” Trombetta said. “I really did. Going down the backside, she was putting the pressure on us, and I thought, ‘Oh, man.’ ” Even with a rival briefly bearing down on him, Sanchez managed to keep Coringa settled through a half-mile in 47.11. He gradually began drawing away from Goodbye Note, and when that rival began fading back, no one stepped forward to sustain pressure on the front end. Trombetta’s front-runner gave the field the slip on the far turn to lead by 4 1/2 lengths entering the stretch. Youknownothing, who would have been a heavy favorite if not for the late action on Coringa, broke last in the field of seven and quickly advanced before getting stuck behind a wall of rivals on the far turn. Trainer Miguel Clement added blinkers in an effort to quicken her out of the gate, but she still had her work cut out from her from the pack of the pack. By the time the 4-year-old filly found a path to take second against male rivals, the winner was long gone. Coringa completed the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:47.82. Youknownothing left 4-1 third choice Jack’s Legend three-quarters of a length behind in third for trainer Kenneth Cox. After a short stint on dirt earlier this year, Trombetta switched Coringa to turf in April and has guided the Maryland-bred to three victories on the grass. To turn a maiden into a stakes winner in eight months, the trainer explained that he needed to get him to relax. He could not have been more comfortable on Saturday. Maryland Million Lassie Slewperstitus, a runner-up in her last two stakes attempts, dug deeper on Saturday to earn an overdue photo-finish victory in the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie. In his second stakes victory of the day, Toledo was concerned when she briefly stalled in midstretch, but with more urging, she finally got past front-runner Doc’s Miracle to win by a neck. “She kind of scared me a little bit because I feel like I was gonna go by so easy,” Toledo said. “And she just kind of just got in love a little bit with the other horse. But when I hit her a couple times, she picked it up and showed her class.” For trainer Robert Bailes, the Lassie was yet another learning experience for his juvenile filly. After coming up short to undefeated filly Just Philtored in the $100,000 Keswick and $125,000 Dolley Madison at Colonial, Bailes said that Doc’s Miracle and Capuano gave her everything she could handle. Capuano and Hazlewood went on to win two stakes later on the card. “Gary's horse ran super,” Bailes said. “Anytime I got to run against Gary Capuano, I know I got to have my running shoes on.” Before Capuano and Hazlewood could enjoy their triumph in the Distaff later on the card, they first had to endure a tough beat. While Doc’s Miracle dueled with Rerun Table through an opening quarter-mile in 23.20 seconds and half-mile in 47.09, Slewperstitus started seventh and quickly advanced into a stalking position on the backstretch. Doc’s Miracle dispatched of his front-running rival on the far turn, but she did not get a chance kick away. Slewperstitus continued her persistent charge through the field to draw alongside the early leader. Toledo thought that his filly would blow right by, but Slewperstitus seemed to lose momentum when Doc’s Miracle and Hazlewood dug in on the rail. The two fillies ran several paths apart on even terms all the way to the wire, when Slewperstitus finally managed to get around to win the photo. She completed the six-furlong sprint in 1:12.23 and paid $3.60 to win. Ginger Snap, Bailes’s other filly in the race that he once considered scratching, ran seven lengths behind the top pair but made up ground to finish third by a nose over Share Success. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.