Prendimi holds off Tappin Cat in Maryland Million Classic
The rail seemed like the place to be on the main track at Laurel Park and Prendimi took advantage of the potential bias to upset a game Tappin Cat in Saturday's $150,000 Maryland Million Classic at 1 1/8 miles.
Piloted by Mychel Sanchez for trainer Luis Carvajal Jr., Prendimi broke sweetly from post 2, and grabbed the lead and the rail going into the first turn.
Prendimi set solid fractions of 23.61 and 46.84 seconds while pressured hard by longshot Ain't Da Beer Cold.
Prendimi drew away from his primary pace pursuer entering the far turn, but was immediately set upon by Tappin Cat, who was four wide on the first turn and three wide tracking the duel on the backstretch.
Prendimi drifted slightly off the inside turning for home and hopped back to his left lead when jumping a shadow in deep stretch, but had just enough to beat Tappin Cat by a neck.
It was another three-quarters back to The Poser in third. They were followed by Torch of Truth, Dream Big Dreams, Crouchelli, Dashing Lou and Ain't Da Beer Cold.
Prendimi completed the distance in 1:50.46 and paid $26.20 to win as the sixth choice in the wagering.
"He's a big horse and he doesn't like to be in behind horses," Carvajal said in a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park. "He got a little pressure on the backside, but he dug in. I'm very proud of him."
Foaled in New Jersey, Prendimi is a 6-year-old gelding by Dance With Ravens. A G J Stable homebred, Prendimi won for the sixth time in 30 starts. He previously had notched three stakes victories against New Jersey-breds at Monmouth Park.
Second in this race in 2019, Prendimi won for the first time since Aug. 30, 2020. He finished fifth in his final prep, a high-level allowance at Parx Racing on Oct. 4.
Distaff
Heavily favored Hello Beautiful became the seventh horse to win three Maryland Million races when she galloped under the line 3 1/2 lengths better than Malibu Beauty in the $100,000 Distaff for fillies and mares at seven furlongs.
Hello Beautiful was a handful before the start of her recent dominating victory in the Weathervane Stakes at Laurel on Sept. 18, and she gave the gate crew some problems prior to the Distaff.
Trainer Brittany Russell mentioned to Daily Racing Form earlier in the week that "the gate has always been a thing with her. She’s like a no-load in the morning. When she shows herself in the afternoon doing that, it’s not out of character.”
Once locked and loaded, Hello Beautiful was all business.
She jumped to the lead under Jevian Toledo, controlled fractions of 22.59 and 45.65 seconds, and widened at will in the stretch. Hello Beautiful raced the seven furlongs in 1:22.22 and paid $2.40 to win.
Malibu Beauty was game to hold second by a nose over Street Lute. Coconut Cake, Whispering Pines, and Fille d'Esprit were next.
Bred by Hillwood Stables, Hello Beautiful, 4, is owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables.
She began her Maryland Million streak with a victory in the 2019 Lassie. Last year, she won the Distaff by 11 1/4 lengths with a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Hello Beautiful has now prevailed in 10 of 18 starts. The 2021 Distaff was her ninth stakes triumph.
Turf
It took Somekindofmagician five tries to win the Maryland Million Turf, but the veteran gelding finally grabbed the brass ring by nipping Johng and Street Copper in a thrilling three-horse photo finish.
Trained by Gary Contessa for Bell Gable Stable, Somekindamagician was taken in hand in the opening furlong by jockey Angel Cruz to sit midpack between horses.
Meanwhile, longshot Trifor Gold stepped the opening quarter in 23.90 seconds while tracked by eager favorite Cannon's Roar and Raven's Delight.
Trifor Gold raced clear through a half in 48.31, but Cannon's Roar turned up the heat with a two-wide bid approaching the top of the stretch.
Cannon's Roar assumed the lead but was soon swamped from all sides. Street Copper attacked up the inside, Benny Havens came at him from the outside and Johng was widest of all.
A furlong earlier, Somekindofmagician was placed in a bit tight when attempting to split horses four wide and had to re-rally between a tiring Benny Havens and Johng.
After nine furlongs in 1:49 over the firm turf, it was Somekindofmagician by a nose over Johng. Street Copper was another nostril back in third. Cannon’s Roar flattened out to finish fourth, followed by Pretty Good Year, Benny Havens, Up Against It, Nick Papagiorgio, Trifor Gold and Ravens Delight.
A 7-year-old gelding bred in Maryland by Earl Barnhart, Somekindofmagician finished second in the Turf in both 2017 and 2019 and placed sixth in the 2018 and 2020 editions.
He has won four of his last five starts including the restricted Find Stakes at Pimlico on Aug. 21. Somekindofmagician finished third in a “two-other-than” allowance at Delaware on Sept. 30, his final prep before the Turf.
Turf Sprint
Odds-on Grateful Bred was simply too good for them when grabbing the Maryland Million Turf Sprint in gate-to-wire fashion under Jevian Toledo.
Grateful Bred broke from post 9 in the 5 1/2-furlong Turf Sprint, immediately asserted himself and cleared to the inside through a comfortable opening quarter in 22.54 seconds.
The 5-year-old son of Great Notion cut the corner turning into the long stretch, held a clear advantage at the eighth pole and was never seriously threatened.
Grateful Bred completed the distance in 1:02.29 seconds while 1 1/2 lengths clear of Sky's Not Falling. Love You Much was another neck back in third. The favorite paid $3 to win.
They were followed by Rock the Boat, Godlovesasinner, So Street, Joseph, Sue Loves Barbados, Showtime Cat and Grand Skylark.
A gelding with a strong personality, to say the least, Grateful Bred has been masterfully nursed through myriad eccentricities by trainer Madison Meyers.
"Everything about him has been more mature this year," Meyers told Daily Racing Form in September. "Mentally, he’s grown up so much. He [used to get] a little mean with the gate crew."
A homebred owned by Gordon Keys, Grateful Bred won for the fifth time in 11 starts. He also claimed the $100,000 Meadow Stable Stakes at Colonial on July 19.
"Once I saw that he had kicked clear, I was feeling pretty confident," Meyers said in a post-race interview conducted by Laurel Park.
In other Maryland Million stakes:
*Air Token got the jump on favored Double Crown turning into the stretch of the $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint and pulled off a 7-1 upset in the six-furlong dash.
Owned and trained by Jose Corrales, Air Token broke well from the inside post under J D Acosta and settled into a nice stalking spot while saving ground.
Up front, longshot Valued Notion set legitimate fractions of 22.25 and 44.99 seconds while racing on the advantageous inside footing.
Air Token drafted in behind the pacesetter before easing to the two path late on the turn. The 4-year-old son of Golden Lad moved past Valued Notion just outside the sixteenth pole and finished 2 1/4 lengths clear of Double Crown in 1:09.63.
Valued Notion held third, a half-length behind the runner-up. Next home were Whiskey and You, Kenny Had a Notion, Fortheluvofbourbon, Karan's Notion and Band On Tour.
Double Crown didn't have the easiest trip. He stumbled leaving the gate, raced widest over the deeper outside footing, was late to change leads and rallied nicely for second.
Air Token won for the seventh time in 26 starts. Claimed for $10,000 out of a maiden victory during the summer of 2020, Air Token won the Concern Stakes last fall and has since placed in the off-turf Ben's Cat Stakes at Penn National.
He finished second behind Band On Tour over muddy going in an allowance prep here on Sept. 23.
* Favored Epic Idea enjoyed a perfect pacetracking, ground-saving trip under jockey Daniel Centeno to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Ladies for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.
A 5-year-old mare bred and owned by Vivian Rall, Epic Idea rode the pocket as Tipsy Shadow and Artful Splatter contested fractions of 23.63 and 47.89 seconds.
Centeno guided Epic Idea off the inside turning into the stretch and they split rivals to make the lead at the 3/16 pole. Once Epic Idea thrust her head in front, she was determined, and had enough in the tank to fend off Maldives Model's inside surge.
Epic Idea completed the distance in 1:45.81 and paid $9 to win. She was a half-length better than Maldives Model. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Judi Blue Eyes in third.
Amplio Esquema, Fool Yourself, Brushing, Artful Splatter, Misty's Banshee, Tipsy Chatter, Breviary and Sally's Mustang completed the order of finish.
Epic Idea has won three times from 16 starts. She captured this race last year when trained by Ann Merryman, but was disqualified from purse money.
* Buff My Boots gave a tenacious performance to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie for juvenile fillies at six furlongs.
A speedy daughter of Buffum trained by John Salzman for Bird Mobberley LLC, Buff My Boots didn't break on top, but was ridden aggressively in the early stages by jockey J. D. Acosta.
Buff My Boots cleared to the lead after an opening quarter in 22.59 seconds while prompted from the outside by Sweet Gracie. The pacesetter parried Sweet Gracie's challenge after a half-mile clocking of 45.63 seconds, then engaged in a stout battle with Sparkle Sprinkle to inside the eighth pole.
Buff My Boots would not be denied, however, and she crossed the line a half-length in front of late-rallying longshot My Thoughts. Sparkle Sprinkle was another half-length back in third. They were followed by favored Luna Belle, Waterworks, Moon Boss, Dowser, Sweet Gracie and Derby Julep.
Buff My Boots completed the three-quarters in 1:11.14 and paid $11.80 as the fourth choice in the wagering.
A daughter of Buffum, Buff My Boots won for the third time from five lifetime starts. Bred in Maryland by Hope Hill Farm, she sold for $7,000 as a yearling and is from the family of Grade 2-winning sprinter Court Folly.
* The sire Buffum swept both juvenile races on the card when Buff Hello withstood race-long pressure to take the $100,000 Nursery at six furlongs.
Trained by Claudio Gonzalez for owner Joseph Besecker, Buff Hello was hustled from his inside post by jockey Charlie Marquez and was engaged in an early pace scrum with Local Motive and a three-wide Mr. Mox.
That trio blasted through an opening quarter in 22.12 seconds and kept lobbing grenades at each other after a half-mile in 45.21. Mr. Mox backed out at the three-sixteenth marker leaving Buff Hello and Local Motive to duke it out.
Buff Hello traveled better in the final sixteenth and held off Coastal Mission’s late rally to prevail by two lengths. Local Motive held third, a neck behind Coastal Mission.
Then came Shady Munni, Mr. Mox, Cynergy's Star, All for Love, Vance Scholars, Gallant Gold, Under the Radar, Free Sailin, Bet On Bitz, Al Loves Josie and Good Idea.
Buff Hello ran six furlongs in 1:10.51 and paid $13 to win as the fourth choice in the betting.
Bred in Pennsylvania by Sergio Gomez, Buff Hello is a full brother to multiple stakes-placed juvenile Latin Spice and was purchased by Besecker for $26,000 as a yearling.
The colt won his third lifetime start, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special at Pimlico, before finishing sixth, beaten 13 lengths in the $200,000 Sapling at Monmouth on Sept. 5. The Sapling winner, Double Thunder, recently finished second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland.