Takethemoneyhoney ends layoff with Maryland Million Distaff triumph
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Mike Moore said he didn’t know what to expect from Takethemoneyhoney coming off a nearly eight-month layoff in the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff on Saturday at Laurel Park. The long break gave the trainer reason to be concerned, but those phantoms disappeared when the 5-year-old mare easily pulled away in midstretch.
“When you go into this type of race, my only concern, because she’s doing so well, is that she’s been off for seven months,” Moore said. “You can’t discount that. Most horses, you have to take that into account. With her, it seems like you don’t, even if it had me worried.”
Jockey Eliseo Ruiz, Takethemoneyhoney’s rider in 10 of 11 career starts, had little to do in the seven-furlong sprint, just as he had little to do in the $100,000 Conniver when he last rode her in March. He was prepared to settle into a stalking position, but the mare broke sharply and he made no effort to contain her.
“She made my job easy,” Ruiz said. “I was thinking about running behind the pace, but she gave me the first step. I said, ‘Okay, you want to be here? I’ll do it, let’s go.’”
With the run of the race in the field of nine, the even-money favorite completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.05 seconds and half-mile in 46.02, rock-solid fractions that left her with plenty in the stretch. After vying with the John Salzman Jr.-trained longshot Rerun Table for much of the race, she shook clear to lead by 2 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch.
Moore worried that she would hit a wall after so much time away, but the lapse never came. Onyx Ten, the Distaff winner last year for Gary Capuano, made a sustained bid from sixth, but she never truly challenged. Takethemoneyhoney went on to win by 5 1/2 lengths, completing the seven-furlong distance in 1:23.87 and paying $4.20 to win.
Onyx Ten finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of Rerun Table, who easily held third for Salzman.
Moore said he would ideally like to string multiple starts together for Takethemoneyhoney, though he does not yet have a clear plan for the winter. Ruiz, more than happy to ride the clear division leader out of her home base at Parx Racing, said he will make himself available when the trainer decides.
Maryland Million Turf
King’s River, a 49-1 longshot trained by Jose Magana, was buried deep in the entries and lost in a sea of horses for much of the $125,000 Maryland Million Turf on Saturday. But with a rocketing kick and late determination under jockey Kevin Gomez, the 5-year-old gelding proved the unlikeliest winner on one of Laurel’s biggest days.
“[Magana] told me to break, let him settle, and not send him out of the gate,” Gomez said. “Break and let him settle and see what’s in front and try to make one run. I started asking from the two-eighths pole and tried to not stop him or get in trouble.”
The massive upset gave Magana, a Laurel-based trainer since 2020, his first stakes victory. Gomez, who notched his first stakes win in 2017, now has four.
“We've been knocking on the door a couple of Maryland Millions,” Magana said. “I think we were second last year [in the Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap]. He made a good run last year. We had little problems with him, but we managed to get him to 100 percent now.”
King’s River was understandably overlooked by bettors in the deep field of 12, as he had not won since taking a first-level allowance at Laurel last year. He ran only three times in 2026 before taking the Maryland Million Turf, most recently finishing 25 3/4 lengths back in a race taken off the turf on Oct. 3. He paid $100.60 to win on Saturday.
Outside contenders War Humor, Wicked Prankster, and Majestic Blue vied for the early lead in the 1 1/8-mile turf race, but that trio merely set things up for the closers after completing the opening quarter-mile in 23.28 seconds and half-mile in 47.76. King’s River, who started in 11th, was one of several runners who came flying, but with a well-timed move on the far turn, Gomez managed to advance from eighth to second on the far turn.
Alakan, a classier contender for trainer Graham Motion, made his move from ninth under Jose Vargas, but by the time he moved into striking position, King’s River was already powering down the center of the track to take aim on Wicked Prankster. Gomez urged him into command, leaving Alakan to run him down.
In the end, Alakan came close but ran out of room, as King’s River prevailed by a head to secure the unlikely victory for Magana. He completed the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:50.44.
Maryland Million Turf Sprint
Whenigettoheaven left his usual rivals far behind in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on Saturday, kicking away comfortably on the front end to win by 1 3/4 lengths. It was jockey Paco Lopez’s second victory on the Maryland Million Day card.
“I have a lot of options with that horse,” Lopez said. “Today, I didn’t want to take a shot from the position on the outside, and it was a good thing I covered everybody clear. The second quarter was very comfortable.”
In his three prior starts this year for trainer Nolan Ramsey, Whenigettoheaven clearly showed that he was far from done in the Mid-Atlantic turf sprint division. After an unlikely third in the $100,000 King T. Leatherbury and more disappointing third in the $100,000 Ben’s Cat, he made his breakthrough when he defeated Determined Kingdom in the $100,000 Meadow Stable Handicap at Colonial Downs.
Ramsey said he seriously considered shipping to Woodbine for the Grade 2 Nearctic on Oct. 3, but he had to wait while his gelding recovered from an abscess. He stayed at Turfway Park instead, training beautifully during his short layoff.
Lopez won from off the pace with Whenigettoheaven in the Meadow Stable, but he wasted no time on Maryland Million Day. The 8-5 second choice outdueled 53-1 longshot Blame the Tux for the early lead, completing the opening quarter-mile in 22.48 seconds and half-mile in 45.42.
Tidewater, the 16-1 longshot trained by T.J. Aguirre Jr., stalked in third on the backstretch and ranged up in perfect position at the top of the stretch. But in his first start since the Ben’s Cat in June, the 6-year-old gelding simply could not sustain his bid. Whenigettoheaven pulled clear by 1 3/4 lengths, completing the 5 1/2-furlong distance in 1:03.04 and paying $5.40 to win.
Maryland Million Sprint
Toward the end of a hard-fought 5-year-old campaign, Celtic Contender was due for a perfect trip in stakes company. Jockey Forest Boyce delivered in the $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint on Saturday, stalking in the early going and edging clear to a comfortable victory.
“It kind of shook out the way I wanted it to,” Boyce said. “I thought that a couple people would go and we could sit right off of them and they did, and it worked out perfectly for us.”
In his five prior starts this year for trainer Hamilton Smith, Celtic Contender had won two allowances and finished second behind Kentucky-based sprinters Verifire and Hymn in stakes company. He missed time in September to recover from an infection in his leg, but he fired fresh off a short layoff against statebred rivals.
“He nicked his front ankle in a breeze and got something in it,” Smith said. “His leg blew up and we had to give him some time for that.”
Celtic Contender has now won two editions of the Maryland Million Sprint, having won the race at 9-2 in 2024. Bettors are now wiser to the horse’s abilities and made him a short 8-5 second choice on Saturday. He paid $5.20 to win.
Haileysfirstnotion, the 3-2 favorite trained by Gary Capuano, advanced from slightly farther back on the far turn, but he also had to travel wider and flattened out in the stretch, finishing seventh.
And Sum, a 9-1 outsider trained by Michael Trombetta, and Suremeanttobe, a former Trombetta trainee claimed by Michael Maker last time out, vied for the early lead in the six-furlong sprint. And Sum broke sharper from the rail, completing the opening quarter-mile in 22.55 seconds and half-mile in 45.56.
Suremeanttobe chased close behind the entire way and had more staying power under Mychel Sanchez, but his bid for the lead was short-lived. Boyce, who has ridden Celtic Contender in each start since March, made a perfectly timed move aboard the stalking contender and easily took over on the far turn, kicking ahead by 1 1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch. He held by a length, completing the six-furlong distance in 1:10.15.
Smith said Celtic Contender would likely point to the $100,000 Dave’s Friend at Laurel next month. Retirement is not out of the question at the end of this year, but the connections have not yet made a decision.
Maryland Million Lassie
Smith picked up his second stakes victory on the Saturday card about two hours after his first when the juvenile filly Talking Foolish split horses and powered home to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie.
To prepare for her second stakes start after a flat third in the $100,000 Smart Halo earlier this month, Smith asked jockey Jevian Toledo to work with her in a four-furlong workout on Oct. 18. It was her first experience running with blinkers, and when she blazed through four furlongs in 47.60 seconds, the jockey and trainer quickly agreed they were on to something.
“I worked her last week, last Sunday, and I got to know her a little bit there,” Toledo said. “I was pretty confident for today, she worked pretty good.”
Smith said his filly had serious issues keeping a straight line for much of her early career, but none of those old habits were on display in her improved effort on Saturday.
“I don't know why she did it and still don't know why she did it,” Smith said. “I put what we call a brush barrel on the outside of her, and that helped a lot, but then when I put the blinkers with it, then she went straight and she’s been perfect ever since.”
Whose Notion set the early pace in the six-furlong sprint for trainer Brittany Russell with Blo Your Mind close behind, but the top flight was disturbed when Talking Foolish hustled up between horses on the backstretch. Whose Motion managed to hold the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.98 seconds, but Talking Foolish quickly took over to complete the half-mile in 46.38.
Mountain Mamba, a 10-1 outsider trained by Joseph Murphy, made a steady bid from fifth to move into a clear second, but she never seriously challenged the winner. Talking Foolish and Toledo completed the six-furlong distance in 1:11.17 and paid $9.60 to win.
Whose Notion, the flummoxed pacesetter, finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Mountain Mamba in third.
Maryland Million Ladies
Phillip Capuano allowed himself no more than three minutes of raw emotion in the winner’s circle after Mopo battled to win the $125,000 Maryland Million Ladies on Saturday. By the time he was ready to talk to reporters, the 32-year-old trainer was all business, already looking forward after notching his first Maryland Million victory.
“This is in the past now,” Capuano said. “We’ve got more races ahead of us this afternoon, but I’m gonna enjoy it for the moment. It’s a great feeling. It’s a great day.”
Though he had previously earned three stakes victories as a trainer, including one with Mopo in the $100,000 Jameela in June, a score on Maryland Million Day seemed to mean a little more to the trainer.
Mopo was pegged as a serious contender in last year’s Ladies but had to scratch. She has won 4 of 7 starts in 2026, all at different distances between 5 1/2 furlongs and the 1 1/16 miles she tackled on Saturday.
“I don’t think it matters for her,” Capuano said. “She’s so versatile. She’s got the speed if you need it. Running the sprints, she’s an off-the pace sprinter. She’s so versatile and so game. She digs in.”
Paco Lopez could not have secured a better trip in his first ride aboard the 3-2 favorite, sitting in a clear second behind Precious Avary. The jockey said he suspected that the 2023 Ladies winner would be the speed and did not attempt to challenge her when she opened up by three lengths through an opening quarter-mile in 24.14.
Precious Avary was clear by six lengths by the time she completed the half-mile in 48.03, but her joy ride on the lead quickly came to an end on the far turn. Mopo naturally inherited the lead at the top of the stretch with the 10-1 outsider Beautiful Blome bearing down on her for trainer Cal Lynch.
For a moment, it seemed like Beautiful Blome might have the momentum to overtake the favorite, but she struggled to straighten out in midstretch. Mopo, a fighter throughout her career, needed no further opening, easily fending her off to win by three-quarters of a length. She completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.28 and paid $5 to win.
Nick’s Notion, the 8-5 second choice trained by Robert Bailes, closed fast for third, a half-length behind Beautiful Blome.
Capuano said he prepared Mopo for the Ladies as if it would be the filly’s final start this year, though that plan has not yet been finalized. She is expected to return as a 5-year-old.
Maryland Million Nursery
Back on the dirt with blinkers, Futile Gesture rocketed into the early lead and never looked back in the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery, winning by eight lengths under Jorge Ruiz. The jockey wasn’t sure whether the juvenile gelding was best suited to dirt or turf, but trainer Michael Trombetta should have a much clearer direction now.
“The way he ran right now, with two wins on the dirt, maybe the dirt,” Ruiz said of the focusing on a surface moving forward.
Early in the six-furlong sprint, the 3-5 favorite Walt’s Notion appeared likely to take the early lead for trainer Phillip Capuano, as he did when he won the $100,000 James F. Lewis earlier this month. But Ruiz was hustled forward through a huge gap on the inside to take over on the backstretch, taking an uncontested lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.18 seconds.
Though he stalked and held to finish in the money in all three of his prior turf starts, Ruiz said the gelding was much sharper with blinkers on in his second start on dirt. The gelding earned his maiden victory on the surface in June, though bettors didn’t respect that effort and made him a 10-1 outsider on Saturday.
Walt’s Notion continued to challenge the pacesetter, who completed the half-mile in 45.12, but in Ruiz’s words, he saw his only challenger until he didn’t. Futile Gesture shook him off at the top of the stretch and was never troubled thereafter, surging home for a blowout victory. He completed the six-furlong sprint in 1:11.08 and paid $23.40 to win.
Walt’s Notion, flagging and drifting in the stretch, held second by a half-length over Call It, a 51-1 closer trained by Thomas McMahon.
Maryland Million Starter Handicap
Kerness K re-established himself as the winningest horse in North America on Saturday when he rallied to win his 11th straight start in the $50,000 Maryland Million Starter Handicap on Saturday. The 4-year-old gelding has been unstoppable since trainer Jamie Ness claimed him for $7,500 in March.
In his first start at Laurel since May, Kerness K went off at 1-5 odds and gave Martin Chaun little to do after breaking sharply from post 9. The hot hand easily stalked the 66-1 longshot Cap Com, and though the pacesetter dug in for the stretch drive, he was ultimately powerless in the seven-furlong sprint.
On Oct. 22, Kerness K’s lead for winningest horse was challenged when the Indiana-bred mare Hurricane Lassie won her 10th start of the year in a starter allowance at Delta Downs. The Isai Gonzalez trainee has traded wins with Kerness K all year, but while she earned most of her victories during a hot streak in the winter, Kerness K has won consecutively through the spring and summer while stepping up in class in the Mid-Atlantic.
Earlier this year, Ness credited Kerness K’s streak to fortunate timing and an abundance of available conditions at Laurel, Delaware Park, Parx Racing, and Colonial Downs. The spirited gelding has fought on multiple occasions to keep his streak alive and shows no signs of slowing down.
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