Via TD Thornton
A decade ago, trainer Jamie Ness announced a parade called Colors for $5,000 at Laurel Park. She ended up winning only three lower-tier races and just one for Ness, and when she retired at the end of 2012, Ness simply handed her over to breeder John Williamson III.
But something about that resonated positively with Ness, and as he watched her children finally come to the races as a Maryland hybrid, one in particular made it to the races. into your eyes: Ournationonparadea son of Cal Nation who won the 2019 Maryland Million Nursery as the most popular despite being a teenager starting for the second time.
Ness continued to watch Ournationonparade as he matured between the ages of two and five and changed barns multiple times via the claim box while competing on other major tournaments.
So just four weeks ago, when gelding 7–24 was at the height of a three-race win streak, Ness, on behalf of Happy Got Lucky Stable owners, voted for $50,000 before the attempt. force won at Churchill Downs. Four other outfits also made claims for the Maryland variety, but Ness and her client won the five-way shake.
On Saturday, the first start for the coach, who has followed his family for 10 years, Ournationonparade edged past two previous Classic S. $150,000 winners for a fourth straight start, this time in the standout race into the 37th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million Program.
The 5 3/4 win was the second win of the afternoon for Ness and the second for jockey Jaime Rodriguez on the eight-pin card for the offspring of the state stallions.
“I keep an eye on this horse,” Ness said in the Laurel winner’s circle. “I’ve always had a bit of a horse connection. And it’s like a full circle [because we] finally got a chance to bring him back home to Maryland. He’s Maryland-
bred. He needs to be here. And hopefully, he’ll be here well from now on. “
Back at 2-1, Ournationonparade had a rather shaky start but quickly prevailed and started the chase by decisively grabbing a three-round trailing point in the opening leg.
Fourth for most of the ride down to the backseat, Rodriguez patiently assessed with a handful of horses behind the speed center Prendimi (Dance With Raven) and Monday Morning Qb (Imagine), the winners in 2021 and 2020 respectively of this same amount.
But far in turn, Rodriguez’s calm body language atop Ournationonparade stood out with confidence in contrast to the desperate urges of the top two. Gelding cracked Prendimi first and then marked “Qb” at the top of the lane.
Ournationonparade started to dump in the upper body, racing in a few strides with his head facing the stands before finishing in the right while Rodriguez kept the task. The final time was 1:51.78 for nine “fast” ground clamps.
Other October 22 highlights from Laurel include the Great Notion, the state’s top horse by progeny income as of 2018, finding yet another Maryland Million winner, bringing in descendants at least one Maryland Million Day stock win for 13 consecutive years.
And the stallion Blofeld in the second case passed two Maryland Million juveniles, attracting his first two winners. This is the second year in a row a dark horse has swept the card’s sub-races: Buffum’s descendant, who passed away in 2019, won both of those 2-year-old stakes in 2021.
Johnnyz from Albany earned his first Blofeld winnings by wiring a $100,000 Nursery. At 4-1, he went home with three favorites taken down threateningly, but he was able to beat them to go home 5 lengths in 1:11.35 with six. clamp under Jorge Ruiz for coach Dale Capuano.
Owner Charles “Chip” Reed says that the win is exceptional on many levels. First, he named his hybrid in honor of a recently departed Saratoga-area racemate, John Zanella from Albany, New York. And second, Reed has also lobbied for the dam of the pony, Monster Sleeping, for whom he claimed $30,000 in 2013.
“The mother won two [Maryland Million] Reed said.
For Lassie S. $100,000 for 2-year-olds, Blofeld-sired Chicken is to offer 1/2 length at 9-10 odds while cutting down the center of the main line in 1:12.58 for six ropes. Ness and Rodriguez team up here again, this time as owner/raider Jagger, Inc. and part owner Morris Kernan, Jr.
In the $125,000 Turf Classic, shot 9-2 Wicked Prankster (Mosler) clears the field from an outer pylon going to nine spades on the grass “for sure”, but looks certain to be devoured at the end of the lane after leading the entire ride.
However, the 4-year-old from the cage of owner/coach Samuel Davis fought back on header, respawning to take a 3/4 length win at the hands of Richard Monterrey in 1:49.44. Country Life Farm & Broken Trust Fund, LLC, bred Wicked Prankster.
Coconut cake (Bandbox) had a top score of 6-5 in the Women’s S.
Jockey Sheldon Russell picked up the pace, trailing the 5-year-old gray dog for the long haul against a very stubborn 16-1 pacer, dominating the last few jumps at 1:50, 22. Tim Keefe trains and is a part owner with NRS Stable and James Chambers. The breeders are Mr & Mrs Charles McGinnes.
The $100,000 Sprint S. took home the heaviest winner of the Maryland Million holdings, with 1-2 chalks Fortheluvofbourbon (Bourbon Courage) receives a bit of resistance later than might be expected from runner-up 15-1 Karan’s concept (Great idea), 2020 spoiler of this very stake.
Winning margin is 1 1/2 lengths in 1: 10.96 for six feathered clips for connections Paco Lopez (runner), Michael Pino (trainer), Smart Angle LLP (owner) and 4-D Hidden Acres Farm (raider). The win was Fortheluvofbourbon’s sixth consecutive trip to the winner’s circle and a 12th win in just 23 starts in his life.
Fille d’Esprit (Great Notion), winner of a quarter of the length of the Distaff S. $100,000 on seven feathers, is just one more win to match Fortheluvofbourbon’s impressive record. Now, she’s 11 to 22 years old after pursuing a legal pace with a track run, then slamming into the deep to finish at 1:25.05.
The 6-year-old mare is taking full advantage of the regional offers on the mid-Atlantic circuit. She also won the MATCH equity division this summer for jockey Xavier Perez, trainer John Robb, CJI-owned partners Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Farm, and breeder Sweet Spirits Stables.
In the Turf Sprint S. $100,000, The sky doesn’t fall (Seville {Ger}), forced to settle the matter with an internal bid, split the horses on the far bend, then push through late challenges to win half length at odds of 7 -2 under Lopez (two wins) in 1:02.75 for 5 1/2 clamps. Practitioner Michael Trombetta was bred by R. Larry Johnson, who is co-owned with RDM Racing Stable.
