Maryland Million Classic is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

held annually in October since 1986 primarily at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades unt ...

Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

or at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a horse must be sired by a stallion who stands in Maryland. Due to that restriction the race is classified as a non-graded or "listed" stakes race and is not eligible for grading by the American Graded Stakes Committee. The race is part of

Maryland Million Day Jim McKay Maryland Million Day is an annual day of stakes races thoroughbred horse races operated by Maryland Million Limited, a company formed in 1985. The Maryland Million is a one-day stakes program offering purses totaling $1 million, restri ...

, an 11-race program held in mid October that was the creation of renowned television sports journalist

Jim McKay James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known professionally as Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist. McKay was best known for hosting ABC's '' Wide World of Sports'' (1961–1998). His introdu ...

. The "Maryland Million" is the first State-Bred showcase event ever created. Since 1986, 27 other events in 20 states have imitated the showcase and its structure.Maryland Million 2008, October 4, Laurel Park, Official Souvenir Guide for 23rd Running, page 4 and 5. From its inception in 1986 through 1992, the race was run on dirt at a distance of one mile. From 1993 though 2008, it has been a mile competition. Since 2009, it has been a mile event and currently offers a purse of $150,000. In addition to the prize money, the winning owner receives a Maryland Million

Waterford Crystal Waterford Crystal is a manufacturer of lead glass or "crystal", especially in cut glass, named after the city of Waterford, Ireland. In January 2009, the main Waterford Crystal manufacturing base on the edge of Waterford was closed due to the i ...

bowl. In its 30th running in 2015, the race was restricted to those horses who were

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

d by a

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

who stands in the state of Maryland. Both the entrant horse and their stallion had to be nominated to the Maryland Million program. The race itself has had many titles since 1986 due in large part to the aggressive marketing efforts of Maryland Million Limited, the series corporate founder. In its first seven years, from 1986 through 1992, the race was called the "Budweiser Maryland Million Classic." From 1993 through 1996 the race was known as the "First National Bank of Maryland Classic." From 1997 through 2004 the race was known as the "Cosamin DS Maryland Classic."

Records

Speed record: * mile - 1:50.26 - Sumacha’hot (2009) * miles - 1:54.00 - Taking Risks (1994) & Frugal Doc (1996) * mile - 2:01.00 - Mister S. M. (1988) Most wins by a horse: - Five horses have won the Maryland Million Classic twice: * 3 - Eighttofasttocatch (2011, 2013, 2014) * 2 - Admirals War Chest (2015, 2016) * 2 - Docent (2002 & 2003) * 2 - Algar (horse), Algar (1997 & 1998) * 2 - Timely Warning (1990 & 1991) Most wins by an owner: * 3 - Anderson Fowler Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 3 -

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races in ...

* 3 -

Jeremy Rose Jeremy Rose (born April 1, 1979 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse jockey. He began his career as a professional rider at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware and in 2001 was his breakout year and he was voted the ...

Most wins by a trainer: * 3 - Timothy F. Ritchey * 3 - Virgil W. Raines

Winners of the Maryland Million Classic since 1986

References

{{Reflist}
Maryland Million Official Site
Horse races in Maryland Laurel Park Racecourse Recurring sporting events established in 1986 1986 establishments in Maryland

Records

Winners of the Maryland Million Classic since 1986

See also

References