Jim McKay Maryland Million Day is an annual day of stakes races

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 ...

s operated by Maryland Million Limited, a company formed in 1985. The Maryland Million is a one-day stakes program offering purses totaling $1 million, restricted to the nominated progeny of nominated stallions standing in the state. Jim McKay Maryland Million Day ranks as the highest single day in attendance, on-track wagering and simulcast handle for

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, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

annually. It ranks second in the state to only the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

Day card in all of those same categories and in purse money distributed. It ranks even higher than the

Black-Eyed Susan Stakes The George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of miles on the dirt annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The event currently offers a ...

Day card and the

Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes The De Francis Memorial Dash is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Open to horses aged three and older, it is competed on dirt over a distance of six furlongs. It is currently r ...

Day card (Laurel's signature race). It features 11 stakes races. Maryland Million 2008, October 4, Laurel Park, Official Souvenir Guide for 23rd Running, page 2 through 6.

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 ...

first conceived the idea of a day of races for Maryland-sired runners after attending the first

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

in 1984. In September 1985, a nationally attended press conference at Pimlico outlined the details for a 9-race, $1 million program and introduced the 18-member Maryland Million committee. Richard W. Wilcke was named executive director of the Maryland Million. In December 1985, a total of 175 stallions were nominated to the Maryland Million by the first deadline, thus making their foals eligible for the program.

Windfields Farm Windfields Farm was a six square kilometre (1,500 acre) Thoroughbred horse breeding farm that was founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Origin The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor originated w ...

topped all nominators with 16 stallions, led by

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canad ...

The Minstrel The Minstrel (11 March 1974 – 3 September 1990) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Bred in Ontario, he was sold as a yearling and exported to Europe, where he was campaigned in Ireland and the United Kingd ...

and the deceased

Tentam Tentam (1969–1981) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Racing career Owned by Charles W. Engelhard Jr., who raced him under his Cragwood Stables '' nom de course'', Tentam won Grade 1 races and on August 11, 1973, set a world record ...

. Nearly 900 horses of racing age were nominated by the May 15, 1986 deadline, at least 88 of them stakes winners or stakes placed. Another 700 yearlings were also nominated. 20,103 turn out at Laurel Park for the first Maryland Million Day on October 20, 1986.

sired two winners - Classic winner Herat and Turf Winner Glow. The first winner of a Maryland Million race was Sam-Son Farm's Canadian-bred Smart Halo. Sired by Windfields Farm's stallion

Smarten Smarten (April 17, 1976 – March 31, 2003) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire. Bred in Maryland by Jim and Eleanor Ryan and raced under their Ryehill Farm banner, he had a record of 27: 11-8-2 with career earnings of $716, ...

, she captured the Lassie for 2-year-old fillies. Governor

William Donald Schaefer William Donald Schaefer (November 2, 1921 – April 18, 2011) was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. As a Democrat, he was the 45th mayor of Baltimore from December 1 ...

proclaimed the week leading up to the Maryland Million "Thoroughbred Week in Maryland", September 11-18, 1988. On April 13, 2009, the Maryland legislature passed a joint resolution to officially rename the event "Jim McKay Maryland Million Day".

Maryland Million races

Maryland Million Classic Maryland Million Classic is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a h ...

Maryland Million Distaff Handicap Maryland Million Distaff Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Dis ...

Maryland Million Ladies The Maryland Million Ladies Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million La ...

Maryland Million Lassie Maryland Million Lassie is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland, Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore. To be eligible ...

Maryland Million Nursery Maryland Million Nursery Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Nurse ...

Maryland Million Oaks Maryland Million Oaks was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually from 1986 thru 2012 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland, Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore. To be eligible fo ...

Maryland Million Sprint Handicap Maryland Million Sprint Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Spri ...

Maryland Million Turf Maryland Million Turf is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Turf, a horse ...

* Maryland Million Turf Sprint Handicap The world-famous

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 ...

factory in Ireland produced the unique trophies for Maryland Million Day. The permanent Maryland Million Trophy - a special 14" bowl that includes logos of all the first-year sponsors - is the largest single piece of hand-blown glass made in the company's history.

References

{{Reflist
Maryland Million official website
Horse racing in Maryland Recurring events established in 1986 Laurel Park Racecourse Horse racing meetings Racing series for horses Recurring sporting events established in 1986 1986 establishments in Maryland