Maryland Million Distaff Handicap 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 Distaff Handicap, a filly or mare 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 ...

, a 12-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, 2001, 2002 and 2004 the race was run on dirt at a distance of six furlongs. Since 2004 it has been a 7 furlongs competition and currently offers a purse of $150,000. 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 must 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. The race has been called many things starting from 1986 through 1988 and 1990 through 1992 it was known as the "State of Maryland Distaff Handicap." From 1993 through 1995 the race was called the "Port of Baltimore Distaff Handicap," from 1996 through 2001 the race was known as the "Maryland Department of Transportation Distaff Handicap." In 2002 the race was called the "Susquehanna Bank Disstaff Handicap," in 2006 it was known as the "Baltimore Examiner Distaff Handicap" and in 2007 the race was called the "Toyota Tundra Distaff Handicap."

Records

Most wins horse: * 3 -

Safely Kept Safely Kept (April 7, 1986 – April 22, 2014) was a Maryland-bred Bay thoroughbred filly sired by Horatius. Safely Kept began her career in 1988 and won 24 of her 31 starts over the next three years. Most of her runs were against colts and geld ...

(1989, 1990, 1991) Speed record: * 7 furlongs: 1:22.73 - Willa On the Move (2003) * 6 furlongs: 1:10.00 -

(1989) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - Jayeff B Stable 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 -

Mario Pino Mario G. Pino (born September 8, 1961, in Wilmington, Delaware) is a retired jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Raised on a farm, he began his riding career in 1978 at Delaware Park in Wilmington. Over the years, he has chosen to be b ...

Most wins by a trainer: * 3 - Alan E. Goldberg

Winners of the Maryland Million Distaff Handicap since 1986

References

{{Reflist
Maryland Thoroughbred official website
Horse races in Maryland Recurring events established in 1986 Laurel Park Racecourse Recurring sporting events established in 1986 1986 establishments in Maryland

Records

Winners of the Maryland Million Distaff Handicap since 1986

See also

References