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Grove Quietly Hoping For Big Maryland Million Day

     LAUREL, MD. 10-03-08---One year ago much of the hype for the Maryland Million centered around trainer Chris Grove, who was saddling nine starters, including three morning line favorites. The day was disappointing for the Bowie-based conditioner who failed to reach the winners’ circle. Silmaril (Distaff) and Five Steps (Classic) had runner-up finishes while Lexi Star (Ladies) finished third. Overall Grove’s runners earned $133,500 for the day.

     Grove will again be a busy man Saturday afternoon. The Bowie-based trainer will saddle seven starters in five races on Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park. The 23nd annual event for the offspring of Maryland sires attracted 113 entrants to the twelve race card. First post for the $1.68 million program is 12:15 p.m.

     However the Frederick native is taking a more cautious approach following last year’s experience.

     “We’ve really toned it down around the barn,” said the 39-year-old. “Last year we were beating our chests. We got kicked in the mouth pretty good and nothing humbles you more than a good country butt whipping. It was a tough pill to swallow. Hopefully we learned something from it.”

     Four stars from Grove’s barn have live chances in their respective races: Sweet Goodbye (5-2 morning line favorite in $150,000 Maryland Million Oaks), Five Steps (second choice at 7-5 in $300,000 Maryland Million Classic), Lexi Star (third choice at 4-1 in the $150,000 Maryland Million Distaff) and Helookslikearnold (co-third choice at 8-1 in the $150,000 Maryland Million Nursery).

     Grove has high hopes for Sweet Goodbye, a three-year-old daughter of Preakness winner Louis Quatorze who has won three straight races in impressive fashion.

     “I said back in May she’s the next Silmaril and I’m sticking to my guns,” added Grove. “She is really special. If you go back to that Charles Town race (June 28) she missed the track record by 17/100’s of a second. Down the backside she was shying from the gate for seven or eight strides. He (jockey J.D. Acosta) hit her one time to keep her mind on business and never even asked her to run and she just missed the track record that night. She’s a racehorse.”

     Silmaril won two of Grove’s three Maryland Million victories and retired in January as the fourth winningest Maryland-bred female in history with earnings of $1,032,973.

Grove’s 2008 Maryland Million Starters

     While Grove will saddle seven horses on the $1.68 million Maryland Million card, Dale Capuano is hoping to move ahead of Bill Boniface for most victories on “Maryland’s Day At The Races”. Capuano tied Boniface with eight victories when Due upset the field in the 2006 Classic. The 45-year-old conditioner has just one starter this year: Callmemisterlouis, an 8-1 shot in the Nursery.

     King Leatherbury, Tony Dutrow and Tim Ritchey begin the day tied for third place, one win back. Leatherbury has two starters, Mr. Mutter (Turf Sprint) and Hound (Turf), while Dutrow, always a force on Maryland Million day, will saddle two starters including 3-1 morning line favorite All Attitude in the Distaff Starter Handicap and Lemons of Love, the second choice in the Sprint. Ritchey does not have a starter.

     Hamilton Smith will be well represented with six starters, all with legitimate chances to hit the board, including Dr Rico (Turf) and Mr. Keeper (Nursery), who are the second choice on Frank Carulli’s morning line. All of Smith’s starters figure to be under 8-1 odds in the wagering.

     Sixty-seven conditioners will saddle horses Saturday at Laurel Park, including 21 with multiple starters.

PINO EYING MARYLAND MILLION RECORD BOOK

     Mario Pino is hoping to become the leading rider in the history of the Maryland Million. The 47-year-old, who divides his racing year between Maryland and Delaware Park, will be aboard three horses on Saturday’s 12 race program for offspring of Maryland stallions.

     Pino, who enters the card tied with Edgar Prado for most Maryland Million wins with 16, has made trips to the winners’ circle 13 different years. Since his apprentice year in 1979, Pino has quietly won more than 6,100 races to become the all-time leader in Maryland and to rank 15th among the top riders nationally.

     “I would love to pass Edgar,” Pino said. “It would be an honor to win more Maryland Million races than any other rider.”

     Pino, who won the Classic in 1995 aboard Brilliant Patriot, picked up the mount on Diamond David in the 2008 feature. The half brother to 2002 Preakness runner-up Magic Weisner has been second and third in the last two runnings of the Classic.

     “I have watched that horse run a lot and it looks like he runs his best race on Maryland Million day,” added Pino. “I worked him Tuesday and he impressed me. It is a short field and you never know, maybe we can steal one.”

     Ramon Dominguez ranks third with 15 Maryland Million winners but he’ll be riding at Belmont Park. Dominguez won a record five Maryland Million races in 2005.

     Jeremy Rose will be the busiest jockey with 11 mounts on the Million card. The Eclipse Award winner for top apprentice in 2001 will be aboard three morning line favorites: Grand Champion (Sprint), Fancy Diamond (Distaff) and Morethanclever (Starter Handicap). Rose ranks fourth on the Maryland Million win list with nine victories, including three Classic scores with Sumerset (2001), Docent (2002) and Evil Storm (2007).

      Laurel Park clerk of scales Adam Campola will have his hands full with 36 riders in the jocks room, including Stewart Elliott, who won three of the four biggest races in the state in 2004-Preakness (Smarty Jones), De Francis Dash (Wildcat Heir) and Maryland Million Classic (Presidentialaffair).

     Sheldon Russell, who sits atop the jockey standings during the current meeting, will not be riding. The 21-year-old began a suspension this afternoon for an earlier riding infraction.

THIRTY-EIGHT STALLIONS WILL BE REPRESENTED SATURDAY

     Introduced in 1986, the Maryland Million, a program of races restricted to the offspring of Maryland-based stallions, continues to receive strong support from Maryland's extensive breeding industry, which includes more than 200 farms.

     After 22 runnings, 199 stallions have been represented in Maryland Million races. Maryland-sired Thoroughbreds are nominated before they become 2-year-olds and remain eligible for life to run in the Maryland Million races.

     Saturday afternoon 38 stallions will be represented, including five new sires: Bowman’s Band, Great Notion, No Armistice, Parker’s Storm and Rock Slide. Graded stakes winners Fantasticat, St. Averil, Gators N Bears and Cherokee’s Boy are expected to have progeny running in 2010.

     Not For Love leads all stallions with 15 starters tomorrow afternoon. The son of Mr. Prospector, who stands at Northview Stallion Station for $25,000 a live foal, has been the nation’s highest ranking stallion standing outside of Kentucky for five consecutive years. Progeny of Not For Love have captured 14 Maryland Million races in the last six years, winning multiple races for six consecutive years. His sons and daughters will be competing in nine of Saturday’s races.

     The ghost of Allen’s Prospect continues to leave its mark. Four of his sons and daughters are entered to race Saturday. Allen’s Prospect, who passed away in 2003, was Maryland’s leading sire for many years and the standard bearer of Country Life Farm. He has been responsible for 146 starters and 21 winners, the most of any stallion during the previous runnings of the Million.

-MJC-