Photo:
Maryland Jockey Club
Crystal Park Stables’ Brilliant Ice powered through an opening along the inside at the top of the stretch and rolled home an easy 5 1/4-length winner in the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic to cap an emotional Saturday at Laurel Park.
The 1 1/8-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up headlined the 39th Jim McKay Maryland Million day program of 12 races featuring eight stakes and four starter stakes worth $1.08 million in purses on Maryland’s day at the races celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.
Click here for Laurel Park entries and results.
Brilliant Ice (5-1) had never raced beyond a mile and a sixteenth through 25 starts before stretching out in the Classic, completing the distance in 1:50.19 over a fast main track under jockey Jeiron Barbosa.
BRILLIANT ICE ?? ($13.00) froze out the competition in the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic at @LaurelPark. Annette Eubanks trained the gelding, Jeiron Barbosa was in the irons.
Wager on the lucky last: https://t.co/URG4G3PdG0 pic.twitter.com/BEXdmvKA6f
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 12, 2024
It was the first Maryland Million winner in 15 tries for 80-year-old trainer Annette Eubanks, who watched the race at home while recovering from a knee replacement. Earlier on the card she ran second in the $100,000 Sprint with Band Camp, a horse she also owns with her son Dan of Rising Sun Racing Stables.
“It’s very emotional because mom is not doing very good today. It’s the biggest day of her career and she couldn’t be here for it,” Eubanks said. “The horse ran huge. It’s like a homebred for us and for them. We just missed with Band Camp, and it’s just an awesome day. Mom’s 80 years old and having her best year ever. This is amazing. These horses can break your heart, and sometimes they can make it.”
Annette Eubanks began her training career in 1987 and has already reached a personal best with more than $515,000 in purse earnings. She has 17 wins from 67 starters this year and has four wins, six seconds and one third from 11 starters at Laurel’s calendar year-ending fall meet that began Sept. 7.
“I employ quite a few trainers and everybody gives me a hard time about it. They always say, ‘Mom wins the most for you,’ and it’s true. My mom has taught me a lot about horses and about horsemanship, and so has my dad, and I hope to continue winning races for the Eubanks,” Dan Eubanks said.
“She’s home and watching right now. She’s wishing she could be here,” he added. “I love my mom and she loves her horses. A lot of people love my mom. It’s just great. It’s a great feeling.”
Brilliant Ice settled in seventh as Mosler Time, sent off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 11, led through a quarter-mile in 23.67 seconds and a half in 47.54 pressed by defending champion and 25-1 long shot Ain’t Da Beer Cold and Dolice Vita racing along the rail. The top runners drifted out exiting the far turn and leaving a huge opening for Brilliant Ice to come through, and he accelerated with aplomb and drew clear.
“His grandmother, who we owned, won at a mile and an eighth and the way he was finishing at a mile we thought he could do it,” he added. “I didn’t think he would be this dominant, but it was awesome.”
Mosler Time edged Mugatu by a half-length for second. It was another half-length back to Hittheroadjak in fourth, followed by Market Maven, Vance Scholars, Feeling Woozy, Little Lance, Crossland, Dolice Vita and Ain’t Da Beer Cold. Maryland-bred also-eligibles Goodafternoonoscar and Excellorator were scratched.
Brilliant Ice had two wins and two seconds from nine starts this year, having run second in back to back optional claiming allowances at Laurel going one mile July 26 and seven furlongs Aug. 11, his most recent race. The Classic was just his third stakes attempt after finishing sixth in the 2023 Not For Love and fourth in the April 13 Frank Whiteley.
“We’ve never won a stakes before and to win this race is just awesome,” Bratz said.
Photo: Woodbine / Michael Burns Photo One race after earning his first Woodbine stakes victory, jockey Fraser Aebly notched his first
Lexington, Ky.There is nothing like chasing a bad nightmare with a sweet dream. That is precisely what happened to trainer Cherie DeVaux on Saturday.Make that
Wathnan Racing's California Crown Stakes (G1) winner Subsanador will miss the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) after being diagnosed with an ankle injury at Sa
Photo: NYRA / Susie Raisher / Coglianese Photo Spaliday rallied from last early and ran down pacesetter Macanga late in the stretch to