Expert Horse Racing Picks – The Maryland Million Classic

Padding Your Bankroll: Saturday September 26

Saturday’s stakes action takes us to Maryland and Kentucky. The 24 th Jim McKay Maryland Million is the highlight of the Laurel Park meeting, with 114 runners shooting for purses totaling $1.23 million on the 12 race card.

At Turfway Park it is Kentucky Cup Day. The card features three stakes races that may produce a few Breeders’ Cup contenders.

The highlight of the card is the Kentucky Cup Classic (G2), which drew a field of nine runners. The favorite is going to be Hold Me Back, who finishes second behind Summer Bird in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in his last outing.

A strong performance today would put the Bill Mott trainee in the mix for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which is now just six weeks away.

Here are the marquee races at the two venues today:

Laurel Park Race 11 Maryland Million Classic Post time 6:12 ET

#6 Regal Solo 6/1

#10 Sweet Goodbye 8/1

#8 Rhythm Master 3/1

#1 Broadway Producer 9/5

#6 Regal Solo has done his best work around one turn but is coming off a sharp win last out against optional claimers going seven furlongs and was claimed out of the race. He now goes for the Dilodovico barn that has won with eight of his last 15 first off the claim. The gelding has won 4 of 10 over the main track here and was a solid second here in the Private Terms Stakes last year. The barn is 27% winners moving runners from sprint to route and the gelding has enough pedigree to handle the stretch out.

#10 Sweet Goodbye is taking on the boys here and she fits. She went gate to wire to win the two turn Pink Ribbon at seven furlongs at Charles Town in her last outing, which was off a eight-month layoff. She won the Maryland Million Oaks here last year during a three-year-old campaign where she won five of seven starts. The Grove barn is 30% winners (with a +ROI) with horses making their second start off a +180 day layoff.

#8 Rhythm Master was a good second last out in the restricted Governors Day in the slop at Delaware Park. The gelding set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner in the stretch. He was making his first start after getting claimed for $35,000 two back, taken from the Tony Dutrow barn. The new barn has hit at a 19% clip this year with limited stock. McClelland is a sharp trainer who learned plenty while assistant trainer to Howard Wolfendale, one of Maryland’s top claiming barns. There is a slight chance of some rain and I will like this guy more if the track comes up wet.

Wagering

WIN: #6 to win at 4/1 or better.

EX: 6,10 / 1.6.8.10

TRI: 6,10 / 1,6,8,10 / 1,2,6,8,10

Turfway Park Race 13 Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) Post time 6:21 CT

#2 Hold Me Back 7/5

#6 Timeless Fashion 8/1

#9 Dubious Miss 7/2

#7 Furthest Land 6/1

#2 Hold Me Back is coming off a career top speed fig earned in a runner up finish in the Travers (G1) in the slop at the Spa. The colt benefitted from a sharp early pace and a wet track, as he is bred top and bottom to handle a wet track. The colt faces older for the first time here and has run well over the fake stuff in his career. All three of his career wins have been on poly, and at three different tracks, his maiden at Arlington, he neat first level allowance company at Keeneland, and he won the Lane’s End here in March. It is not a real deep field here and this guy is returning to poly, which looks like it will make him tough to beat here as the likely short priced favorite.

#6 Timeless Fashion won a $75K stake at Mountaineer Park last out going a mile on turf. The lightly raced five year old has won five of nine career starts including three over the polytrack surface here. His career best came three back winning the $50K Dust Commander going a mile here. The gelding is in a bit tougher here but hard to knock this guy, who seems to fire every time out. He has enough pedigree to handle nine furlongs and if the top pick gets too much attention at the windows this guy looks like our best option.

Wagering

WIN: #2 to win at 7/5 or better.

EX: 2,6 / 2,6,7,9

TRI: 2,6 / 2,6,7,9 / 2,3,6,7,9

Good luck padding your bankroll today!