Foxy Junior Up Takes Maryland Million Distaff
Circle Home Closes to Win Maryland Million Ladies Turf

BALTIMORE – Joel Politi homebred Bosserati, Maryland’s 2023 champion 3-year-old filly facing males for the first time, led every step of the way and held off a prolonged challenge from Great Idea in deep stretch to capture Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint by a neck at Laurel Park.

The Turf Sprint, a 5 ½-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up, was among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 39th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, ‘Maryland’s Day at the Races’ celebrating stallions standing in the state.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell for his wife, trainer Brittany Russell, Bosserati ($12.60) covered the distance in 1:02.04 over a firm Dahlia turf course to win for the first time in six starts this year. Two of her losses, both in stakes, have come by a neck.

“It’s unfortunate she hadn’t won a race. She does all the dirty work and I think the last few times they sort of nailed her right on the line,” Sheldon Russell said. “She sort of puts separation on her opponents and I don’t know if she switches off and thinks she’s won the race.

“She’s really fast. She broke alertly and I tried to sort of control her as much as I could. I didn’t know if we were going to get there in time or if they were going to nail me again, but fair play to her. She ran hard all the way to the line, and that second wire is a long way to go. She runs so hard the early on in the race she’s going to pay for it late, but she’s got a big heart.”

Breaking from outside all but one of her nine rivals, Bosserati was urged to the lead by Russell and able to cross over and establish herself up front while going the opening quarter-mile in 21.82 seconds with 15-1 long shot Fun Notion and fellow stakes winner Whenigettoheaven giving closest chase. Defending champion Witty, the 8-5 favorite, broke slowly and trailed the field.

Bosserati went a sharp half-mile in 44.63 seconds to maintain her advantage straightening for home, with Fun Notion on the outside and Great Idea along the rail in threatening positions. Bosserati dug in gamely as Great Idea inched closer approaching the wire but was unable to get past the stubborn leader.

“She’s quick. When you looked at the race that’s kind of what you’re going off of, hopefully she can get out there and do her thing. You know that something’s going to be running at her late,” Brittany Russell said. “I was in the paddock going crazy. I was with [trainer] Anthony Farrior and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if you’re good luck or bad luck.’ But, it turns out I might watch a few more races with him.”

It was 1 ½ lengths back to Had to Have Him in third, with necks separating the next three finishers – Katie’s Notion, Whenigettoheaven and Fun Notion. Blame the Tux, Witty, Tiz No Clown and Beltane completed the order of finish, while Benny Havens, Sue Loves Barbados and Maryland-bred also-eligible S S Sinatra were scratched.

“She’s a stakes winner and she’s a turf sprinter so you’ve just got to go with those opportunities sometimes,” Brittany Russell said. “We were looking at a three-other-than for her and that didn’t go, so here we are. Sometimes those are the things that are like, ‘You know what, maybe this will work out,’ and it did.”

Bosserati won her first three races including the 5 ½-furlong Stormy Blues last summer after being switched to the turf. She is the fourth Maryland Million winner for Brittany Russell following Hello Beautiful, who won the 2019 Lassie – Russell’s first career stakes victory – and 2020 and 2021 Distaff. She is one of only seven horses in history to win three Maryland Million races.

“It’s a different feeling when you don’t have a horse like Hello Beautiful,” Russell said. “I always felt like there was a little bit of pressure when we would walk her over here, and today there was less pressure, obviously hoping to win a race. It feels just as good either way.”

Hamilton Saddles Celtic Contender to Maryland Sprint Victory

Lewis Family Racing Stable’s Celtic Contender, trained by popular Maryland trainer Hamilton Smith, drove down the stretch under jockey Victor Carrasco to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint by a half length over Band Camp. Freeze the Fire finished third.

A 3-year-old son of Irish War Cry out of the stakes-winning Posse mare Celtic Katie, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.87.

Arden’sluckytobe, who broke through the gate briefly before the race, took the lead and set fractions of :22.19 and :44.77 before giving way to Freeze the Fire around the turn. Entering the stretch, Carrasco moved Celtic Contender outside and drove past Freeze the Fire before holding off a late run by Band Camp.

Celtic Contender has won four of 10 starts. The colt won the Star de Naskra earlier this year, was third in the Concern and won last time going seven furlongs.

“We ran him in a couple stakes going long, and we probably should have waited instead of running in there,” Smith said. “He ran seven-eighths last time and he ran real big in that race. We ran him back at three-quarters and he performed like we thought he should. He’s a nice colt.”

Foxy Junior Up Takes Maryland Million Distaff

Dianne Stern’s homebred Foxy Junior, a winner of the Plum Pretty at Parx last tim out, drove past Spencerian down the stretch to win the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff.

Foxy Junior won by three-quarters of a length over Sheilah’s Warcloud, who got up for the place a length in front of Spencerian.

A 4-year-old daughter of Cuba trained by Bernard Houghton and ridden by Jamar Torres, Foxy Junior covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.86. The filly has now won eight of 18 starts and more than $250,000.

Stern, a Maryland native, and Houghton said the filly’s victory in the Plum Pretty Sept. 21 played a large role in running in the Maryland Million Distaff.

“We agreed on this spot after the last race,” Houghton said.

“I didn’t want to run here and be embarrassed,” Stern said. “Prior races did count.”

Foxy Junior entered the stretch and drew alongside Spencerian, who pressed a :23.10 and 45:70 pace set by Talk to the Judge. After shaking loose from Spencerian, Foxy Junior had enough left to hold off the late-closing Sheilah’s Warcloud.