Post Time leads Saturday’s Maryland Million Classic

Post Time, the reigning Maryland-bred horse of the year, is the headline attraction for Saturday’s 40th edition of the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic, a 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up on the dirt. 

Trained by Brittany Russell for Mrs. Ellen Charles’s Hillwood Stable, 3-5 morning-line favorite Post Time is unbeaten from 10 prior outings at Laurel Park. The winner of last year’s Grade 3 General George Stakes at Laurel, he dominated the previous two editions of the Polynesian Stakes here by a combined 28 1/2 lengths. Two weeks ago, Post Time finished third of three in the Woodward Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, 4 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Locked.

Click here for Laurel entries and results.

Post Time will be piloted by regular rider Sheldon Russell, and is the high weight at 124 lbs.

"It’s the same thing with Post Time,” Brittany Russell said. “It’s home. He’s good here. We’re running him back in two weeks. Hopefully, he responds to that. It’s a little bit of a tricky situation for us, but he’s a good horse, and I think he’ll show up regardless.”

Blue Kingdom is the 5-1 second choice on the morning line. A 4-year-old gelding by First Mondays, Blue Kingdom captured his last three starts by a combined 16 3/4 lengths, including a gate-to-wire romp in a $50,000 starter allowance at Delaware on Sept. 25. Trained by Jamie Ness for Darryl Abramowitz’s DEA Thoroughbred Racing, Blue Kingdom breaks from post six under Mychel Sanchez, will carry 120 lbs., and looms the controlling speed in the race.

Blue Kingdom was claimed by Ness out of a victory in a conditioned $30,000 claimer on July 30, the horse’s first start following a seven-month layoff.

“We saw a Maryland-bred off a layoff. We took a shot,” Ness said. “He still has all his conditions. Maryland Million, it’s the big day for Maryland, so we always try to take chances in these races. Post Time is a Grade 1 horse, and we’re still an entry-level allowance horse, so it’s a tall task. He’ll get the old litmus test.”

Barbadian Runner, the third choice on the line at 6-1, breaks from post position two under Forest Boyce. Trained by Henry Walters for AJ Will Win Stables, Barbadian Runner is a 3-year-old gelding by Barbados. A four-time stakes-winner this year, all against open company, Barbadian Runner recently won the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for 3-year-olds racing seven furlongs at Charles Town. Barbadian Runner carries 121 lbs. in the Classic.

First preference in the Jim McKay Maryland Million races goes to horses that are Maryland-sired. If there are fewer than eight Maryland-sired entrants in a race, then Maryland-bred runners are included in the body of the field.

With fewer than eight Maryland-sired entrants in the Maryland Million Classic, both Post Time and Secret Zipper were allowed to enter.

All the Hardways, the lone also-eligible in the lineup, will compete if there is a race-day scratch, and it appears there will be an opportunity, as Ness mentioned that Feeling Woozy is an uncertain starter, and that trainer Gary Capuano will scratch Secret Zipper, and is unlikely to run Sacred Thunder.

All the Hardways is conditioned by Jerry Robb, who holds the all-time Jim McKay Maryland Million record for wins by an active trainer.