A dense mist rose from the infield lake at Laurel Park Saturday morning, blanketing the racetrack but not dampening anticipation for the 41st edition of the Jim McKay Maryland Million.
Affectionately and appropriately named "Maryland's Day at the Races," the afternoon showcased the state's absolute best, whether as a breeder, jockey, owner, trainer, backstretch employee, or racehorse.
As proven again in the day's main event, no locally based, Maryland-bred racehorse can surpass Barbadian Runner.
"Maryland's Horse" successfully defended his crown in the $150,000 Brown Advisory Maryland Million Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, delighting a large crowd that came to cheer and bet on the popular 4-year-old gelding.
They knocked him down to 1-5 on the tote board, clapped with enthusiasm as he and his regular rider, Forest Boyce, passed by them in the post parade, then roared with joy as he surged past Wickedivine and Sacred Thunder with a quarter mile to go.
They rushed to surround the winner's circle as Barbadian Runner's veteran trainer, Henry Walters, humbly accepted the trophy.
The Cinderella story of the $5,000 yearling-turned-millionaire continues.
"We looked at several horses at that yearling sale," Walters said in a video feature earlier this week. "We had about ten that we were really interested in. The ones before him, we didn't get. We either changed our mind late or we got outbid. When his number came up, we had looked at him earlier on, and he looked like he'd fit in our program."
Barbadian Runner always trained like a dependable horse.
"The more he ran, the more he blossomed," Walters explained. "It was quite a surprise to me that he would go a route of ground because he was built like a sprinter, and trained like a sprinter. Once he had a half-dozen races in him, he showed that he wanted to go longer."
Barbadian Runner is a very handy horse, meaning he can adapt to any race scenario. He broke very well under Boyce and settled in a pocket, just behind pacesetter Goodbye Note and outside the pace-presser Wickeddivine.
The fractions of 23.83 and 48.08 seconds were fair, and Wickeddivine, making his first start beyond six furlongs, moved into a short lead after six furlongs in 1:13.41. Barbadian Runner deftly eased off the inside to avoid a backpedaling Goodbye Note, then set his sights on Sacred Thunder.
There was little drama in the stretch as Barbadian Runner took the lead and strutted home by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:50.03 on a fast track. Sacred Thunder was second, 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Market Maven. Wickeddivine, Omar Comin, In the Dance, Davyjonz, and Goodbye Note completed the order of finish. Derbyness, Roll On Jesse, and Bill of Rights failed to escape the Also Eligible list.
Barbadian Runner paid $2.40 to win.
"We were unsure what kind of pace we were looking at today," said Walters. "I [didn't] give [Forest] any instructions. I said to play it by ear, and ride him like you usually do."
Walters appreciated the fans' support. "It's great," he said. "He's got his own fan club."
Boyce, perennially underrated yet consistently excellent, rode two winners on the card after Celtic Contender won the Sprint. Her mounts have earned $2,898,286 this year, her highest total since 2013, and she has earned at least $2 million every year but two since 2010. The Maryland Million Classic was her tenth stakes win this year, tying her career seasonal best.
"I loved that today he broke so sharp, which is where you needed to be," Boyce said of Barbadian Runner. "I thought we might be a little bit further back, but he normally doesn't break that sharp. In the last race, I was riding him to keep him in position. So when he did [break well], I thought 'this is great' because he put me where I needed to be."
Bred by Shamrock Farm, Barbadian Runner is by Barbados and out of Quiet Run, by Northern Afleet. His dam is an unraced half-sister to Grade 3 winner It Happened Again.
In an era when top horses often have abbreviated careers, 4-year-old Barbadian Runner has 27 starts, including 11 wins, 8 seconds, and 4 thirds. He has won stakes races at Laurel, Monmouth, Charles Town, and Delaware, and has earned $1,183,635.
Walters was noncommittal about Barbadian Runner's next race. He said Barbadian Runner may start again in 2026, but the long-term goal is to three-peat in the Classic next year.
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