With the 2014 Maryland Million nearly at hand, we will take a look back at the 2013 edition, highlighting the winners and telling the stories.
Laurel Park linemaker Keith Feustle took one look at the 2013 Maryland Million Ladies, a 1 1/8 mile turf test for older fillies and mares, and predicted how the public would react: “They’re going to see a wide open field,” he said. “They’re going to think, ‘Wow, nobody sticks out.’”
That proved to be the case. In the day’s most wide-open betting, defending champ Pagan Priestess went off the tepid 3.60-1 favorite in a field of 10; and five horses were between 3-1 and 6-1.
One of those five, Monster Sleeping (4.10-1), stalked the pace before pouncing in the stretch to win by two lengths.
[boxify cols_use =”3″ cols =”6″ position =”right” box_spacing =”5″ padding =”3″ background_color =”gray” background_opacity =”10″ border_width =”1″ border_color =”blue” border_style =”solid” height =”150″ ]2013 MARYLAND MILLION SPRINT
- Monster Sleeping (Dale Capuano/Charles J. Reed)
- Daydreamin Gracie (Dane Kobiskie/PTK LLC))
- Pagan Priestess (Robert Bailes/Bobby Sowder)[/boxify]
“We had been preparing for this race for quite a while,” trainer Dale Capuano said after the race. The then-four-year-old filly had won two allowance races at Presque Isle Downs over the summer before running a good third, at monster odds, in the Jameela, a turf sprint for Maryland-breds.
The daughter of Oratory, out of the winning Norquestor mare Bold Questor, broke well and ran better. “She usually breaks well and today she broke sharp and raced like we hoped she would,” Capuano noted. “We put a lot of time and effort into getting her ready and it paid off today.”
For Capuano, who had claimed the horse for owner Chip Reed for $30,000 in March, it was the tenth Maryland Million victory of his career, leaving him tied atop the rankings with the legendary King Leatherbury.
Monster Sleeping wins the 2013 Maryland Million Ladies. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
MONSTER SLEEPING file
- Breeding: Oratory-Bold Questor, by Norquestor
- Race record (as of 10/10/14): 38-7-10-7, earnings of $342,740
- Humans:
- Breeders Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Holt & Mr. & Mrs. Mark Vogel
- Trainer Dale Capuano
- Owner Charles J. Reed
- Jockey Jose Garcia
- For more:
