Trainer Robbie Bailes brings a compact but formidable squad to this year’s Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park, led by promising juvenile Slewperstitus in the Lassie and the seasoned Slam Notion in the Sprint. They’ll be joined by Ginger Snap, a maiden, in the Lassie, and Next Girl, a starter handicap winner on this day last year, who returns in the Maryland Million Distaff.

Bailes has won three Maryland Million races in his career, including last year’s score with Next Girl. His first came in 1994.

Slewperstitus, a 2-year-old filly by Great Notion, comes into the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie with all the right signals. She’s trained steadily at Laurel since returning from Colonial Downs and recently turned in what Bailes called a “very good” workout.

“She’s come into the race very well,” Bailes said. “Had a work four days ago—everything came back good, and we’re just kind of crossing our fingers and looking forward to Saturday.”

The filly will be ridden by Jevian Toledo, who has been climbing aboard more of Bailes’ runners lately. “He’s been riding a few more for us,” the trainer said. “We’ll give it a go and see what happens.”

Though Slewperstitus has flashed talent from the start, Bailes remains grounded about the unpredictability of 2-year-olds.

“She’s always shown a lot of talent, but, like, until you put them in the gate and run them in the afternoon, you’re still not sure what you’re going to get,” the trainer said. “But she’s very forward in her training.”

Slewperstitus, a homebred for Eric and Nancy Rizer, has a win from three starts. She ran second twice at Colonial Downs, both times finishing Just Philtored. That runner is not here.

Two races after the Lassie, Bailes will send out WWCD LLC’s improving Next Girl in the Maryland Million Distaff, facing a competitive group of older fillies and mares. Next Girl is 10-1 on the morning line, while defending champ Foxy Junior is the tepid 3-1 favorite.

A surprise success story, she’s developed from a $12,500 claimer – the level at which she broke her maiden — into a stakes-caliber runner who’s equally effective on turf or dirt.

“She really kind of surprised us,” Bailes admitted. “Last year I wasn’t sure which way she was going to go, but she’s been one that just got better and better. She can run on grass or dirt, short or long—she’s been a real neat filly to be around.”

Next Girl’s steady improvement has come down to maturity and consistency. “Sometimes they just take longer to come around,” Bailes said. “She’s always been honest and tries every time. All of a sudden, she started kicking forward for us, and it’s been fun to see.”

Bailes’ most talented contender on the day may be Slam Notion, who takes on a deep field in the Maryland Million Sprint. The three-year-old Great Notion gelding is 5-2 on the morning line in a very competitive group that includes Haileysfirstnotion (2-1) and Twisted Ride (3-1). Also a Rizer homebred, Slam Notion comes in fresh after two wins on the dirt at Colonial Downs, including a two-length score in the restricted Star de Naskra Stakes.

“He’s really started doing good for us,” Bailes said. “He’s always been an honest sort: he gives you what he’s got. Those couple of races at Colonial were really big, and he’s doing very good coming into this one.”

Slam Notion has two off-color outings this year but excuses in both. In the Chick Lang, he had an awkward start and a bad trip, and Bailes calls it “a disaster from the start.”

And two back, he ran a middling effort on the turf. “The trainer’s bad decision,” Bailes jokes.

The Sprint, Bailes acknowledges, is always one of the toughest races on the card, and this year is no different.

“It’s a very competitive race. You’ve got to be on your game and get the trip,” he said. “We freshened him after the Chick Lang when he just didn’t get away good, and since then, he’s come back gangbusters.”

The whole Bailes gang appears to be coming into this year’s Maryland Million ready to roll, which means it could be a good day for him and for his owners, especially the Rizers, who own three of the Bailes quartet.  

“They’ve been wonderful to us,” Bailes said of his owners. “They’re really into it, out there every day with their horses. They deserve everything they get.”