When Post Time mounted a late charge along the rail in Saturday’s $150,000 Maryland Million Classic, it appeared that the five-year-old son of Frosted would run his record to 11-for-11 at his home track.

Just what you expect from a horse leaving the gate at 1-9.

But Barbadian Runner had other ideas.

The sophomore Barbados gelding dug deep, repelled the favorite, and inched away to win by three parts of a length in the day’s most surprising upset.

“I think we beat him pretty honestly,” said winning trainer Henry Walters. “It felt great. I just started walking to the winner’s circle.”

As expected the Jamie Ness-trained Blue Kingdom set the Classic tempo, leading for the first mile of the nine-furlong contest. The lead was 1 ½ lengths after a half-mile in a leisurely 50.31 seconds and up to three lengths after three quarters in 1:15.14.

Barbadian Runner, with regular pilot Forest Boyce in the irons, was biding his time in third, 3 ½ lengths off the leader. Post Time, meanwhile, was in fifth in the six-horse field, 5 ½ lengths back.

Boyce, who had managed to save ground most of the trip, eased Barbadian Runner out to the three path for the drive, while Sheldon Russell, already at work on Post Time, was able to slip through up the rail.

Those two rivals mounted their challenges inside and outside inside the furlong pole, but though they were on even terms then – and Post Time is known for his finishing verve – Barbadian Runner overcame his rival, slowly increasing his lead to the final margin in 1:51.09 for 1 1/8 miles. Barbadian Runner zipped the final eighth of a mile in less than 12 seconds.

It was another 1 ¾ lengths from Post Time to Blue Kingdom, who held third.

Barbadian Runner paid $14.60 to win as the second choice. The exacta with the chalk underneath paid $17.30 for a one-dollar wager.

Barbadian Runner won for the sixth time in 18 career outings. He pushed his career bankroll to nearly $730,000 for owner AJ Will Win Stables.

“Yesterday morning I blew him out through the lane that’s what I wanted, that run coming through the lane today,” Walters said.

Barbadian Runner’s win was certainly in the spirit of the Maryland Million. The day, envisioned by co-founder Jim McKay, the famed sportscaster, is designed to showcase Maryland’s stallions. Post Time, who has earned over $1.5 million but is not by a Maryland stallion, only drew in when a couple of scratches reduced the number of Maryland-sired runners below eight.

Barbados began his stud career in at Shamrock Farm in Maryland and now stands for $1,000 in West Virginia. Barbadian Runner, bred by Shamrock and out of the unraced Northern Afleet mare Quiet Run, cost just $5,000 as a yearling at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale in 2023.

That turns out to be a wise purchase.

The win was Walters’ first in a Maryland Million race and Boyce’s eighth.

“It feels great. I mean, everybody would love to have a horse like this,” Walters said. “He surprised me from day one when we purchased him. We never dreamed that he’d turn out this good. He’s gotten better each time.”