Maryland Million at a glance: Sprints * The Racing Biz

Maryland Million at a glance: Sprints

Rugged group in the Sprint; Had to Have Him defends Turf Sprint crown

The Biz
October 22, 2026

In advance of the Maryland Million races, we’ll be providing Maryland Million stakes at a glance: couple-paragraph writeups on what each race offers.

Here, the $100,000 Sprint and the $100,000 Turf Sprint.

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Rugged group in Sprint

Celtic Contender brings sharp summer form into Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel Park. The Hamilton Smith-trained son of Irish War Cry most recently defeated Suremeanttoobe by 1½ lengths at Colonial Downs Aug. 23, following runner-up finishes in the Reigh Count and De Francis Dash. Forest Boyce retains the mount on the five-year-old, who has six wins over Laurel’s main track.

Haileysfirstnotion offers a formidable challenge after catching Spikezone in Delaware Park’s New Castle Handicap Sept. 11. Gary Capuano’s trainee has finished in the top three in all four starts this year, including a close third in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint. Suremeanttoobe makes his first start for Mike Maker following an $80,000 claim out of a narrow defeat Oct. 4, while Band Camp arrives off consecutive victories at Penn National and Parx. And Sum, a Colonial allowance winner before finishing second going a mile at Laurel, returns to sprinting.

*Had to Have Him won the 2025 Maryland Million Turf Sprint. Photo by Allison Janezic.*

Had to Have Him seeks Turf Sprint title defense

Had to Have Him returns to defend his title in Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint at Laurel Park, with familiar rivals waiting. The John Salzman Jr. trainee defeated Whenigettoheaven by three-quarters of a length in last year’s running and will again have Jevian Toledo aboard. He has not raced since finishing a half-length behind Witty in the June 20 Ben’s Cat Stakes, when Whenigettoheaven was another head back in third.

Whenigettoheaven subsequently defeated Determined Kingdom in a $100,000 handicap at Colonial Downs Aug. 15 and returns for trainer Nolan Ramsey with Paco Lopez riding. Millionaire Witty, bred, trained, and co-owned by Elizabeth Merryman, most recently finished fourth, beaten 1½ lengths, in the Laurel Dash after encountering trouble at the start. The established stakes runners’ biggest rival could be Tidewater, who was fourth, beaten just 1 ½ lengths, in this event last year and has run respectably in a pair of stakes outings this season.