This week we will run a series of 10 Maryland Million Moments, indelible moments that have helped to define the meaning of Maryland’s Day at the Races. Here, Foxy Junior brings Maryland Million full circle by becoming the first Million stakes winner by a Maryland Million Classic champ..

Foxy Junior delivered a performance worthy of her lineage in the 2024 Maryland Million Distaff, charging from mid-pack to dominate by three-quarters of a length under jockey Jomar Torres.

The daughter of Cuba, trained by Bernie Houghton for owner-breeder Dianne Stern, notched her second career stakes win and cemented her status as one of the region’s most consistent distaffers. As of October 2025, she boasts a record of 24 starts with 11 wins, one second, and one third, earning $452,669.

More to the point, she became the first Maryland Million stakes winner by a previous winner of the Maryland Million Classic.

Houghton admitted that while he always liked the filly, her development exceeded expectations. “I just wasn’t sure [how good she was],” he said. “We gave her the time off, and I did like her. I knew she could run in the morning, and she won some races at Penn National, but she came back a lot better than I expected. I think it’s just time and maturity.”

Her sire Cuba was a Maryland Million star in his own right, capturing the 2008 Maryland Million Classic by four lengths as the second wagering choice for trainer Bobby DiBona and Leo-Sag Stable, et al. A hard-knocking 14-time winner who earned nearly $800,000, Cuba passed on that competitive spark to his daughter.

Foxy Junior’s Distaff triumph marked a milestone in the event’s history, in a sense bringing Jim McKay’s vision – a day to celebrate Maryland’s sires – to fruition.