Md. Million: A win that would mean a little more
Olivia’s Legacy carries more than just owners’ hopes
Frank Vespe
October 23, 2026
Maryland Million Lassie favorite Olivia’s Legacy is carrying more than just the hopes of her owners. Fortunately, she has angel’s wings to help.
For owner and breeder Charles Blanford, Saturday’s Lassie at Laurel Park offers a chance to fulfill a longtime racing ambition. But the two-year-old filly who will carry his hopes into the starting gate represents something far more important than winning a $100,000 stakes race.
Olivia’s Legacy, Blanford’s two-time winner who is the 2-1 morning line favorite, is named for Blanford’s daughter, Olivia, who died in a tragic accident at age three in September 2025. And every time the gray daughter of Blofeld runs, she carries a piece of her namesake with her.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
Blanford, who operates a small Maryland breeding operation and owns Blanford’s Tree Service, purchased Olivia’s Legacy at last October’s Fasig-Tipton Eastern fall yearling sale for $42,000.
Most of the horses he liked at the sale had zoomed past his top price of $50,000 before his friend George Horner suggested they look at one more filly.
“When that horse walked out of that stall, I just, if the vet work was right, that was the horse I was going to try to buy,” Blanford recalled in an interview on the Midlantic Racing Today podcast. “It just hit me when she walked out of that stall.”
He waited until the bidding slowed, then stepped in and purchased her for $42,000 for himself and partner Teresa Haupt.
The filly is gray, his favorite color, and by Blofeld, a Maryland stallion whose offspring have brought Blanford considerable success. She also arrived in his life as his family was coping with the unimaginable loss of daughter Olivia.
Olivia’s Legacy has done her name proud.
Trained by Anthony Pecoraro, she has won twice in four starts, finishing second in two Delaware Park stakes in between. Her debut victory June 17 was especially meaningful.
“My daughter was three when she lost her life, and her first race, Olivia’s Legacy, drew the three-hole and won, and I had changed my silks to pink with the angel wings,” he said. “So that was a dream come true. You know, how do you line this all up?”
Discussing that first victory, Blanford became emotional.
“Just no other feeling,” he said, pausing to collect himself.
After narrowly missing in two Delaware Park stakes, Olivia’s Legacy returned to win an allowance race that Pecoraro and jockey Paco Lopez treated as a learning opportunity ahead of the Maryland Million.
According to Blanford, Lopez initially wanted to send her straight to the lead. Pecoraro had other ideas.
“This is a prep race for the Maryland Million,” Blanford recalled the trainer telling Lopez. “There’s going to be a lot of horses in the Maryland Million. I want you to break good. I want you to get some pressure, and I want you to try to bring her between horses and get some dirt in her face and finish up.”
She handled the assignment and won with something left in reserve.
Blanford believes the substantial filly ultimately will appreciate stretching out around two turns. For now, though, the Lassie represents his immediate ambition.
“My next dream is to win a Maryland Million race,” he said. “A lot of people shoot for Kentucky Derbies. I just want a solid allowance horse that can run for $100,000 stake races, and if I get something extra, then that’s great.”
Blanford said in an interview that he’s connected to five horses running on Maryland Million day. He and Haupt are are partners on three runners on the card, with Bourbon N Music, a Blanford homebred, 30-1 on the morning line while facing Olivia’s Legacy in the Lassie and Uncle K O, another Blanford homebred, 20-1 in the Nursery.
Blanford also bred Beautiful Blome, 20-1 on the morning line when trying turf for the first time in the Ladies, and Bourbon N Lace, 30-1 in a starter handicap.
But Olivia’s Legacy is, well, she’s different. Special. She’s posted two half-mile moves since her Sept. 25 allowance win and is, according to Blanford, thriving. Blanford’s emotions will be boiling over if Olivia’s Legacy finds the wire first on Saturday.
“Give me a couple minutes if I win,” he said. “It’s gonna take a minute to put it together.”
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
