Maryland Million serves its purpose when drawing runners from out-of-state.

A horse doesn’t have to be a Maryland-bred to compete in the Maryland Million, but after 17 runnings that fact is still not crystal clear to everyone.

Phrases like “special day of racing for Maryland-breds” crop up now and then in unexpected places, and send shivers down the spines of Maryland Million’s small but hardworking P.R. staff.

The Maryland Million is all about sires.
It’s for horses sired in Maryland (by Maryland Million-nominated stallions). The idea is that Maryland stallions will attract mares from far and wide‹including many who might not otherwise have visited a Maryland stud farm. No matter where they are born, the resulting offspring, if nominated, will forever be eligible to run in rich restricted races on Maryland Million Day.

So when Maryland Million races are won by Pennsylvania-breds (as happened in the last two runnings of the Classic) or Kentucky-breds or New Jersey-breds, etc., it’s not a symptom of decline for Maryland’s breeding industry. Actually, it’s a sign of health. There are reasons to be concerned about the state of breeding and racing in Maryland, but this is not one of them.

Just ask Josh and Mike Pons, whose family-owned Country Life Farm in Bel Air, Md., has prospered along with the Maryland Million. Country Life is home to the all-time leading Maryland Million sire Allen’s Prospect, whose sons and daughters have accounted for 14 Million victories.

Allen’s Prospect is the most successful stallion ever to stand in the Mid-Atlantic region, by progeny earnings, with a lifetime total now approaching $35 million. A famously prolific breeder, Allen’s Prospect has sensational drawing power when it comes to mares‹he covered a total of 126 in 2001 and 102 in 2002, easily tops in the region.
How much of Allen’s success is attributable, directly and indirectly, to the Maryland Million can’t be precisely calculated. But one thing’s for sure. The Ponses rarely miss an opportunity to use the Maryland Million as a marketing tool for their stallions‹whether it’s booking mares, reminding breeders to nominate young horses or encouraging owners to enter their horses in Maryland Million Day races.

Horses bred in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, including last year’s Classic winner, PA-bred Sumerset, have accounted for four of Allen’s Prospect’s Maryland Million wins (nearly 29 percent), giving hope to breeders everywhere.

But enough about the superstar. Sixty-three other stallions have sired at least one Maryland Million winner, with four stallions joining the ranks this year. The newcomers are Compelling Sound, Deerhound, Not For Love and freshman sire Partner’s Hero.

A total of 170 stallions have been represented by a Maryland Million runner. Not every one of those sires can be considered a success at stud, but the vast majority of them found their careers boosted in some way by the Maryland Million. That’s a lot of spin-off benefits, for a lot of people.

The Maryland Million has a way of rewarding people who have been in the business a long time‹not that newcomers are immune from success.

This year’s list of winning owners includes Phyllis Dixon, Everett Novak (New Farm), Sondra Bender, William R. Harris and Arlene Daney, who have a combined two centuries or so in the business, and a foothold in every racing state within the Mid-Atlantic region. All, except Harris, have taken home earlier Maryland Million trophies.

Harris lives in Virginia, on the outskirts of Richmond, but has bred and raced a multitude of horses in Maryland since the 1960s, often ranking either near or at the top of the list of leading Maryland Fund award recipients. He has owned shares in a number of Maryland stallions, including Deerhound, who stood at Murmur Farm in Darlington until his daughter Countess Diana won the 1997 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes-G1 and an Eclipse Award as the nation’s champion 2-year-old filly.

Harris profited handsomely when Deerhound was sold to Kentucky, and was along for an even bigger ride with Murmur Farm this year, having three of his mares in foal to the famously departed Our Emblem.

The Maryland Million Sprint, won by 5-year-old homebred gelding Deer Run (by Deerhound), is one of the richest victories Harris has celebrated in all his years in the business. It’s also a fitting tribute to a man who has long sensed good value in Maryland stallions.