The $150,000 Maryland Million Classic Stakes anchors one of the annual highlights of horse racing in the Old Line State Saturday at Laurel Park – Maryland Millions Day. Twelve races are on tap, all of them stakes that are restricted to horses sired by a stallion who stands in Maryland.

The Maryland Million Classic is a 1 1/8-mile event for horses ages 3 years old and older, and this year’s race drew eight starters, including last year’s winner Ournationonparade. There are three horses on the also-eligible list, which is restricted to Maryland-breds who were not sired by stallions who reside in the state. It will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV along with all of the other races on the Maryland Millions card. Post time is set for 4:40 p.m. ET.

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Read on for information about all of the Maryland Million Classic starters:

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1. Market Maven (4-1 morning-line odds)

Jockey: TBD

Trainer: Jamie Ness

Owner: Gregory Gordon

Career record: 15 starts – 5 wins – 1 second – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $220,068

Earnings per start: $14,671

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 103

Pedigree: Super Ninety Nine – My Sonata, by Noble Causeway

Age: 5

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding ships in from Parx Racing in Pennsylvania for trainer Jamie Ness, who also conditions Ournationonparade. He’s assembled a decent career on that circuit but is still seeking his first stakes win. Market Maven exits two stakes races restricted to Pennsylvania-breds in which he finished fourth and most recently third, defeated by a total of 15 ¼ lengths. He won two consecutive allowance-optional claiming races at Parx back in late 2022 and early 2023 by pressing the early pace and taking over at will but hasn’t come close to capturing that form in five subsequent starts. He should be among the first flight of contenders early on in this 1 1/8-mile race and is a longshot win candidate.

Bet on Market Maven in the Maryland Million Classic

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2. Double Crown (9-5)

Jockey: Jeiron Barbosa

Trainer: Raymond Ginter Jr.

Owner: Built Wright Stables

Career record: 39 starts – 8 wins – 9 seconds – 4 thirds

Career earnings: $738,520

Earnings per start: $18,936

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 106

Pedigree: Bourbon Courage – Two Columbus, by Two Punch

Age: 6

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This veteran leads the 2023 Maryland Million Classic field in starts and earnings and has racked up some big wins in his five-year-career on the track, including the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at 42.25 odds in 2022. He comes into Saturday’s race off of a sharp 4 ½-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Polynesian Stakes on Sept. 10 at Pimlico, where he stalked the pace, shot up the inside, and drew clear of Grade 2 winner Un Ojo. He was well-defeated in the two starts prior to that, but one of them was  a stakes on turf and the other was the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic Stakes against a significantly tougher field than he’ll face in the Maryland Million Classic. There’s not a lot of speed lined up in this year’s contest, so expect Jeiron Barbosa to position Double Crown a bit closer to the early lead than usual, keeping Ournationonparade within range. A leading win candidate.

Bet on Double Crown in the Maryland Million Classic

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3. Dolice Vita (20-1)

Jockey: Charlie Marquez

Trainer: Phil Capuano

Owners: Taking Risks Stable and Louis Ulman

Career record: 22 starts – 6 wins – 2 seconds – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $146,191

Earnings per start: $6,645

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Dortmund – Ronnet, by Demaloot Demashoot

Age: 4

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding makes his stakes debut Saturday and has over the past year alternated by competing in allowance races restricted to Maryland-breds and starter-optional claiming races. His speed figures are a cut below those of the leading Maryland Million Classic contenders and he’s winless in his last six starts dating back to February. After finishing a solid second in a 1 1/8-mile race at Pimlico in late May, Dolice Vita was off for just over four months and returned in a starter-optional claiming race Sept. 30 at Laurel, checking in third by 8 ½ lengths in a strung-out field. He will be one of the longest shots on the board Saturday and it’s hard to see him doing anything more than filling out the bottom rung of the superfecta with his best effort. 

Bet on Dolice Vita in the Maryland Million Classic

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4. Ournationonparade (3-1)

Jockey: Jaime Rodriguez

Trainer: Jamie Ness

Owners: Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berbs Racing, and Jagger Inc.

Career record: 34 starts – 9 wins – 4 seconds – 10 thirds

Career earnings: $518,921

Earnings per start: $15,262

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 111

Pedigree: Cal Nation – Parade of Colors, by Leading the Parade

Age: 6

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: The defending Maryland Million Classic winner has continued a solid career through his fifth season of racing – he’s only won once in nine starts since last year’s Maryland Million victory, but he has finished second three times and third four times. His only off-the-board finish came in his most recent start, when he set a contested early pace in the 1 1/16-mile Polynesian Stakes Sept. 10 at Pimlico, but faded badly and checked in last of five, defeated 15 lengths by Double Crown. This gelding projects as a speed threat in the Maryland Million Classic, and jockey Jaime Rodriguez, who’s been aboard Ournationonparade for 10 consecutive starts, should have him in a good spot either in front or sitting just off the early pace. Ournationonparade, who was astutely claimed by Jamie Ness one start prior to his 2022 Maryland Million Classic win, has been a consistent racehorse since his early starts as a 2-year-old in 2019. Look for a bounce-back effort Saturday.

Bet on Ournationonparade in the Maryland Million Classic

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5. Rhumjar (12-1)

Jockey: Jomar Torres

Trainer: Claudio Gonzalez

Owner: David Gruskos

Career record: 24 starts – 2 wins – 5 seconds – 4 thirds

Career earnings: $113,870

Earnings per start: $4,745

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Holy Boss – Heart Seeker, by Not For Love

Age: 4

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Rhumjar enters the Maryland Million Classic winless in his last nine starts. Last fall, he started in the Maryland Million Turf Stakes and finished eighth and then came back to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs by 3 ½ lengths. Since then, however, the Holy Boss gelding has struggled. In his most recent  start, he finished third by 1 ¼ lengths in a one-mile starter-optional claiming race at Delaware Park after contending into the stretch. He did much the same in his start before that, leading briefly at the top of the stretch in a Monmouth Park allowance-optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles and then being outfinished to check in fifth of nine runners. Based on those efforts, it’s hard to see Rhumjar ending his lengthy losing streak Saturday.

Bet on Rhumjar in the Maryland Million Classic

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6. All Threes (7-2)

 Jockey: Sheldon Russell

Trainer: Hamilton Smith

Owner: Kathleen Willier

Career record: 24 starts – 4 wins – 7 seconds – 4 thirds

Career earnings: $246,446

Earnings per start: $10,269

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107

Pedigree: Great Notion – After All, by Olmodavor

Age: 5

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: All Threes projects as one of two horses – along with defending winner Ournationonparade – who should set the early tempo in the Maryland Million Classic. The gelding has either set or pressed the pace in six of his last seven starts, winning twice in that span. He hasn’t been able to close the deal in his four most recent outings, all coming with Sheldon Russell in the irons, finishing second three times in a row and then third last time out in a Sept. 15 Pimlico allowance-optional claiming race held at 1 1/16 miles. That means All Threes is a second-tier win candidate in this year’s Maryland Million Classic, but definitely a threat to hit the board if the pace is modest enough.

Bet on All Threes in the Maryland Million Classic

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7. Ain’t Da Beer Cold (30-1)

Jockey: Jevian Toledo

Trainer: Kenneth Cox

Owners: Matt Spencer, Kelly Jo Cox, and Bonuccelli Racing

Career record: 31 starts – 5 wins – 5 seconds – 4 thirds

Career earnings: $300,174

Earnings per start: $9,683

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 106

Pedigree: Freedom Child – Distinct Affair, by With Distinction

Age: 5

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Ain’t Da Beer Cold comes in to Saturday’s Maryland Million Classic carrying an 11-race losing streak dating back to September 2022. His last five starts in particular seem to make him overmatched against this field, as he has been no threat whatsoever in any of them and his closest margin of defeat was 11 ¾ lengths. He has competed in the Maryland Million Classic in each of the past two runnings, finishing eighth by 47 lengths when eased in 2021 and eighth again last year, losing by 14 ¾ lengths. Ain’t Da Beer Cold followed that effort up in December 2022 with a very good runner-up finish in a 1 1/16-mile Laurel Park stakes race, well ahead of third-place Ournationonparade … but that was nearly a year ago. He could carry the highest odds in the Maryland Million field when the starting gates open Saturday.

Bet on Ain’t Da Beer Cold in the Maryland Million Classic

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8. Loose Ends (10-1)

Jockey: William Humphrey

Trainer: Cathal Lynch

Owner: Runnymoore Racing

Career record: 20 starts – 5 wins – 10 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $260,538

Earnings per start: $13,027

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Pedigree: Divining Rod – Giant Shadow, by Giant’s Causeway

Age: 4

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Divining Rod gelding is one of two horses in the main field for the Maryland Million Classic who enters off of a win, joining Double Crown. Loose Ends won a one-mile allowance-optional claiming race at Delaware Park Aug. 5, rallying from last and gamely holding off another closer to prevail by three-quarters of a length. He’s fashioned a solid race record through 20 starts and finished second in his only stakes appearance to date back in June 2022 at Parx Racing. As that record indicates, however, he has twice as many runner-up finishes as wins, and his overall speed figures are a cut below those of the main contenders, which means he makes more sense as a candidate to fill out the trifecta or possibly the exacta than as a win candidate.

Bet on Loose Ends in the Maryland Million Classic

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9. Super Accelerate (also-eligible, 8-1)

Jockey: Horacio Karamanos

Trainer: Robin Graham

Owner: Steven Walfish

Career record: 9 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $136,360

Earnings per start: $15,151

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98

Pedigree: Accelerate – Bawlmer Hon by Silver Train

Age: 3

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Super Accelerate needs a defection to draw into the Maryland Million Classic. If he does get in, the 3-year-old has an upset chance based on his recent form as he won three races in a row at Laurel Park – including a seven-furlong stakes for Maryland-breds on July 29 – before throwing in a clunker in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town. He finished ninth of 10 starters in that Aug. 25 race, which was held on a wet-fast track. Super Accelerate would be a good bet to bounce back from that effort with a return to his home track Saturday, although extending out to two turns and 1 1/8 miles could be dicey as he’s never run longer than seven furlongs in his nine prior races.

Bet on Super Accelerate in the Maryland Million Classic

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10. Frightland (also-eligible, 12-1)

Jockey: Jevian Toledo

Trainer: Brittany Russell

Owner: Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds

Career record: 15 starts – 2 wins – 6 seconds – 3 thirds

Career earnings: $158,632

Earnings per start: $10,575

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 92

Pedigree: Munnings – Love’s Blush, by Not For Love

Age: 5

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding will need two defections from the main body of the Maryland Million Classic field in order to compete. If he does, he could hit the board based on his recent form as he won his most recent race, a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Colonial Downs on Sept. 2, and finished a close second in his start prior to that, a seven-furlong allowance race at Laurel on Aug. 11. His speed figures are modest compared with the main contenders in the Maryland Million field and he’s never competed in a stakes before, and that should elevate his odds if he draws in.

Bet on Frightland in the Maryland Million Classic

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11. Big Blue Line (also-eligible, 8-5)

Jockey: Joe Rocco Jr.

Trainer: Paul McGee

Owner: Silverton Hill

Career record: 16 starts – 3 wins – 6 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $219,782

Earnings per start: $13,736

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 113

Pedigree: Atreides – Arch Enemy, by Arch

Age: 4

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Should Big Blue Line draw into the Maryland Million Classic field – and he needs three defections to do so – he will be one of the main win candidates despite only winning three of 16 starts and entering on a five-race losing streak. He ships in from the Kentucky circuit off of four consecutive runner-up efforts, the most recent one coming in a one-mile turf race at Kentucky Downs (his turf debut), where he earned a 113 Equibase Speed Figure. In his race prior to that, Big Blue Line ran second behind Stage Raider in the one-mile R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park in August (Stage Raider subsequently finished a good second in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes on Sept. 30). He’ll be facing lesser competition in the Maryland Million Classic and has been successful racing two turns, with one of his wins coming at 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs back in 2022. Ournationonparade won last year’s Maryland Million Classic after shipping in from Kentucky, and Big Blue Line could follow the same path … if he gets in the field.

Bet on Big Blue Line in the Maryland Million Classic