After making a powerful move from last place on the far turn, 5-year-old gelding Regal Solo attacked the leaders at the top of the stretch and pulled away by 11/4 lengths to win the $150,000 Maryland Million Classic on Saturday at Laurel Park.
The victory for owner Alvin Lapidus and trainer Damon Dilodovico came in the centerpiece of the 25th running of the Maryland Million, a rich 11-race showcase for offspring of stallions based in the state. The event is the second-most important - after the Preakness Stakes - on the Maryland racing calendar.
The announced attendance was 23,367.
Regal Solo, ridden by Sheldon Russell, bettered his third-place finish in last year's Classic. The son of 1996 Preakness winner Louis Quatorze completed the 1 1-8 miles on dirt in a time of 1:51.43.
Lapidus claimed the horse in August 2009 for $40,000 before the Classic last year.
"I gave it a lot of thought," he said. "It looked like an opportunity. It was worth the investment. A very honest horse and a great trainer."
Regal Solo has now won $361,840 in a 24-race career.
In the first race of the day, 1-5 favorite Twelve Pack Shelly, who had raced against some of the top 2-year-old fillies in the country, was upset by 10-1 longshot Doing Great in the $100,000 Maryland Million Lassie.
Twelve Pack Shelly sprinted straight to the lead under jockey Harry Vega, but Doing Great, ridden by Julien Pimentel, tracked closely the entire way and wore her down in the stretch to win by a half length, running the six furlongs in 1:12.06.
"Julien's instructions were these: If nobody's entertaining the favorite, it's your job," said Doing Great's trainer Michael Trombetta.
One race later, an even shorter-priced favorite, 1-9 shot Steady Warrior easily turned back nine other 2-year-old colts to take the $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery by 71/4 lengths.
Trained by Gary Capuano and ridden by Travis Dunkelberger, Steady Warrior ran the six-furlong race in 1:11.18. The colt is a son of Cherokee's Boy, a million-dollar earner.
King Leatherbury, the third-ranked all-time leading trainer in racing, sent out undefeated Ben's Cat to win the $100,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Turf Sprint.
The 4-year-old gelding, bred by Leatherbury, had his career delayed by a broken pelvis. He debuted in May and his now 6-for-6. He won the 51/2-furlong turf sprint, named after Maryland Million founder Jim McKay, the late ABC sportscaster, in 1:05.54.
