For the second straight year, Barbadian Runner, who hammered for $5,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale in 2023, won the showcase race on Saturday's 41st annual Jim McKay Maryland Million program at Laurel Park.But unlike last season, when the gelded son of Barbados was a largely unproven sophomore sent off at 6-1 odds to run down a formidable 1-to-10 favorite in the $150,000 Classic Stakes, this year Barbadian Runner was the odds-on choice–and the target that everyone else in the nine-furlong race knew they had to beat.For a few anxious moments entering the far turn, it looked as if Forest Boyce might have committed Barbadian Runner to an inside position for a touch too long while stalkers in the clear on the outside got first and second runs on a capitulating pacemaker.But Boyce never panicked. Keeping Barbadian Runner in hand, she extricated him from the fence and guided the gelding out to the five path turning for home, and when he fully uncoiled in upper stretch, he was as good as gone, opening up to win by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:50.03 while never facing a stern late test.“I thought we might be a little bit farther back. Normally he doesn't break that sharp. I mean, the last race [a win in a $200,000 open-company stakes at Delaware Park], I was kind of riding him to keep him in position. And so, when he did [break alertly, I thought], 'Oh, this is great,' because he put me where I needed to be, and that's often what he does when he's on his game.”Barbadian Runner, a Shamrock Farm-bred 4-year-old who races in the colors of AJ Will Win Stables, now owns an 11-8-4 record with $1,183,635 in earnings from 27 lifetime starts.Although the gelding routinely runs Beyer Speed Figures in the 90s that might be competitive on a larger circuit, trainer Henry Walters said he'd like to keep Barbadian Runner racing in Maryland.“We love to run on our home ground, whenever possible. I mean, it's better for the horse. The company, it suits him fine. So we'll stay here as long as there's a race for us,” Walters said.Sacred Thunder (Holy Boss), a 27-1 shot, was second. Market Maven (Super Ninety Nine), who won this stakes in 2023, was third at 9-1.The eight stakes for the offspring of stallions standing in Maryland were conducted over fast and firm course conditions.The pair of Maryland Million juvenile races were each won by entrants adding blinkers coming off third-place efforts at Laurel earlier this month.In the $100,000 Nursery Stakes for 2-year-old males over six furlongs, Futile Gesture uncorked an impressive effort at 10-1 odds by deflecting a bump at the break then taking charge at the rail.Accosted by the 7-10 favorite on the far turn, this gelded son of Friesan Fire held his position stubbornly for a quarter mile before wresting control at the eighth pole, then opening up late by eight lengths under the wire.Celtic Contender | Equi-PhotoBred and owned by The Elkstone Group, Futile Gesture was clocked in 1:11.08 under Jorge Ruiz.“Mentally, he always had a really good mind, but he has grown and filled out and matured a lot,” said Tana Aubrey, the assistant for trainer Michael Trombetta. “He's quite a big boy, and he's going to keep growing. Looking forward to next year with him. We'd maybe like to try him a little bit longer. I think he's going to have a very bright future.”In the companion $100,000 Lassie Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs, Talking Foolish, bred, owned and trained by Hamilton Smith, responded to her equipment change with a confident try amid traffic that resulted in a 2 1/2-length win as the 3.8-1 third choice.After breaking toward the back, Jevian Toledo sent this daughter of Blofeld up through the middle of the pack, twice splitting foes before the half-mile pole so she could shadow the leader into the far turn. Although she tired in upper stretch, Talking Foolish stayed on when challenged to win in 1:11.17.The $125,000 Turf Stakes over nine furlongs yielded the biggest upset of the day, by a 49-1 shot who was one day shy of his first victory in exactly a year.King's River, a 5-year-old gelded son of Irish War Cry, was last in the early stages, gave up three paths of real estate on both turns, then churned for home eight wide, leveling off in mid-stretch before re-igniting to survive a late scare to win by a head in 1:50.44.Kevin Gomez rode the $100.60 winner for owners Pepe Stable and J L M Jacona Stable and trainer Jose Magana. King's River was bred by Bryan Blair Minnich.Although Maryland's perennial leading stallion Great Notion was pensioned prior to the 2026 breeding season, he managed to increase an already remarkable Maryland Million streak to 17 years when 3-2 favorite Mopo took down the $125,000 Ladies Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. His offspring have now won at least one stakes in every running of the Maryland Million since 2010.Great Notion has been the state's leading stallion by progeny earnings every year since 2018, and is once again the clear leader in money won so far this season.Mopo broke alertly from the outermost 10 post and sat a solo second behind a breakaway pacemaker under Paco Lopez before reeling in that target around the far bend and opening up under mild urging to score by three-quarters of a length in 1:43.28.Bred by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman and Rebecca Davis, the 4-year-old filly hasn't been off the board in seven starts this year, racking up four wins for her namesake owner, Mopo Racing, and trainer Phillip Capuano.The $100,000 Distaff Stakes at seven furlongs ended up being a 5 1/2-length, front-running romp for 11-10 favorite Takethemoneyhoney, a 5-year-old daughter of Golden Lad who is now 4-for-4 in Maryland-restricted stakes.Takethemoneyhoney is also no slouch in open-company sprint stakes. In three such races at Laurel and Monmouth Park over the past year and a half, she has earned one win and was second, only narrowly beaten, on two other occasions.Trainer Michael Moore orchestrated Saturday's win off a 7 1/2-month layoff for the breeder/owner partnership of Kasey K Racing Stable, Michael Day and Final Turn Racing Stable. Eliseo Ruiz rode. The final time was 1:23.87.In the $100,000 Turf Sprint Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs, the fourth time was the charm for Whenigettoheaven (Street Magician), who had been second, fifth and third in the previous three editions of this stakes.Off as the 1.7-1 second favorite under Lopez, the 7-year-old gelding was hustled from the gate, secured the inside, spurted clear soon after turning for home, then repelled an outside late threat to win under a drive by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:03.04.Bred by R. Larry Johnson, Whenigettoheaven is owned by Ken Ramsey and trained by his grandson, Nolan Ramsey.In the $100,000 Sprint Stakes at six furlongs, 8-5 second choice Celtic Contender (Irish War Cry), stalked a dueling duo and pounced at the quarter pole to win by a measured length in 1:10.15.Boyce rode the 5-year-old homebred for owner Lewis Family Racing (bred by the late Fred T. Lewis, DVM) and trainer Hamilton Smith.Celtic Contender won the 2024 edition of this race and had recently been second in a pair of open stakes sprints at Colonial Downs and Laurel.The post Barbadian Runner Repeats In Maryland Million Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.