Fille d'Esprit

Set to take place Oct. 17 at Laurel Park, the 38th Jim McKay Maryland Million has attracted 281 pre-entries with defending champions MSW Ournationparade (Cat Nation) and MSW & MGSP Fille d'Esprit (Great Notion) leading the fields. Ournationonparade is one of 21 Classic pre-entries, eight of whom are Maryland-bred but not Maryland-sired, while last year's Maryland Million Distaff winner, and reigning Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, Fille d'Esprit highlights 23 pre-entries in the Distaff, 18 of whom are Maryland-sired. Maryland-bred horses may participate in a Maryland Million race if less...

A decade ago, trainer Jamie Ness claimed a filly named Parade of Colors for $5,000 at Laurel Park. She only ended up winning three lower-level races lifetime and only one for Ness, and when she retired at the end of 2012, Ness simply gave her away to breeder John Williamson III. But something about that filly resonated positively with Ness, and as he watched her offspring eventually reach the races as Maryland-breds, one in particular caught his eye: Ournationonparade, a son of Cal Nation, who won the 2019 Maryland Million...