Pimlico, September 9, 1990—Maryland Million launches stallion careers

“There’s no doubt who the star was at this year’s fifth anniversary Maryland Million,” reported Lucy Acton in the Maryland Horse. “More overpowering even than Anderson Fowler’s homebred entry of Timely Warning and Master Speaker [in the Classic]. . . more celebrated than [Eclipse Award winner] Safely Kept. . . was Allen’s Prospect, who sired the winners of both 2-year-old races.

“The only stallion represented by two winners on the 10-race program for Maryland-sired horses, Allen’s Prospect stands at the Pons family’s Country Life Farm near Bel Air. His Maryland Million winners are from his first crop to reach racing age.”

Not only did his daughter Ameri Allen win the USF&G Maryland Lassie for owner/breeder Hal C.B. Clagett, and Allen Paulson’s homebred colt Xray win the Crown Central Petroleum Maryland Nursery, Allen’s Prospect had a second-place finish in the Lassie with Orme Wilson Jr.’s homebred Ritchie Trail.

“I feel like Leslie Combs [the late Spendthrift Farm founder],” said Country Life patriarch Joe Pons.

A son of Mr. Prospector, Allen’s Prospect was named for Paulson, who owned a substantial share in the stallion and went to great lengths to support him. “I just can’t emphasize enough how important that has been to us, and to the horse,” said Josh Pons. The stallion was popular from the start, with 45 foals in his first crop – by far the most of any freshman sire in Maryland.

Timely Warning (Caveat), the lesser-regarded of Fowler’s two entrants in the featured $200,000 Budweiser Maryland Classic, dethroned defending Classic champion Master Speaker to record the richest victory of his career. In receipt of six pounds from two-time Maryland Million winner and 126-pound highweight Master Speaker, Timely Warning won by a length over his stablemate and completed the mile and a quarter in a credible 2:02 1/5, two-fifths off the track record. “The weight may have made the difference,” noted Gladstone, N.J., resident Fowler.
Craig Perret was aboard Timely Warning, and the win was the highlight of the rider’s near-perfect day. Perret won three races and finished in the money with all eight of his mounts. His other wins came with Xray (Nursery) and Jeweler’s Choice (Sprint).
Of the seven races worth $100,000-plus on the card, four of the winners were sired by young stallions (10 years old or under) standing in the state.
In addition to Allen’s Prospect (8) were Northview Stallion Station’s Belmont Stakes winner Caveat (10), sire of Timely Warning; and Bonita Farm’s Preakness Stakes winner Deputed Testamony (10), sire of Kennard Warfield Jr. Group Maryland Oaks winner McKilts.
Safely Kept and Countus In returned to successfully defend their titles in the State of Maryland Distaff Handicap and First National Bank of Maryland Ladies, respectively. Julie Krone was aboard both. “To the astonishment of no one, Safely Kept made light work in the Distaff. The [4-year-old]Horatius filly was pulling up as Amy Be Good and Run Spot chased her to the wire.”
Countus In’s performance was a virtual repeat of the previous year, winning by a length and a half over Oh My Pride. Well over half of the 5-year-old Dancing Count mare’s earnings came from her two Maryland Million scores.
Jeff Huguely, who that year succeeded Jim McKay as president of Maryland Million Ltd., was a member of the Fourbros Stable partnership with his brother George, and Bob and Tom Manfuso. The four brothers’ homebred Jeweler’s Choice, a son of Fourbros Stable stakes winner Shelter Half, was a runaway winner of the USAir Maryland Sprint Handicap. Finishing second was another son of Shelter Half, Born to Shop, bred and owned by Daniel Lopez’s Joe-Dan Farm.
Homebreds prevailed on the day, with six of the nine winners still owned by their breeders:
- Lassie—Ameri Allen (Hal C.B. Clagett)
- Nursery—Xray (Allen Paulson)
- Ladies—Countus In (Charles Middleton)
- Sprint—Jeweler’s Choice (Fourbros Stable)
- Classic—Timely Warning (Anderson Fowler)
- Turf—Hear the Bells (Due Process Stable)
Seven of the 10 winners were foaled in Maryland, two in Kentucky and one in Ontario, Canada.