10/23 (LRL): Maryland Million Day
 

I'm confused as to why the Nursery allows 14 going 6F, while the Sprint is only allowing 8. And why are the top two money earners this year (and ML choices) stuck in AE's?

2nd and 3rd choices in the Classic are in the AE's as well. Kind of weird...no?

You have to be both a true Maryland-bred AND be nominated specifically to the Maryland Millions. In the event of a field less than 8, the track allows registered Marlyand-breds (that are presumably not nominated to the MD Millions) to be on the AE list. Or something like that...

From the condition book:

ONLY horses by the stallions listed, who were conceived in Maryland and fully nominated/certified to the Maryland Million program, are eligible to run in Maryland Million races with the following exception:
A race with less than eight (8) Maryland Million-eligible entries will open up to registered Maryland-Breds, for the sole purpose of maintaining a field size of eight (8). The registered Maryland-Breds will draw in off the also-eligible list based on the following preferences: 1. Total earnings based on race specific surface (Turf/Dirt) since October 25, 2020; 2. Total earnings since October 25, 2020.

Seems like an effective way to make the race a way worse betting affair.

In other words…business as usual in horse racing

It looks like even Maryland stallions have to be "nominated" to the Maryland Millions in order for their offspring to be eligible and whatever fee they have to pay is only good for one year. I guess that's a good way to collect bilk as many people as possible so they can run for those mammoth $100k purses.

Maybe their slogan...instead of like in New York where "it pays to be a NY-bred"...in Maryland it's: "YOU pay to be a MD-bred"...