Hello Beautiful Looks To Join Elite Company With Third Maryland Million Day Win

LAUREL, Md. (WJZ) -- With a win at Saturday's Maryland Million Day, 4-year-old filly Hello Beautiful would join some elite company in the state's horse racing history.

A first-place finish in the Maryland Million Distaff would be Hello Beautiful's third victory in the annual showcase of Maryland racing at Laurel Park, making her only the seventh horse to win three of the event's races since it began in 1986, the Maryland Jockey Club said.

Hello Beautiful previously finished first in the 2020 Maryland Million Distaff Handicap and the 2019 Maryland Million Lassie Stakes.

The most recent horse to accomplish the feat was Eighttofasttocatch, winner of three Maryland Million Classics between 2011 and 2014. The others are Ben's Cat, Countus In, Docent, Mz. Zill Bear and Safely Kept, according to the Maryland Jockey Club.

In her last time out, the dark bay filly by Golden Lad out of Hello Now dominated the field in the Sept. 18 Weathervane Stakes at Laurel Park, winning by 10 1/4-lengths with jockey Jevian Toledo aboard. Hello Beautiful has won three of her five starts in 2021, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park in February and second in the Shine Again Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in June.

"She's had a good year, anyway. I like to be humble about things," trainer Brittany Russell said. "Our filly's doing good and I hope she runs her race. Just stay humble and be happy that she's healthy."

In her career, Hello Beautiful has won nine of 17 races and earned $524,610 in prize money.

The seven-furlong Maryland Million Distaff is one of eight stakes races on the card for Maryland Million Day, which annually features the offspring of stallions standing in the state.

First post at Laurel Park on Saturday is 11:30 a.m.