Worth a Dime pays $24.80 for the win. (The Maryland Jockey Club photo)
Dan Illman/Laurel Park
LAUREL, Md.—Every dollar bet on Worth a Dime ended up being worth 118 dimes, as the Tim Keefe-trained filly closed from off the pace to win the TAA Maryland Million Ladies by 2 1/2 lengths in a surprise victory.
2023 Ladies champion Precious Avary went out and set the early pace, as expected, going through an opening quarter of 23.20 and a first half of 47.31. Worth a Dime was seventh on the first turn and last up the backstretch.
Precious Avary clung to a slight lead as they turned for home, but numerous challengers moved to engage at the top of the stretch, with just about every one of the eight in with a chance.
Jorge Ruiz moved Worth a Dime to midtrack at about the eighth pole, and the filly responded in kind. She accelerated to the front and left them behind in the lane, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.90. Juniper Juice finished second, while All Gas No Brakes was third.
Worth a Dime is now a two-time winner in six starts, having broken her maiden on debut on the Laurel grass on May 23. She’s by Country Life Farm stallion Mosler and is a homebred for Victor Frenkil’s Nancy Lee Farms.
This is his first Maryland Million victory as an owner or breeder. Keefe is now a two-time winner of the Ladies, previously scoring in 2022 with Coconut Cake, and an eight-time Maryland Million winner lifetime. Ruiz, riding Worth a Dime for the first time, picked up his sixth career Maryland Million victory.
