Duckhorn Scratched from Maryland Million Classic

Duckhorn, the overwhelming 6-5 morning line choice for Saturday's $200,000 Maryland Million Classic, will not start because of a quarter crack in his right front foot.

Trainer Pat Byrne said the injury was discovered late yesterday afternoon just before the horse was to be vanned to Pimlico from Churchill Downs.

"It's only a big deal because we are right on top of this race," said Byrne from Kentucky this morning. "We have to back off for a few days, get the infection out of the foot, patch it and go from there. This happens from time to time, he's popped them once before. Unfortunately the timing is not good, right on top of a race. I'm certainly not the type of person to throw him in there when he's not right."

With Duckhorn's injury the classic is now a wide-open affair. All nine horses in the field have won over the Pimlico track. Maryland Jockey Club handicapper Frank Caruiil adjusted his morning line making Marciano the 2-1 choice.

Marciano defeated Burning Roma in the 2001 Tesio Stakes and was a solid seventh in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) later that spring. This year the son of Two Punch has two wins and a pair of second place finishes in seven starts.

PP.....Horse...............................New Morning Line
1........Duckhorn............................SCRATCHED
2........Hay Getoutofmyway............15-1
3........Big Becker.............................15-1
4........Concerned Minister...............9-2
5........Sumerset..................................9-2
6........Get the Picture......................10-1
7........Docent......................................3-1
8........Carney's Prospect.................10-1
9........Quiet Gratitude......................20-1
10......Marciano...................................2-1