Seven’s Eleven earned his first stakes victory in style at Laurel Park on Oct. 14, taking the $100,000 1/ST BET Maryland Million Sprint by five lengths.

The 3-year-old gelded son of the late Northview stallion Bandbox went off as the 9-2 fourth choice in the field of nine sent out in the six-furlong dash. In his last start prior to the Sprint, he easily beat a first-level Maryland-bred allowance field at Laurel by eight and a half lengths. 

Seven’s Eleven broke alertly under Angel Cruz from the two post and set up shop near the early pace while last year’s Maryland Million Nursery winner Johnyz From Albany went to the lead and dashed a first quarter in :22.22 and a half in :44.95. As Seven’s Eleven slowly began to advance on the outside, the two remained deadlocked at the top of the stretch until Johnyz From Albany started to wilt and Seven’s Eleven drew off to an easy victory from there. Favored Twisted Ride (Great Notion) rallied for second, while Holy Synchronicity (Holy Boss) got up for third over Johnyz From Albany. The final time for six furlongs was 1:10.49. 

Seven’s Eleven now has a career record of 4-1-0 from 10 starts, for earnings of $170,560. On the board once in three starts at 2, he won a maiden special weight at Laurel on Jan. 27 and recorded his second win in a first-level allowance on March 25 before going to the sidelines. He returned to the races with an off-the-board finish in a turf sprint on Sept. 8 at Pimlico before returning to the main track and winning his next two outings easily. 

A homebred for Steven Reed’s Cottonwood Stable LLC, Seven’s Eleven is trained by Carlos Mancilla. This is the first Maryland Million victory for the owner, and third for Mancilla, following wins in the 2016 Starter Handicap with Who Stole My Sock and 2022 Distaff Starter Handicap with Mavilus. 

Seven’s Eleven is the second foal out of the winning Senor Swinger mare Senorita Siete, and her second winner. The mare has a yearling filly by Street Magician named Seven’s Magic and produced a Good Samaritan colt this past April named Seven’s Good. She was bred to Blofeld for 2024.