MD Distaff – Grade III – $150,000 \u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/B>After nailing the winner, the exacta and backing into the tri last week at <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>The<\/SPAN> Lonesome Cowboy Bert Special in New York, I learned how a sharing my monetary windfall could help influence where this cub reporter’s next assignment might be.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>When I arrived at the BTB to find out my next assignment, I was bummed when I saw \u00a0 <\/SPAN> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Anyway getting on to the assignment at hand the Maryland Distaff is a time honored tradition, run on the second jewel card, for as long as there has been a second jewel.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Perhaps the greatest incarnation of this race went down back in 2006, when Squall is a Storm<\/B> won over Empire Reef<\/B> and Waki Notion<\/B>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Those three legends would go on to earn nearly 10 million between them. Last year, the morning line favorite and current millionaire Irreversible<\/B> ran an off the board fourth.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The winner, a horse named Chocolate Pigeon,<\/B> had been claimed three times (tags as low as 5k) before finding herself a trainer who saw her potential.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Chocolate Pigeon ran a 106 spf last year to win this Grade 3 race and today after 31 races it is still by far the fastest she has ever gone. The history shows that any horse in this race can win no matter how humble their pedigree or the past performances might look. After all Chocolate Pigeon was Markella x The Field : Bold Peggy- PP 10 ML fave 5-1 Tr. Conniecpu \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN> Bold Peggy comes into this race looking as good as any older horse in training. Ranked 8th<\/SUP> among route runners, this lovely gray mare is closing in on the million dollar mark in lifetime earnings. The classy 6 year old has won her last two races impressively at nine furlongs with spfs of 108 or <\/SPAN>better. Looks poised to run her eyeballs out Saturday and it will take a huge effort from one of her competitors to stop her win streak from moving to three. It is always nice when you start your handicapping on one like this because she is the one to beat. Dixieland Deputy- PP 9 ML 17-1 Tr. Lurch The 5 year old chestnut mare had a nice outing in a very small field and ran second, but before that things are nowhere near as rosy. She has tried longer, shorter, turf and off surfaces to no avail and her speed figures and race record don\u2019t stack with Bold Peggy, until you go back nearly a year to October of 2007.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It was a Grade 2 race but too long ago for any bettor to think it still matters. At her best she figures, but she will be proving me wrong. Fusaichi Indeed- PP 2 ML 7-1 Tr. Riverland Has been in excellent form over her last five races and has shown the capacity to put up speed figures at this distance. Likes to rate just off the lead or take control of the pace if it her jockey wants to. This is a very talented horse and looking at her charts you almost wonder why she doesn\u2019t win more.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is as good as any mare in the race but does she want to win badly enough? Certainly would be no surprise if she brings her best. Surgewell- PP 12 ML 6-1 Tr. Isisbabe<\/I> Surgewell has dazzled crowds in Early Spring- PP 7 ML 6-1 Tr. Mattress Early Spring has been campaigning at or around the mile mark recently and brings a series of nice efforts to the crab state.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>One can question if 9 panels will be here best distance and the pedigree feels a bit \u201cspirintier\u201d than most of her foes.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>After tilting at every windmill for awhile, she comes in off only two races since November. She may need this race to find her best form or may spring a big one. Worth a second look. Buda at the Rodeo- PP 4 ML 7-1 Tr. Fiat Buda has been quite the globe trotter, running dirt races all across Europe before getting his passport stamped on the <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/P> Glorious Morning- PP 13 ML 7-1 Tr.