Olympian Bode Miller’s Ravenheart Wins Maryland Stakes Race

Bode Miller, pictured above in a file photo, earned a stakes win with 2-year-old colt Ravenheart on Saturday at Laurel Park. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
Olympic gold medalist and world champion skier Bode Miller won the $50,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity on Saturday at Laurel Park with Ravenheart, a 2-year-old colt by Dance With Ravens.
Trained by Francis Abbott III and ridden by Forest Boyce, Ravenheart took the lead at the top of the stretch and held off a late rally from Flash McCaul to win by a head.
Ravenheart won his debut on Oct. 3 at Delaware Park before finishing fourth in the Maryland Million Nursery Stakes at Laurel on Oct. 17 and then sixth in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Nov. 28 at Aqueduct when stretching out to 1 1/8 miles.
“We thought he deserved a shot to run in the Remsen,” Abbott said. “It was tough to get him to cut back after trying to get him to relax that extra quarter-mile, so to come back — we had to sharpen him up a little bit and put a little bit of speed in him — [with a win] was great.”
RAVENHEART (inside) HOLDS ON TO WIN MARYLAND JUVENILE FUTURITY

Photo courtesy of Maryland Jockey Club/Laurel Park
Ravenheart runs for Miller’s DB Dojo and paid $10.80 to win as the fourth betting choice in the Maryland Juvenile Futurity. He was purchased by Miller for $27,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale.
Ravenheart is a half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to stakes-placed winner Disco Dandy, a talented sprinter who set a pair of track records.
According to Abbott, Miller sent him seven 2-year-olds, most of which are just getting started with their racing careers. Miller was unable to attend Saturday at Laurel for Ravenheart’s victory.
“It's a lot of fun,” Abbott said. “[Miller] was lucky enough to be here in middle of December to see one win. To have this horse win [Saturday] was great.”