Another flying dismount for Frankie Dettori after winning the San Felipe for Bob Baffert aboard Imagination, who he will ride in the Preakness on Saturday. (Ernie Belmonte/Past the Wire)
By Maribeth Kalinich
The Formidable international jockey Frankie Dettori, whose personality is only matched by his skill in the irons, will make his first start at historic Pimlico Race Course this coming Preakness Weekend.
Dettori has six mounts in six stakes. Three on turf and three on the main track with three fillies and three colts for six different trainers.
Friday, Black-eyed Susan Day, Dettori will get the leg up from Steve Asmussen aboard Just Better in the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes.
The daughter of Triple Crown champion Justify, Whisper Hill Farm’s homebred will go the mile on the turf.
After finishing second on debut, Just Better broke her maiden by a neck at 1-1/16 miles at Fair Grounds Feb. 24 under Corey Lanerie. She followed up with an allowance victory under Dettori at Keeneland April 12 by 6-3/4 lengths.
Out of the Irish mare Betterbetterbetter, Just Broke shares lineage with a previous winner of the 2022 Hilltop in Bobby Flay’s Pizza Bianca, both of whom have Gallileo (IRE) as their damsire.
Dettori will get the leg up in the next race at Pimlico, the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) on the main track, aboard D.Wayne Lukas’ Lady Moscato.
In her most recent start ridden by Keith Asmussen, Lady Moscato got stuck in the back at a slow pace and was unable to complete an attempt at a rally to finish sixth in a pretty deep field including winner My Mane Squeeze, Impel, R Harper Rose who finished last and Denim and Pearls finishing just behind Lady Moscato.
The filly was coming off back-to-back wins breaking her maiden and the scoring an allowance by 8-1/2 lengths under Asmussen.
Covfefe set the track record for the six-furlong race in 2019 with 1:07.70.
Preakness Day, Dettori will have four mounts, two on the turf and two on the main track.
In the fourth race, the perky Italian will hop aboard Royal Poppy in the $100,000 Skipat Stakes for trainer Raymond Handal.
The Florida-bred Classic Empire filly raced mostly on the NYRA circuit with one start at Monmouth Park. In her last start under NY rider Dylan Davis, she was third in a paired down field of three in an April 9th allowance optional claiming race.
In February, the bay filly won an AOC under regular rider Davis by 3/4 of a length.
Detrori will climb aboard Agustin’s Twirling Point in the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes on the turf for trainer Jonathan Thomas.
The Twirling Candy gelding has race at Kentucky owns, Woodbine where he broke his maiden, Turfway Park and Santa Anita.
Finishing third at Turfway Park March 23, Twirling Point won an allowance at Santa Anita in February.
In race 12 Dettori will ride a western invader, Balnikhov (IRE) in the $200,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G3) for Phil D’Amato.
With 25 career starts the last win for the Adaay (IRE) gelding was the San Francisco Mile (G3) in 2023. In his most recent start, the 5-year-old finished third in a super tight finish in the 2024 edition of the race under Geovanni Franco.
In his second-time riding in any Triple Crown race having ridden Society Man (16th) in the Kentucky Derby, Dettori will pilot Imagination for trainer Bob Baffert in the 149th Preakness Stakes.
The son of Into Mischief out of Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling, Imagination has finished first or second in every start.
In his last start and under Dettori he finished second by a neck to Kentucky Derby contender Stronghold.
The colt’s scored the San Felipe (G2) in March by a head over Wine Me Up under Dettori.
