Margie’s Intention out dueling Paris Lily for victory in the Black-Eyed Susan in the slop after a storm and a delay. (TMJC Photo)
Black-Eyed Susan Undercard Update
Written and compiled by Maribeth Kalinich with releases from The Maryland Jockey Club
BALTIMORE, Md.—It was a steamy day out at Old Hilltop with very little rain during the day until around 6 PM ET Baltimore City received a tornado warning as a strong storm cell moved into the area.
All races except the Black-Eyed Susan and the card closer Race 14, a five furlongs maiden special weight on the turf which was cancelled.
Horses had already come to the paddock for the Black-Eyed Susan but the threat of tornado and lightning sent them back to the safety of the stakes barns.
The marquee race was contested once all elements were deemed safe for horses, riders and fans and Brad Cox’s trainee gave the fans a thrilling finish.
WinStar Farm and Baron Stable’s Margie’s Intention, in the first start for her new connections, came with a relentless run through the stretch to reel in stubborn pacesetter Paris Lily and register a popular three-quarter-length victory in Friday’s $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico Race Course.
The 101st running of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for sophomore fillies was the centerpiece of a spectacular 13-race program featuring six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses that served as a fitting prelude to Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.
A powerful storm system passed through the area causing the Black-Eyed Susan to be delayed more than an hour and forced track officials to cancel the Race 14 finale.
Favored at 5-2 in a field of nine, Margie’s Intention ($7) gave jockey Flavien Prat his third win of the day and second in a stakes following Play With Fire in the $125,000 Hilltop for trainer Brendan Walsh. Ironically, Walsh had trained Margie’s Intention for her first five starts – with two wins and two seconds – before WinStar bought controlling interest in the Honor A.P. filly and transferred her to Brad Cox.
Cox and Prat also won Friday’s opener with 3-year-old colt Verifire. Cox previously won the Black-Eyed Susan with Interstatedaydream in 2022.
Contested over a sealed main track turned sloppy from heavy rain that was accompanied by high winds and lightning, the Black-Eyed Susan saw Paris Lily – a front-running winner over a similar surface in her prior start April 6 at Keeneland – jump out to an early lead, going the opening quarter-mile in 22.73 seconds.
Margie’s Intention had settled in fourth along the rail and was fifth after a half-mile in 46.48 seconds when Prat gave his filly her cue, tipping her outside to get into intention. Paris Lily remained steadfast on the lead but could not hold off the closing favorite, who drew up on even terms in mid-stretch and edged clear to win in 1:52.05.
Paris Lily was 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Kinzie Queen in third. It was 4 ¼ lengths back to Reply in fourth, followed by Amarth, Liam in the Dust, Moon Cache and Runnin N Gunnin.
Racing exclusively against fellow Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds, Margie’s Intention was making her debut in open company. She ran fourth in her mid-December unveiling before registering back-to-back wins and running second in a pair of stakes, the most recent coming March 22 after which she was sold.
Making its debut in 1919 as the Pimlico Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan was not run from 1932-36 and again in 1950 and was renamed upon its 1951 return to honor the Preakness and Maryland’s state flower. Nine of its winners have gone on to be named champion 3-year-old filly including Hall of Famers Davona Dale, Real Delight, Royal Delta, Serena’s Song, Silverbulletday and Twilight Tear.
Among other prominent Black-Eyed Susan winners are Hall of Famer Gallorette; Nellie Morse, the only filly to also win the Preakness, in 1924; But Why Not, Caesar’s Wish, High Voltage, Vagrancy, Wide Country and Wistful.
$300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Quotes
Winning Trainer Brad Cox (Margie’s Intention): –“We liked her a good bit. Elliott’s (Walden, President and CEO of WinStar Farm) team bought into her and it all paid off today. Obviously, a big win being a Grade 2 and we thought she would like the mile and an eighth and she pretty much needed all of it to get there. Turning for home, I knew she had momentum going forward and I knew the filly on the lead (Paris Lily) had set a pretty solid pace and she was tough to run down. She ran a big race. We haven’t had her that long, but she performed well on an off track this winter. I thought she moved forward today. It was a demanding race; she was under a ride turning for home and she finished the race off. We will ship her back to Kentucky Sunday evening and see how she comes out of it.”
Elliott Walden, President and CEO of winning co-owner WinStar Farm (Margie’s Intention): (This isn’t a typical WinStar purchase, a Louisiana-bred who had raced only in Louisiana-bred company. Tell us about her purchase.) Jerry Brown from Thoro-Graph really liked her. We’d seen her at the 2-year-old sale; we’d looked at her then. So, I knew quite a bit about her when he mentioned her, knew she was a really pretty filly. So, it made sense to us. We bought her privately, then turned her over to Brad (Cox). Brendan (Walsh) had done a great job with her. We have plenty of horses with Brad, and that was the only reason for the change. We looked at her race record, running every three weeks down there in all those Louisiana-bred stakes. You want to take opportunity when it’s there, if you’re a Louisiana-bred. So, we thought maybe giving her eight weeks and letting her catch up to herself would help her. And she ran super. Distance isn’t a problem, and we’l see where she takes us from here.”
Winning Jockey Flavien Prat (Margie’s Intention) – “It wasn’t quick, the first part. They kind of ran away from me and got to the first turn, and they kind of came back to me down the backside. She started going well. She started taking me.
“Then I was able to follow the Godolphin filly (Paris Lilly). And it looks like she was going very well. Brad told me that she kept coming all the time and she was a grinder. I kept riding her, and she was resilient.
(Was there a point that you thought you might not get there?) “Honestly, turning for home it looked like the leader was going very well. If she could open up on me, I don’t’ think I was going to make it. But as we turned for home and she swapped leads she kept grinding and it felt like the filly in front didn’t open up on me. Yeah, going to the eighth pole I thought I had a chance.”
(Did the weather change your strategy at all?) “No, I was I was going to ride her the same way. The only thing is, I knew she won on sloppy, so I didn’t mind it.”
Trainer Brendan Walsh (Paris Lily, 2nd) – “It’s a little unfortunate she got collared. But [she] ran great. No complaints. We set out to do what we did, and it [almost] worked. We can’t complain. We went to the lead. They were right behind us. He (Rosario) did what he had to do. He said she ran great. She just got a little leg-weary the last 50 yards. Beaten a length. Hats off to them.”
Jockey Joel Rosario (Paris Lily, 2nd) – “She ran great on a nice, easy lead. The trainer told me to go forward with her, so I did and got her in front. She was nice and relaxed down the backside. The first quarter was quick, so I gave her a breather down the backside. She kicked for home, but the outside horse was too much at the end.”
Trainer Greg Compton (Kinzie Queen, 3rd) — “She ran well. Very happy. I mean, she’s Grade 2-placed now, adds some residual value to her. We claimed her (for maiden $50,000 at Churchill Downs last fall). She’s been more than we expected. She’s a nice, classy filly and she proved she can run at this level.”
Jockey Junior Alvarado (Kinzie Queen, 3rd) – “She had a good trip. We were sitting a bit behind. We were sitting kind of in the back there and then when we turned for home, I went a bit on the outside hoping to get a chance to get there on time, but she put in a great race. They ran away from me a bit in the first part of the race, and we were back there, but she came out with a nice run. It was nothing to be ashamed of. Sshe gave great effort. The first part she was spinning her wheels a little bit then she got comfortable and made a nice move”
The Undercard
The day opened on a brighter note as trainer Brad Cox saddled the winner Resolute Racing’s Verifire.
Flavien Prat was aboard for the gate-to-wire victory where Verify ran away from the field by 6-1/2 lengths paying $2.10 for the win.
A chestnut colt by Authentic out of Smart Strike mare Ruby Trust was bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds in Kentucky. She is now two-for-two.
Race 2, a MSW one-mile turf test where Mopo Racing’s Mopo cleared early, set the pace towards the inner rail and held the lead until the filly ceded command to an outer Souper Williwaw in upper stretch. The pair stayed on to duel past mid-stretch until Souper Williwaw failed to hold a sixteenth out then grudgingly gave way giving trainer Phillip Capuano, younger brother of successful trainer Dale Capuano, the win.
Bred in Maryland by Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Dr. Brooke Bowman and Rebecca Davis, the 3-year-old filly is by Great Notion out of the Distorted Humor mare Perverse.
Mopo rewarded her faithful paying $12.60 for the win and setting up a sweet trifecta with Souper Williwaw paying $11.80 and third-place Protective Custody paying $9.00 for a tri reward of $885.40.
Race 3, an Allowance Optional Claiming race at 1-1/16 miles on the main track saw DEA Thoroughbred Racing’s Point Dume go wire-to wire under Mychel Sanchez in a rail driving ride from post 9.
The seasoned 4-year-old gelding with 20 starts has a regal pedigree. The bay is the son of champion sire Into Mischef out of Malibu Moon mare Maya Malibu (Note: This is the second of Malibu Moon’s line with the name ‘Point Dume’. The first of that moniker was sired by Malibu Moon out of Wild Again mare Tova’s Princess, whose grandsire was Preakness winner Spectacular Bid.)
Trained by Jamie Ness, Ness also claimed eight place finisher Feeling Woozy for new owners Super C Racing and Jagger, Inc. for $40,0000
Paying $8.00, Point Dume completed the race in 1:44.68. The record for the distance on the dirt was set by Preakness winner Deputed Testamony at 1:40.80 in May 1984.
This race set up another tasty trifecta with runner-up Cadet Corps. Paying $5.60 and third place Crossland offering $13.20 with a tri payoff of $284.80.
Point Dume trained by Michael Pino, a long-time on the Mid-Atlantic circuit, who is the brother of jockey Mario Pino who used to go toe-to-toe with Edgar Prado daily riding in Maryland in the 1990s and early 2000s.
A 5-furlong turf sprint was up next in Race 4 with Smart Angle’s Bourbon Boss taking the victory under Jaime Rodriguez by a neck after leading from the wire.
Bourbon Boss had speed outside a rival then cleared heading to the turn then dropped in to set a rated pace while Incinerator broke a step slow, steadied lightly when edging up three wide nearing the turn
The leader handled outer pressure approaching the stretch, opened up under a drive leaving the three sixteenths, wandered outward a bit then had enough left to deny Incinerator.
Zip Line To Heaven stalked off the inside, was urged along mid turn, angled four to five wide in upper stretch and kept on willingly.
Bourbon Boss paid $4.40 for the win.
The 4-year-old bay colt was bred in Kentucky by Green Lantern Stables and is by Street Boss out of Declaration of War mare Arisia.
It was another neck separating second-place and third as Incinerator took second paying $6.60 and Zip Line to Heaven paid $4.20.
Incinerator ended up unseating his jockey, Ismerio Villalobos, on the gallop out and there was a slight delay as the outriders rounded him up.
Race 5, another MSW, would prove to be most lucrative for punters as 20-1 Cadeau D’Argent battled favorite Privman (named for notorious turf writer Jay Privman).
Under Tyler Conner Cadeau D’Argent broke slowly, raced in the two path on the turn, and then gave the fans a thrill as he swung four deep approaching the stretch, closed smartly and was up near the finish.
Favorite Privman hit the inside of his starting gate stall, bumped Decorum soon after the break, prompted the pace outside Firmantown, lacked the needed late effort.
Firmantown, sent to the early lead, hugged the inner rail setting a pressured pace and weakened the final strides.
The Niall Saville trainee paid a whopping $137.40 for the win. The grey gelding completed the 6-furlongs on the dirt in 1:12.26. The record for that distance on dirt is held by champion mare Covfefe who set it at 1:07;70 winning the Miss Preakness.
Owned by Stromyvale Farm, Cadeau D’Argent was bred in Pennsylvania by Chris Gracie.
Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Race 6 gave jockey Tyler Conner back-to-back wins aboard Ultra Championship Racing’s Fierce and Strong in a 5-furlong turf sprint.
In the $60,000 Allowance Optional Claiming race, Fierce and Strong rated off foes early, raced three deep into the turn, took closer order mid turn. Where’s Ray rated behind foes nearing the half mile marker, came out and commenced a run past the five sixteenths.
Fierce and Strong shifted out four to five wide in upper stretch, closed under left handed asks to engage the leader in mid-stretch, took over with about a sixteenth to go then edged clear under a drive. Where’s Ray angled about five wide for the drive, advanced between runners inside the sixteenth pole and kept on gamely to earn the place.
Tidewater drafted back off the pace, raced three wide into the stretch, altered outside rivals leaving mid-stretch and finished with good energy.
The final time was 59.28 with Fierce and Strong paying $21.40 for the win.
The 5-year-old bay gelding by Hopportunity is out of Point of Entry mare Doubleclickdamouse
With 24 career starts, Fierce and Strong owns eight wins with six seconds and two thirds.
Undercard Stakes
Sharp Tones Battles Army Officer for the Victory in the Sergeant Reckless
The stakes races were up on the 14-race card next with the 10th running of the Sergeant Reckless, honoring the decorated warhorse who served in the United States Marines Corps.
A $60,000 AOC was won by Sharp Tones in a hearty battle with Army Officer, second by a neck, and Wow Whata Summer, second by a head.
Sharp Tones saved ground the first turn, remained inside horses to the stretch, swung to the five path in upper stretch, closed determinedly and was up approaching the finish.
Army Officer, three wide the first turn, stalked the pace outside horses down the backstretch, advanced outside Ocean City leaving the far turn, gained a clear lead on his left lead in mid-stretch and missed. Wow Whata Summer, pinched back leaving the starting gate, was outrun for six furlongs, swung to the six-path approaching the eighth pole and rallied.
Sharp Tones completed the one-mile turf test in 1:40.58.
Trained by Lynn Ashby, Sharp Tones was bred by in Pennsylvania by Ashby and is co-owned by Ashby with William Gotwals. The 4-year-old gelding is by Tonalist out of Colonel John mare A Dicey Dame and now has a record of 17 career starts with four wins and three second places.
Candied Exudes Class with Sweet Allaire du Pont Victory
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bobby Flay’s millionaire filly Candied, making just her second start outside of graded-stakes competition and first in nearly a year, powered past pacesetter Dazzling Move in mid-stretch and went on to a three-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff Stakes presented by Old Bay at Pimlico Race Course.
The 32nd running of the 1 1/8-mile Allaire du Pont for fillies and mares 3 and up was the first of six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program headlined by the 101st edition of the nine-furlong fixture for 3-year-old fillies.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Candied ($3.80) completed the distance in 1:50.47 over a fast main track. It was the first du Pont win for Ortiz and fifth for Pletcher following Pool Land (2006), Super Espresso (2011), Stopchargingmaria (2015) and Spice Is Nice (2021).
Dazzling Move jumped out to the lead from her rail post pressed by Peignoir through fractions of 23.16 and 47.73 seconds. Candied rated patiently saving ground in fifth after a half-mile before Ortiz tipped the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride outside on the far turn. Peignoir dropped back and Candied set her sights on the leader, drifting in slightly down the lane but pulling away late.
It was 1 ½ lengths from Dazzling Move to 30-1 longshot Regaled in third. Peignoir, Lemon Muffin and Miss Hebrides completed the order of finish. Sea Dancer, who acted up in the starting gate, and Sudden Switch were scratched.
Candied was making just her second start of the year, having run third in the April 18 Doubledogdare (G3) at Keeneland. Eight of her 10 career starts have come in graded-stakes, including a win in the 2023 Alcibiades (G1). She had not won since the 2024 Lady’s Secret last June.
The du Pont honors the late avid sportswoman and horsewoman best known as the owner of Hall of Famer Kelso, the unprecedented and unsurpassed winner of five consecutive Horse of the Year championships from 1960-64.
$125,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff Stakes Quotes
Winning Trainer Todd Pletcher (Candied) — “It was nice to see her back in the winner’s circle, We had a beautiful trip, Saved ground around the first turn and [jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.)] bided his time around the second turn and it looked like when he got her in the clear, she finished well. We felt like everything fit well with this race. I think everything is in play (for what would be next). We will see how she bounces out of it. The Ogden Phipps (Saturday, June 8 at Saratoga) might be back a little quick, but we are not going to rule it out yet.
Winning Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Candied) — “She was running beautifully. I was able to get close to the pace without using her, without doing anything. I just bided my time from there and turning for home, I just got in the clear and she showed up.”
Play With Fire Goes Last to First to Win $125,000 Hilltop
Fergus Galvin’s Play With Fire, cutting back to the shortest run of her five-race career, came bounding off the far turn on the outside and turned away a bid from Pretty Lavish in mid-stretch to win Saturday’s $125,000 Hilltop presented by Hallway Feeds to benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance by a length at Pimlico Race Course.
The 53rd running of the Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies going one mile on the grass was the second of six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program headlined by the 101st edition of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for 3-year-old fillies.
Play With Fire ($9) was winless in three starts this year after graduating in her unveiling last November on the grass at Fair Grounds. Each of her previous races came at 1 1/16 miles, the most recent a fourth in an open April 11 allowance on the Keeneland turf.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, who won the 2023 Hilltop aboard Aspray, Play With Fire was unhurried in the early going racing at the back of an eight-horse field as 2-1 favorite Me Governor led the way after a quarter-mile in 24.34 seconds and a half in 49.43. Prat angled the daughter of Oscar Performance to the outside approaching the stretch and they swept past the group to take the lead in mid-stretch and continue to the wire.
Pretty Lavish was second, followed by Princess Attitude, Sigh No More, Obeissante, Me Governor, White Rocks and Pure Majestic. Stakes winner Complexity Jane was scratched after getting loose in the post parade.
The Hilltop is a shortened version of Pimilco’s long-standing nickname, Old Hilltop, in recognition of a large infield hill once prominent for viewing races. The hill was leveled in 1938.
$125,000 Hilltop Stakes Quotes
Winning Trainer Brendan Walsh (Play With Fire) — “She ran very well. A really nice run. She’s progressed a lot and ran a nice race.”
(Note: Walsh was considering a stake at Horseshoe Indianapolis, but it came off the grass and they ran at Pimlico.).
Winning Jockey Flavien Prat (Play With Fire) — “She broke good, settled down nice, traveled well and was very comfortable throughout. She showed a very good turn of foot turning for home.”
Echo Sound Makes the Grade in $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3)
Gabriel Duignan’s Echo Sound, who had a three-race win streak snapped in her prior start, rebounded sharply in her season debut to become a graded-stakes winner at first asking in Saturday’s $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) presented by Pepsico at Pimlico Race Course.
The 40th running of the six-furlong Miss Preakness for 3-year-old fillies was the third of six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program headlined by the 100th edition of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for sophomore fillies.
Echo Sound ($9.80) covered the distance over a fast main track in 1:11.14 to give jockey Luis Saez and trainer George ‘Rusty’ Arnold II their first win in the Miss Preakness. It was two lengths back to 25-1 longshot You’ll Be Back with Hollygrove, sent off at 23-1, another three-quarters of a length back in third.
G W’s Girl, Mila Rose, High Paf, Not Too Late, Stunner, Volleyballprincess, Delray and Family completed the order of finish. Long Neck Paula and Vodka With a Twist were scratched.
Saez kept Echo Sound in the clear four wide as Hollygrove set the pace with a 22.95-second opening quarter-mile chased by G W’s Girl and Family. You’ll Be Back moved into a challenging position along the inside after a half in 46.64, but neither she nor the leader were a match for Echo Sound’s powerful far outside move that saw the bay daughter of Echo Town roll through the stretch and win while geared down.
Echo Sound graduated in debut Aug 3 at Ellis Park and then notched wins in an optional claimer and the six-furlong Myrtlewood, the latter at Keeneland, before wrapping up her juvenile campaign with a runner-up finish in the 6 ½-furlong Fern Creek Nov. 30, her most recent start.
$150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) Quotes
Winning Trainer Rusty Arnold (Echo Sound) — “She’s very nice. We loved her when she got beat. We had to stop on her. She came up with a little problem and got the winter off. We’re pretty happy with her.”
“She trained good. We were worried about the racetrack. Ended up lucky and got a fast racetrack. I loved the way she broke running. Luis let her settle back. You always worry you don’t have her fit enough. But she was fit enough.”
“We were worried about the racetrack, and if it got real bad, we weren’t going to run. But we got what we wanted accomplished today.
(Note: Goal now is Saratoga’s Grade 1 Test.)
Winning Jockey Luis Saez (Echo Sound) — “She broke pretty well. I knew she was going to be a little bit sharp. We decided to take her off the speed. I knew they were going to go pretty quick, so that was the best thing for her. I knew she was pretty fit. He was working her pretty nice. [Rusty Arnold] didn’t give me any instructions. He told me, ‘You know how to ride her. You know her. Do what you want to.’”
Jockey Jaime Rodriguez (You’ll Be Back, 2nd) – “She broke good from the 11 post so I put her in the race early. I was trying to save ground at the beginning. I was following Johnny V. all the way around. When the outside horse started moving, I knew we had to go now because I didn’t want to get covered up and stuck. She ran a great race and finished up well.”
Trainer Whitworth Beckham (Hollygrove, 3rd) — “She ran really well. That was not the trip we wanted. We thought there would be a little more speed and we would kind of get covered up by it. Being on the rail, on the lead, Johnny said the rail was not the best spot to be, but I was very happy with the effort. I’m glad we came. She was training absolutely phenomenally back home (Kentucky) and I said it was absolutely worth a shot.”
Jockey John Velazquez (Hollygrove, 3rd) – “I had a pretty good trip. I really didn’t think I was going to inherit the lead, but I came out running just in case and we did inherit the lead. It was Post 1, a tough position, but she handled it pretty well. I thought we might hang on until deep stretch, but she still ran good.”
Trainer Brad Cox (Beaten Favorite Stunner, 8th) – “Didn’t like the kickback at all. Behind a wall and just didn’t run, didn’t respond very well to the kickback. We’ll regroup.”
Bosserati Kicks Off Season in Style with The Very One Victory
Joel Politi’s multiple stakes-winning Maryland homebred Bosserati, unraced in 5 ½ months, launched her comeback in grand style with a determined head victory over Accomplished Girl in Friday’s $100,000 The Very One presented by Guinness Open Gate Brewery at Pimlico Race Course.
The 26th running of the five-furlong The Very One for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting on the turf was the fourth of six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program headlined by the 101st edition of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for 3-year-old fillies.
Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for the victory in place of jockey Sheldon Russell, who took off his mounts after being unseated by High Paf prior to the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) one race earlier. Both High Paf and Bosserati are trained by Russell’s wife, Brittany Russell.
It was the second stakes win of the day for Ortiz, following Candied in the $125,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff. The 5-year-old Bosserati improved to 3-for-4 lifetime at Pimlico, the only loss coming when ninth in last year’s The Very One.
Bosserati broke running and was hustled to the front by Ortiz, going the first quarter-mile in 22.45 seconds and the half in 46.21 pressed by fellow multiple stakes winner Accomplished Girl. The two leaders straightened for home together and raced side by side the length of the stretch with Bosserati refusing to let Accomplished Girl past.
Gift of Gab emerged from a three-way photo finish in third, a neck ahead of Loon Cry. It was another head back to 40-1 longshot Anaita followed by Shoshanah, Simply Stated, Moonlit Kiss, Mendys Honey, Admiral Hopper, Maggie’s Girl and Pinotslilgirl. Main-track-only entrants Pleasant Embrace and Mudslide were scratched.
Bosserati won the 2023 Stormy Blues and last fall’s Maryland Million Turf Sprint at Laurel Park, both going 5 ½ furlongs. She had not tried five-eighths since last year’s The Very One and improved her record to 6-1-4 from 16 career starts.
Brittany Russell has been Maryland’s leading trainer by wins in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first woman to earn the honor. She is also the only female to win multiple meet training titles in the state, with nine at Laurel and Pimlico.
Purchased out of a 1977 Maryland 2-year-old sale in Timonium for $22,000 by Maryland horsewoman Helen Polinger, The Very One went on to become one of the best race mares in training from 1977-81. A former claimer turned Grade 1 winner, she won 22 races and more than $1.1 million in purses from 71 starts, with eight graded-stakes wins including the 1979 Dixie (G2) at Pimlico and 1981 Santa Barbara Handicap (G1).
$100,000 The Very One Quotes
Winning Trainer Brittany Russell (Bosserati) — “Just saved my whole week. Tough game. We had a couple of bad ones in a row here and I’m just happy that she ran good. She showed up. We’ve had a long day.
“Irad (Ortiz Jr.) rode her great. She likes it here at home. I felt like we had her ready today.”
Winning Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Bosserati) — “I just let her be her. She likes to be on the lead setting the pace. We broke good and she rolled. Turning for home and in the stretch, she doesn’t want to give up the lead. I wasn’t even using her. She was just nice and relaxed and full of run.”
Awesome Aaron Outruns Phileas Fogg in Pimlico Special (G3)
Awesome Aaron
Turman Racing Stable and AJ Suited Racing Stable’s 6-year-old gelding Awesome Aaron, an ex-claimer not among the original 28 nominees, hooked up with Phileas Fogg in mid-stretch and edged clear approaching the wire for a thrilling three-quarter-length victory in Friday’s historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.
The 55th running of the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up was the fifth of six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses on a sensational 14-race Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program, immediately preceding the 101st edition of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for 3-year-old fillies.
It was the first Pimlico Special victory for both Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and trainer Norm Casse, a son and former assistant of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
Velazquez settled Awesome Aaron in fourth racing in the clear three wide as 2024 Lexington (G3) winner Encino took the early initiative and led through a quarter-mile in 23.26 seconds. Phileas Fogg, coming off a resounding victory in the April 5 Excelsior at Aqueduct, provided mild pressure in second with 45-1 longshot Time for Trouble saving ground inside in third.
The top runners went unchanged after a half in 47.17 seconds, with 9-5 favorite Star of Wonder sticking a head in front of Awesome Aaron for fourth. Encino remained in front turning for home but Phileas Fogg quickly overtook the leader once straightened for home as Awesome Aaron geared up for his run on the far outside. Phileas Fogg dug in as Awesome Aaron moved up on even terms but was unable to resist the challenge.
Star of Wonder was third, 4 ¾ lengths back. San Siro, Cataleya Strike, Time for Trouble, Encino, Just Steel – who stumbled badly out of the gate – and Red Route One completed the order of finish. Pyrenees, the 8-5 program favorite, was scratched by trainer Cherie DeVaux after she was not pleased with how last year’s Pimlico Special winner exited a recent workout.
Awesome Aaron was making his 34th career start and seventh since being claimed for $40,000 out of a six-furlong claiming victory last September. The Pimlico Special was his fourth stakes attempt and second against graded company after running sixth in the 2023 A.G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga. In his most recent start, the $350,000 juvenile purchase of 2021 was a 5 ¾-length optional claiming winner April 12 at Oaklawn Park.
The Pimlico Special was created in 1937 by Alfred Vanderbilt, the master of Sagamore Farm, as the first major stakes in the United States set up as an invitational and was won by Triple Crown champion War Admiral. The following year, War Admiral was upset by Seabiscuit in what Sports Illustrated called the ‘Race of the Century.’
Revived in 1988 by late Maryland Jockey Club president Frank De Francis, the Special’s illustrious roster of winners also includes Triple Crown winners Whirlaway, Citation and Assault, and modern-day Horses of the Year Criminal Type, Cigar, Skip Away, Mineshaft and Invasor.
$250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) Quotes
Winning Trainer Norm Casse (Awesome Aaron) by Phone from Louisville — “Just from Day One since we got him, he acted like a really good horse. It was pretty obvious to me, basically right away, at some point we were going to stretch him out. That was working; he was running really well stretching out, but there was just something missing. So last time we just took the blinkers off, and that allowed him to settle just a little bit more, let him finish a little bit better. And he beat a quality field of horses at Oaklawn that day.
“I knew he was going to run really well today, especially stretching out even a little more. So, we expected to go over there and run really well. And we did. Johnny rode him perfect. It’s truly a gratifying win. That’s a big-time race that anybody would like to win, so we’re very proud of that.”
(About the claim for $40,000): “Justin Nicholson (of co-owner AJ Suited Racing) has been a big support of us from Day One. He’s the one who finds the claims. He does a very good job. He liked the horse. The horse was on his radar for a long time. When they dropped him in at a price we thought was reasonable, we took him.”
(Could point for Churchill Downs’ Stephen Foster (G1) in June. I think that makes a lot of sense. We don’t know how good he could be, but that seems like the next rational step.”
(Why he wasn’t at Pimlico): “Gabby (wife Gabby Gaudet, a FanDuel TV analyst) is over at Pimlico so I had to stay home with the kids this weekend.”
Winning Jockey John Velazquez (Awesome Aaron) — “He came out running good. But I didn’t take any hold of him, and I know those two horses have some speed. Texting back and forth with Norm (Casse) this morning, I said I don’t want to take away from what he’s doing easy. But I’m going to let him go to the first turn and see where he is and leave him alone. If he’s second or third, just let him be comfortable. He did that all the way around and he put in a really good fight in the lane. The horse (Phileas Fogg) came out and kind of bumped him a couple of times, but he still went by him. I knew I was catching him. The problem was when he started coming out and he started bumping, I was a little bit worried. Once I got head and head, he went on past him.”
Trainer Gustavo Rodriguez (Phileas Fogg, 2nd) – “Right from the start, I did not like that he was kind of switching leads back and forth. Kendrick (Carmouche) said he ran very well. In my opinion, I think the track was too small for him. The sharp turns, maybe. But I am just guessing. He got beat but he ran a big race. I did not like that the track was sealed, but it is what it is. We ran second and I thought he ran good, but we got beat.”
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche (Phileas Fogg, 2nd) – “We had a perfect trip, we just got run down late. I don’t have any excuse. He gave me a 1,000% the whole way. It just wasn’t our day today. Got to give gratitude to the horse. He ran awesome and did everything he could.”
Trainer Brad Cox (Star of Wonder 3rd and pacesetter Encino) – “There was a good bit of pace, and [Encino] did take control of the race and kind of cleared off going under the wire the first time. It was just a little too much for him and didn’t finish up quite as well as we were hoping.
“The other horse (Star of Wonder), he stayed on, steady run, kind of came under a ride coming out of the far turn there. Stayed on, he picked up a placing, so that was good. He ran well.”
Jockey Flavien Prat (Star of Wonder, 3rd) – “Broke good and traveled well. We had a really good trip. No excuses.”
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Photos On The Day
