Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

Nine fillies will try to win the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Old Hilltop today.  NBC Sports Networks will have live coverage of the race.  The 3-year-old fillies will run one and one-eighth miles, for a purse of $500,000.  Seven of the fillies will carry 116 pounds; as Graded Stakes winners, Include Betty will carry 122 pounds, and Devine Aida will have 120 pounds.  The two fillies who competed in the Kentucky Oaks, two weeks ago were Include Betty and Luminance.  All of the fillies were bred in Kentucky.  There are four bays, four chestnuts, and one grey/roan entered.  Today I'm listing the Post Position, filly's name, coat color, starting betting odds, and the name of the filly's sire:
1   Danessa Deluxe    chestnut      9 to 2     Summer Bird
2   Pure                        bay           10 to 1    Quality Road
3   Ahh Chocolate        bay            6 to 1    Candy Ride (ARG)
4   Gypsy Judy           chestnut     20 to 1    Kitalpha  (by Mr Prospector, out of Miesque)
5   Include Betty        chestnut       5 to 1     Include  (by Broad Brush)
6   Sweetgrass               bay         12 to 1    Street Sense
7   Devine Aida          grey/roan   10 to 1   Unbridled's Song
8   Luminance               bay           9 to 5    Tale of the Cat
9   Keen Pauline         chestnut     15 to 1   Pulpit

I have only seen three of these fillies.  I like all of the pedigrees.  You know I don't like to pick a betting favorite, and, so I made terrible picks two weeks ago.   I would like for the top three finishers to be, first - Devine Aida, second - Include Betty, and third - Gypsy Judy.   Realistically, I think the order of finish will be:  Ahh Chocolate, Luminance, and Danessa Deluxe (if she doesn't get boxed in).

I'll Have Another Wins Preakness

I'll Have Another (chestnut, on left) wins the Preakness Stakes this afternoon, beating Bodemeister (bay, on right) by a short neck.  Photo by Patrick Smith for Getty Images.

 My pick to win the Preakness did. Bodemeister led all the way again, and Mario Gutierrez sat chilly in the saddle until the top of the stretch.  I'll Have Another began to make up ground with each stride, catching Bodemeister about 100 feet from the finish line. Bodemeister hung tough, but I'll Have Another was a good head in front at the line.  Creative Cause finished third.  I'll have more tomorrow.

  In Lingerie, the filly who won the Black Eyed Susan Stakes (the fillies' equivalent of the Preakness) yesterday, is doing well.  She won the race Friday, but it was noticed that her left fore was bleeding heavily in the winner's circle.  She apparently grabbed a quarter coming out of the gate, and is sound and happy today, according to her trainer.