Today's Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico

I remember when the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes got as much publicity as the Kentucky Oaks - but that was quite a few years ago.  These days, the second race in the Triple Tiara for Fillies is only a Grade II, with a total purse of $250,000.  It still covers a distance of 1 and 1/8 miles, or 9 furlongs, but it no longer has a luster to it's image.  All the fillies who ran carried 122 pounds; now it depends upon their race experience and wins....
   At any event, the post time for this year's running of the female counter-part of the Preakness Stakes is at 4:48 EDT in the afternoon.   Originally, there were ten entries, but Midnight Disguise, the only New York-bred filly was scratched with a bruised foot.  Of the nine fillies who enter the gate, all were bred in Kentucky, except Goodonehoney, who is from Maryland.  All of the fillies are bays, dark bays or browns, except for Red Ruby, who is registered as a grey or roan.
  Here is a listing of the post positions, the weight each filly will carry, her sire, and her morning-line betting odds:
1.     Tell Your Mama  116#      Blame         20 to 1
2.     Midnight Disguise    120#    Midnight Lute        4 to 1
3.     Coach Rocks    120#      Oxbow      7 to 2
4.     Red Ruby     118#      Tiznow      5 to 1
5.     Mihrab       116#       Tiznow       30 to 1
6.     C. S. Incharge     116#     Take Charge Indy     15 to 1
7.     Goodonehoney     118#      Great Notion       5 to 1
8.     Indy Union      116#       Union Rags       10 to 1
9.     Sara Street      116#       Street Sense       4 to 1
10.   Stakes On a Plane      116#      Run Away And Hide      20 to 1


The first running of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes took place in 1919, with Milkmaid winning.  The race was then run at the distance of 1 and 1/16 miles - where it stayed until 1988, when the distance was lengthened to 9 furlongs.
   The third leg of the fillies Triple Tiara is the Mother Goose Stakes, at Belmont Park, the day before the Belmont Stakes.

Racing News & Results From Pimlico

The thoroughbred breeding community has lost two stallions recently - Divine Light, a 19-year-old son of Sunday Silence, died in Turkey from a tumor that had wrapped around his intestines.  Dehere, the 2-year-old champion colt in 1993, passed away from a heart attack, also in Turkey.
  Wise Dan, the 7-year-old gelding and two-time Horse of the Year, had emergency colic surgery yesterday at Rood and Riddle Clinic near Lexington, Kentucky.  Wise Dan had his regular morning gallop, and cooled out well.  Then he began showing signs of discomfort, conventional remedies did not ease the chestnut horse, and he was taken to Rood and Riddle.  It was determined that a small section of his bowel had "flipped over itself" and was rapidly losing blood supply. The surgery went quickly, and Wise Dan is recovering nicely at the Equine Hospital.
  At Pimlico, Ben's Cat won the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes for the third time.Due to heavy rain, the Sprint was run on the dirt course and not the turf.  Ben's Cat was bred by King T Leatherbury, and is also trained by that venerable gentleman.  He paid $2.80 on a $2 win bet.
  In the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Stopchargingmaria was the winner by a hard-fought neck. She was followed across the finish line by Vero Amore and then Fortune Pearl.  A $2 win bet on Stopchargingmaria paid $9.60; a $2 place bet on Vero Amore paid $12.80; and a $2 show bet on Fortune Pearl paid $5.80.  The $2 exacta paid $119.80, and the $2 trifecta bet paid $871.40.
  The Pimlico Special  was a heart-stopper for the connections of Revolutionary - at one point in the race, he was more than 30 lengths behind the lead in the race.  However, Revolutionary turned on his after-burners and won the race by a neck fro Prayer For Relief; Cat Burglar ran third.  A $2 win bet on Revolutionary paid $6.40; a $2 place bet on Prayer For Relief paid $7.20; and a $2 show bet on Cat Burglar paid $4.60.  The $2 exacta pay out was $74.00; and the $1 trifecta paid $217.10.
  And this is the day the Preakness will be run for the 139th time at Old Hilltop, Pimlico Race Course.  For more information on the race, and the 10 horses entered, I refer you to The Bloodhorse Magazine website, at  http://www.bloodhorse.com/ .

The Pimlico Special & The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

This Friday, the day before the Preakness is run, two other annual races will take place at Old Hilltop Racecourse  outside of Baltimore, Maryland.   The name The Pimlico Special  always takes me back in time to the first Pimlico Special - the head-to-head challenge of Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, a son of Man o'War, and the older Seabiscuit, who was a grandson of Man o'War.  Of course, Seabiscuit was known as "the people's horse" and represented the common working man and woman; War Admiral was the sleek, aristocratic lord of the Sport of Kings.  Seabiscuit won the highly touted match race easily.
   This year's Pimlico Special has a field of nine contenders - seven bred in Kentucky, while Valid was bred in Virginia and Major King was bred in Korea.  All of the horses will carry 118 pounds, except Golden Lad, who carries 124 pounds. The horses and their post positions for Friday's Pimlico Special are:
1.   Valid
2.   Cat Burglar
3.   Moreno
4.   Golden Lad
5.   Carve
6.   Revolutionary
7.   Major King
8.   Prayer For Relief
9.   Bourbon Courage

The fillies running in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and their post positions are:
1.   Joint Return
2.   America
3.   Shanon Nicole
4.   Stopchargingmaria
5.   Euphrosyne
6.   Arethusa
7.   Le Mejor Fiesta
8.   Sloane Square
9.   Fortune Pearl
10. Vero Amore
11. Image of Anna

Further information on these horses and their racing connections may be found at The Bloodhorse website:  http://www.bloodhorse.com/

Slow Track at Pimlico Today

The track was slow today for the running of the Black-Eyed Susan and the Pimlico Special Handicap.  Walkwithapurpose was scratched last night due to a foot bruise, and one of my choices (the three Ms), Manuka Honey was also scratched.  Emollient was sent to the gate as the betting favorite, but she stumbled coming out of the gate and was never a factor.  Bob Baffert's filly, Fiftyshadesofhay, under the guidance of Joel Rosario, won the race, running down a game Marathon Lady.  Toasting was third, Maracuya finished fourth, with Petit Trianon and Lady Banker closing out the field.
  In the Pimlico Special, the betting favorite was Eighttofasttocatch, but the chestnut invader Last Gunfighter blew by him in the stretch, and won by 4 and a half lengths.  Richard's Kid was third, Indian Dance fourth.  The final two finishers were Concealed Identity and Brimstone Island.  My first choice, Avenida Paseo was scratched.
  My picks finished second and fourth in the Black-Eyed Susan, and third and fourth in the Special...  A bettor can't win them all!

Black-Eyed Susan, Pimlico Special & the Preakness

Post positions have been drawn for the races at Pimlico this weekend.  The tenth race on the card on Friday is the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, the second race of the Triple Tiara; the distance is 1 and 1/8 miles , and the purse is $500,000.  Nine three-year-old fillies will contest the race; five were bred in Kentucky, two in Florida, and one each in Maryland and Ontario.  In the first gate will be Monuka Honey, with Edgar Prado in the stirrups; second is Lady Banks; Fiftyshadesofhay breaks from the three hole, under Joel Rosario; Petit Trianon starts from gate four; Walkwithapurpose  is next; with Maracuya, ridden by John Velazquez in the sixth spot; Emollient, carrying Mike Smith ,will break from the seven; the chestnuts filly Toasting breaks from the eight; and Marathon Lady completes the field.  I like the pedigrees of Monuka Honey, Marathon Lady, and Maracuya is a daughter of Big Brown.
  The Pimlico Special has seven entries, and will be the 12th race on Friday, run at 1 mile and 3/16, it's the same length as the Preakness, but the purse is $300,000, and it's for horses age 4 and up.  Breaking from position one will be Avenida Paseo, a 5-year-old grey/roan.  Number two is Indian Dance, a bay gelding, born 7 years ago in Maryland. Brimstone Island is number three, a 4-year-old grandson of Tiznow. In four will be Eighttofasttocatch, a 7-year-old chestnut gelding bred in Maryland.  Richard's Kid will be the eldest starting, at age 8, a son of Lemon Drop Kid.  Breaking from post six is Concealed Identity, a 5-year-old bay gelding bred in Maryland, and a son of Smarty Jones.  Last Gunfighter will start from the seven; he's a 4-year-old bay "invader" from Kentucky.  I like the pedigrees of Indian Dance, Richard's Kid and Avenida Paseo.
   Only nine colts will race in the Preakness, compared to the twenty in the Kentucky Derby.  Six of those colts ran in the Derby, and the other three are new-comers to the Triple Crown.  The purse for the Preakness is $1 million, and the distance is 1 and 3/16 miles.  Orb, who won the Kentucky Derby 12 days ago, drew the number one gate; he will be ridden by Joel Rosario, and is trained by Shug McGaughey.  Goldencents will start from the two hole, carrying Kevin Krigger, as he did in the Derby.  Titletown Five is a new colt, trained by D Wayne Lucas and ridden by Julien Leparoux, in three. In the four spot is Departing, a bay gelding, ridden by Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.  Rosie Naparvnik will be riding Mylute, coming out of the five gate.  Gary Stevens riding Oxbow is in number six.  Will Take Charge breaks from seven, under Mike Smith.  Govenor Charlie, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia will be next.  And John Velazquez will break from the outside, nine, on Itsmyluckyday.  Seven of the nine colts are bay, with one chestnut and one grey/roan; and all were bred in Kentucky.  I haven't seen any of the three new guys run; and Orb will be/is the betting favorite.  I have a feeling that Departing or Govenor Charlie will be the winner...