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O'Neill wins$nbso;#3000 North America Cup results Belmont Stakes Resuults Eclipse Stakes Day Hollywood Gold Cup |
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 Flavien Prat aboard Margie's Intention after winning the Black-Eyed Susan | |
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The filly counterpart to the Preakness is the $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) held on the Friday before Preakness day. Conditions were typical for mid May with overcast skies and temperatures in the mid 80's, with the turf course good and the the main track fast for all but the feature event, as 1/2 an inch of rain fell between the Pimlico Special and Black-Eyed Susan, quickly downgrading the track to sloppy and forcing the cancellation of the last race on the card.
A field of 9 three-year-old fillies went to post for the 101st renewal of this 1 1/8 mile main track contest. Margie's Intention was sent off as the 5-2 favorite off second place finishes in the Flashy Prize Stakes and Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds. In to challenge her included 4-1 second choice Amarth, 5th in the Ashland (G1) after finishing second in the Busher, and 5-1 third choice Reply off her second place finish in the Weber City Miss Stakes.
 First time by in the Black-Eyed Susan with Margie's Intention in fifth on the rail. |
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 3 Margie's Intention Prat 7.00 4.00 3.20 6 Paris Lily Rosario 6.00 4.20 5 Kinzie Queen Alvarado 4.80 Winning Time: 1:52.05 $1 Exacta 3-6 21.30 $1 Trifecta 3-6-5 115.40 $1 Superfecta 3-6-5-7 590.90 $1 Super Hi-5 3-6-5-7-8 1,173.70 |
Left: Margie's Intention in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Brad Cox said, "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."
Right: Trainer Brad Cox with the trophy. Elliott Walden, CEO of winning owner WinStar Farm said, "We'd seen her at the 2-year-old sale; we'd looked at her then. 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."
Left: Margie's Intention in the post parade. Cox added, "Turning for home, I knew she had momentum going forward and I knew (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."
Right: Margie's Intention heads back to the barn. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "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 (Paris Lily). 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. 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."
Left: Second place finisher Paris Lily leads first time by. Trainer Brendan Walsh said, "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. Joel 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 added, "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."
Right: Third place finisher Kinzie Queen in the post parade. Jockey Junior Alvarado said, "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. She gave great effort. The first part she was spinning her wheels a little bit then she got comfortable and made a nice move."
The co-feature on Friday is the $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3). A field of 9 older horses contested this historic 1 3/16 mile trip, with Star of Wonder sent off as the 9-5 favorite off consecutive allowance wins, over 5-2 second choice Phileas Fogg, winner of the Excelsior, and 4-1 third choice Encino, 2nd in the Kentucky Cup Classic (G3).
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sent Encino to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.26, 47.17, and 1:11.25 while pressed by Phileas Fogg and stalked by 7-1 Awesome Aaron. Turning for home, Encino tired allowing Phileas Fogg to inherit the lead through 1 mile in 1:36.72, but Awesome Again rallied late to win by 3/4 length in 1:5.67. It was a long 4 3/4 lengths back to late-running favorite Star of Wonder third.
Left: Awesome Aaron heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Norm Casse said, "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. We don't know how good he could be, but (the Stephen Foster) seems like the next rational step."
Right: Awesome Aaron walks over before the race. Winning jockey John Velazquez said, "He came out running good. But I didn't take any hold of him, and I know those two horses have some speed. 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."
Left: Second place finisher Phileas Fogg heads out to the track before the race. Trainer Gustavo Rodriguez said, "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."
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Star of Wonder heads out to the track. Trainer Brad Cox said, "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 added, "Broke good and traveled well. We had a really good trip. No excuses."
Left: Candied in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "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. We will see how she bounces out of it. The Ogden Phipps (at Saratoga) might be back a little quick, but we are not going to rule it out yet."
Right: Candied in the post parade. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "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."
A field of 11 three-year-old fillies sprinted 6 furlongs in the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3). Forward Gal (G3) and Beaumont (G2) runner-up Stunner was sent off as the 5-2 favorite over 3-1 second choice Family, 2nd in the Serena's Song, and 7-2 third choice G W's Girl, 4th in the Beaumont after winning the Dixie Belle.
Jockey John Velazquez sent 23-1 Hollygrove to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 22.95 and 46.14 while pressed by G W's Girl and stalked by 4-1 fourth choice Echo Sound. Turning for home Echo Sound gained the lead through 5f in 58.49, and drew off late to win by 2 lengths over late-running 29-1 You'll Be Back in 1:11.14. It was another 3/4 lengths back to Hollygrove third, while favorite Stunner checked in 8th beaten 10 lengths.
Left: Echo Sound heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Luis Saez said, "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." Winning trainer Rusty Arnold added, "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.
Right: Echo Sound in the post parade.
The $125,000 Hilltop Stakes featured a field of 8 three-year-old fillies going 1 mile on the turf. Jockey Jose Ortiz sent 9-4 favorite Me Governor to the lead first tim by through fractions of 24.34, 49.43, and 1:14.24 while pressed by 7-1 White Rocks and stalked by 19-2 Princess Attitude. Turning for home Me Governor tired allowing Princess Attitude to inherit the lead through 7f in 1:26.85 but 7-2 second choice Play With Fire, 7th early under Flavien Prat, came out 6 wide and rallied to win by a length over 11-2 Pretty Lavish in 1:39.11. It was another 2 lengths back to Princess Attitude third, while favorite Me Governor faded to finish 6th beaten 8 3/4 lengths.
Play With Fire in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Brendan Walsh said, "She ran very well. A really nice run. She's progressed a lot and ran a nice race."
Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "She broke good, settled down nice, traveled well and was very comfortable throughout. She showed a very good turn of foot turning for home."
Winning trainer Brittany Russell said, "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 rode her great. She likes it here at home. I felt like we had her ready today."
Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "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."
Photos courtesy of Amber Chalfin of Downthestretchphotos.com.
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