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Jockey Frankie Dettori celebrates aboard Balnikhov after winning the Dinner Party Stakes on the 2024 Preakness undercard. | |
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Fans in attendance at Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes (G1) were treated to a marathon 14-race card with the first race off at 10:35am. Conditions were typical for mid May, with overcast skies, intermittent showers, and temperatures in the high 60's most of the day. Morning rain downgraded the track to muddy and the turf to soft. Turf races on the undercard were moved to the main track but stakes races remained on the course.
A field of 7 older horses (after 3 scratches) contested the $500,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G3) over 1 1/8 miles on the turf, kicking off the inaugural 1/ST Racing Turf Challenge. There is a $2.5 million bonus if a horse sweeps the Dinner Party, John Henry Turf at Santa Anita, and Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream. Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) winner Running Bee was sent off as the 9-5 favorite. In to challenge him included 5-2 second choice Beatbox, winner of the Fair Grounds Stakes (G) but 4th in the Mervin Muniz (G2), and 5-1 third choice Balnikhov, third in the San Francisco Stakes (G3) at Golden Gate.
Jockey Raul Mena sent 37-1 longest shot Helms Deep to the lead first time by through fractions of 26.42, 52.77, and 1:18.71 while pressed by Running Bee and stalked by 8-1 Highland Chief. Into the stretch, Balnikhov, last early, came through between horses to gain the lead through 1 mile in 1:45.55. Kept to task by Frankie Dettori, Balnikhov drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths over late-running 14-1 Crabs N Beer in 1:58.90. It was a long 3 lengths back to favorite Running Bee third.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Balnikhov heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Frankie Dettori said, "My first ever win at Pimlico! The turf is just loose on top. Horse was superb today. I spoke to my friend Umberto Rispoli at Santa Anita, he told me to leave the horse alone at the beginning and I had to navigate my way out of there, and he really took off. He went through (the soft course) like a hot knife through butter."
Right: The trophy presentation. Winning trainer Phil D'Amato said, "He was running into good form. I gave him some time off, and he ran a really good race in the San Francisco Mile. I thought this horse is kind of on the upswing. He came back with a really good breeze. We kind of had this race in mind. The connections were going to be there at Pimlico, and we were able to get Frankie Dettori, and everything seemed to work out. Frankie gave him a masterful ride, saving ground, angling out and proving best."
Left: Corporate Power returns after the race. Winning jockey Javier Castellano said, "He's still figuring it out. I think turning for home, he lost focus; at the 1/4 pole he lost momentum. I had to ride him a little bit, get him to pick it up. I liked the way he finished. I think he likes to be competitive. It seemed to me if he'd been by himself, lonely, he would have stopped and waited for horses. When he felt the horses, I encouraged him a little bit and he re-broke."
Right: Corporate Power heads back to the barn after the race. Winning trainer Shug McGaughey said, "It was only his fourth race. He has a lot to learn. I put blinkers on him to try to keep him a little more focused. With racing he's going to get more focused. This was his best race. I was pleased with his effort. He's not ready, I think, for the big boys. I think I'd like to race him one more time and face them in the fall."
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sent Frost Free to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 23.24 and 46.66 while pressed by 5-1 fourth choice Cats by Five and stalked by Catahoula Moon. Into the lane Frost Free opened up a 2 1/2 length lead through 5f in 58.80, and easily held off Cats by Five to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:11.39. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Mr Skylight third.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Frost Free returns after the race. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "As he always does, he showed some speed early in the race. I never had ridden him before, and I didn't want to get in his way. I let him do his thing and be happy. I saw in the other race in the slop he didn't run that well. I was a little concerned about that. I let him be happy, be free and he was there for me whenever I wanted him."
Right: Frost Free in the post parade. Winning trainer Brett Creighton, celebrating his first graded stakes win said, "He's matured and grown up. He's improving with every race. He's got speed. And the competition, I mean, we fit. Oh, (first graded stakes win is) great. I've been in the business a very long time. It means a lot. I think I got my trainer's license in 1984 maybe."
Blissful was quickest away through an opening quarter of 25.60 before 17-2 fourth choice Tequilera took over down the backstretch through a half in 50.59 and 3/4 in 1:16.81 over the soft going. Turning for home the pacesetters tired as Fluffy Sicks, 4th early, came out for room and swept to the lead through 1 mile in 1:43.34. Kept to task by Irad Ortiz Jr., Fluffy Socks drew off to win by 7 3/4 lengths over late-running Five Towns in 1:49.79. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Tequilera third.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Fluffy Socks in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "She loves the soft (going) and it worked out perfect. I was going to the 3/8 pole, waiting, biding my time and turning for home, I just asked her and she did her thing. It was a small field. Probably an easier spot. I think that helps a lot. I think it helps picks up her head, and she knows she belongs. The last few races have been hard for her. The last time (6th in Jenny Wiley), I was sad after that because she always showed up. And that day she didn't show up at all. It was nice today to see her back in the winner's circle."
Right: Fluffy Socks returns after the race. Winning trainer Chad Brown said, "I know she was a heavy favorite and she was supposed to do what she did. It was no given, given the soft turf and the slow pace. She has failed before at slow paces. I was really proud of her that she was able to overcome that. Irad really navigated his way off the rail and got her into good ground in the center of this course and she was really able to motor away. I feel now it's time to step back up into a bigger race. She has been close in some very big races."
Kicking off the stakes action at 12:21PM, the $100,000 Skipat Stakes featured a field of 7 older fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs. Jockey Jaime Torres sent 5-1 fourth choice Sweet Shild O Mine to the lead through fractions of 23.61 and 46.72 while pressed by 4-1 third choice Swall and stalked by 6-5 favorite Disco Ebo. Into the stretch Swall gained a short lead through 5f in 59.40, but 3-1 second choice Apple Picker, 6th early under Sheldon Russell, rallied by to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:12.34. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to 12-1 Late Frost third, while Disco Ebo checked in 5th beaten 5 3/4 lengths.
Left: Apple Picker in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Brittany Russell said, "It set up great for her. You always worry on a day when there is moisture in the racetracks, sometimes it favors speed. But she is a tough filly and she'll kind of run through anything. It set up. Winning stakes races, this is where you want to be (Preakness Day). The races get a little saltier and it was nice to see that she fit in with this group and she could beat them."
Right: Apple Picker in the post parade.
The $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint featured 10 older horses going 5 furlongs on the turf. 6-1 Boat's a Rockin set the pace of 23.13 and 48.34 under Jaime Rodriguez while pressed by 7-1 That's Right and stalked by 20-1 Smooth B. In the stretch the lead pair tired badly as 11-2 Grooms All Bizness, 7th early under Jorge Ruiz, came out 7 wide and outfinished 7-2 second choice Witty to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:01.08. It was a length back to Smooth B third, while 5-2 favorite and last year's winner Beer Can Man failed to rally finishing 5th beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
Left: Grooms All Bizness returns after the race. Winning jockey Jorge Ruiz said, "I would like to thank (trainer) Jorge Duarte for giving me the opportunity to ride in this stakes. I was very excited to ride this horse. There was a lot of speed in this race. I was just hoping that the leaders would slow down. At one point, I had no room to go, so I waited and waited. When I had room, we took off and finished well."
Right: Grooms All Bizness heads back to the barn after the race.
Jockey Javier Castellano sent 4-1 fourth choice Super Chow to the lead through fractions of 23.23 and 46.49 while pressed by Prevalence and stalked by 7-1 Jaxon Traveler. Into the stretch Super Chow opened up a 2 1/2 length lead through 5f in 58.61, and cruised the rest of the way to win by 1 3/4 lengths over favorite Prevalence in 1:11.19. It was another 1 1/2 length back to Prince of Jericho third.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Super Chow in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Javier Castellano said, "He was able to dictate the pace. The first quarter, you can see, he's a fast horse. He can go 21 and he went in 23-and-change. That was the key to winning the race. I was in the right place at the right time and being open in the race. I didn't have any commitment. I received the phone call (Friday) to offer the mount, and I said, 'I'm in! I'm open. Looking forward to riding the horse.' It worked out perfect."
Right: Super Chow heads back to the barn after the race.
Left: Fulmineo heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "We had a good trip. He broke okay and we were able to save ground in the first turn. Then, on the back side it seemed like the pace slowed down a bit. I was able to get him to the outside on the good ground. From there, he was traveling well and did the rest."
Right: Fulmineo in the post parade. Winning trainer Arnaud Delacour said, "I thought there was plenty of pace, especially the first quarter on that kind of ground. He was nice and relaxed, very responsive. I thought when Flavien asked him, he was pretty decisive about coming. We'll look at the condition book, but we'll try to find some soft ground for him and see if we can step him up. He's improving. It's great having a 3-year-old peaking at this time of the year."
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