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My Dear & Victoria Canada Day Festival O'Neill wins$nbso;#3000 North America Cup results Belmont Stakes Resuults |
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Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates aboard Fort Washington after winning the Dinner Party Stakes on the 2025 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 sunny skies and temperatures in the low 90's and the main track fast, but the turf was still "good" after Friday's rains.
A field of 7 older horses (after 3 scratches) contested the $250,000 Dinner Party Stakes (G3) over 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Trikari was sent off as the 7-2 favorite off his 3rd place finish in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland. In to challenge him included 9-2 second choice Divin Propos, second in the San Luis Rey (G3) at Santa Anita, and 5-1 third choice Fort Washington, winner of the Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey Jose Ortiz sent 11-2 Abrumar to the lead first time by through easy fractions of 26.07, 50.82, and 1:15.76 while pressed by 11-2 Neat and stalked by 26-1 Crabs N Beer. Turning for home the pacesetters tired as Fort Washington, 7th early under Junior Alvarado, swept 4 wide to the lead through 1 mile in 1:41.64. Kept to task by Alvarado, Fort Wasshington held off late-running 11-1 Cash Equity to win by a length in 1:54.20. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to 48-1 longest shot Desvio third, while favorite Trikari failed to rally and checked in 9th beaten 14 1/4 lengths.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Fort Washington heads to the winner's circle. Anthony Hamilton, assistant to winning trainer Shug McGaughey said, "We had this (race) circled pretty much right after the race in Florida. We've been pointing to this. He had a good campaign last year, and we're excited to be here. And it all worked out very nice."
Right: Fort Washington in the post parade. Winning jockey Junior Alvarado said, "He was in the bridle. He has never been in the bridle like that before. What was going through my head in the first turn was he's probably liking it, the soft (turf), that's what I was hoping, and he definitely answered that question. When he was passing horses, I still had him under a good hold. I knew (no one) from behind was going to pass him. I thought I was loaded. He's a horse that's not easy to ride. You need to kind of understand him a little bit; when he wants to do things, don't fight him. Whatever his plan is, I just go with him, and let him do his thing."
Left: Crudo in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "We've been looking forward to getting him stretched out around two turns and he handled that really well. He got a good trip, got to the first turn in good position and got into a good rhythm. That is what he has been showing us in the morning. A talented colt. We were a little disappointed in his debut because he had trained lights out. He came out of that race with some minor issues that we had to address and once he has come back, he has trained dynamite."
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Invictus in the post parade.
Left: Retribution returns after the race. Winning owner David Ingordo said, "We were talking about this race, and he was obviously eligible for an allowance race, but she wanted to take a shot when she saw the speed inside and how he has been training. The way he runs, she thought it could turn out like it did. If you said draw it up on a white board, we would have drawn it up this way."
Right: Retribution in the post parade. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "He broke so good and when he broke that well, it made everything a lot easier. I had the 11 post, and it looked like there was a lot of speed on paper. So, I was afraid to take ahold of him. He broke sharp. Then in the middle of the turn he started making his own run and I said, 'Beautiful.' Then I had a horse next to me and he fights, and I said, 'All right, let's do it.' And he showed what he can do."
Jockey Umberto Rispoli sent 8-1 Charlene's Dream to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.32, 49.37, and 1:14.92 while pressed by 11-2 Ocean Club and stalked by Queen of the Mud. Into the stretch Charlene's Dream left the field behind, drawing off late to win by 3 3/4 lengths over late-running 5-1 fourth choice Austere in 1:46.92. It was another 2 lengths back to Ocean Club third, while favorite Way to Be Marie failed to rally and finished 5th beaten 7 1/4 lengths.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Charlene's Dream heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Ed Moger Jr. said, "I thought there'd be more speed, but I told Umberto she does not have to be on the lead, because you can put her anywhere. She's a really talented horse and I said, ‘if she does get the lead, they aren't going to catch her.' She's a good horse. We couldn't get her in any graded stakes, basically, because she had never been in a graded stake. We entered in, like three of them, the races didn't go or we didn't get in. We weren't qualified. That's why we came here. I've always thought she could run like that."
Right: Charlene's Dream returns after the race. Winning jockey Umberto Rispoli said, "She broke really well out of the gate. I was happy to let her go to the lead. Ed was very confident before the race, that's why I want to give him credit for this. He said, ‘Wherever you land, wherever she's happy on the lead, just stay with her and go with her.' She was happy on the fence in the lead, and she never gave up. The more ground there was to cover, she kept taking me to the wire."
The $125,000 Skipat Stakes featured a field of 6 older fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs. 18-1 Disco Ebo was quickest away through an opening quarter in 23.48 before 2-1 second choice Striker Has Dial took over through a half in 46.49 pressed by Disco Ebo and stalked by 3-1 third choice Zeitlos. Turning for home Striker Has Dial continued to lead through 5f in 58.50 before Zeitlos under Jose Ortiz rallied by 4 wide to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:11.20. It was another 1/2 length back to late-running even-money favorite One Magic Philly third.
Left: Zeitlos heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Steve Asmussen said, "I thought this was the perfect spot to start her season. And she's as fast as ever, if not faster. Curlin filly, better with age. She's all class. Huge win. We obviously want to get back to the Breeders' Cup with her. We'll work from there backwards. We started a little later this year so we can be stronger at the end. I was surprised she wasn't favorite. I mean, she's 8 for 17 in her career and made $1 million."
Right: Zeitlos heads back to the barn. Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said, "A perfect trip. She broke great and put me a lot closer than I thought she would. That really helped me a lot. Steve (trainer Asmussen) told me she would probably be a little bit sharper today coming off the layoff. She put herself in there without being rushed. She does not like to be rushed. Doing it by herself allowed her to be a lot more patient and I was ready to go whenever I wanted to."
The $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint featured 7 older horses (after 2 scratches) going 5 furlongs on the turf. Jockey Umberto Rispoli sent 9-4 favorite Coppola to the lead while pressed by 21-1 longest shot Honeyquist and stalked by 3-1 third choice No Way Hudson. Turning for home, Coppola continued to lead through 5f in 46.7 before tiring. 11-4 second choice Witty, last early under Flavien Prat, swept to the lead 5 wide and drew off to win by 3 1/4 lengths over No Way Hudson in 59.61. It was a neck back to 8-1 Determined Kingdom third, and another 1 1/4 length back to favorite Coppola fourth.
Left: Witty heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "That race set up perfect. They kind of ran away from me at first, then in the turn, he started making up a bit of ground. I thought maybe I'm gonna get a piece of it then all of a sudden, I asked him for run and he took off. He kept coming as the leaders stopped a bit at the eighth-pole and we kept going."
Right: Witty returns after the race. Winning trainer Elizabeth Merryman said, "That's him. He always comes from way off the pace. There was a ton of speed in the race, so I expected him to be way behind. You never know, it was a long ways back. Like Flavien (Prat) said, turning for home he thought he'd get a piece of it and all of a sudden he was four in front. I like that part!"
After Concrete Glory missed the break and ducked in towards the gap before being pulled up by Irad Ortiz Jr., jockey Erik Asmussen sent Booth to set the pace of 23.30 and 45.90 while pressed by Epic Ride and stalked by 17-1 longest shot S S Sinatra. Turning for home Booth continued to lead through 5f in 57.81 and easily held off Epic Ride to win by a length in 1:10.39. It was a long 6 3/4 lengths back to 13-2 Celtic Contender third.
Full results chart from DRF
Left: Booth heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Erik Asmussen said, "He broke so good and he put his ears up about three jumps away from there and I knew they were in trouble. He was on cruise control the whole way around. He is fast, really fast. When we went the first quarter in 23, he did that so easy, it felt like I was on a morning gallop with him. I hope he likes me as much as I like him. We figured out what he really likes to do. He is in a really good rhythm right now. My dad has done a fantastic job; we're rolling right now. We hope to keep it going."
Right: Booth in the post parade. Winning trainer Steve Asmussen said, "The horse had a wonderful spring and it was nice to see this weekend and what it means. A wonderful opportunity, Erik's first trip to Maryland, a winning one and having the family here, it couldn't be any nicer. He's moving up the ladder. He's making his dad, Mitole, proud. He showed a lot early in the fall of his 2-year-old year, just got out of rhythm, things not being ideal. Then for him to reach this form – I think that's four stakes wins in a row at 4 – you think back that Mitole didn't get great until he was 4."
Left: Reagan's Wit heads to the winner's circle. Winning owner Terry Finley (West Point Thoroughbreds) said, "He came through that hole and then he started fooling around. But, as the jock (Jose Ortiz) said, it's a lot better to have that happen and have him swerve like that as opposed to getting to the lead and stopping and then a horse comes from the back of the pack." Trainer Cherie DeVaux added, "Really pleased with him. He's kind of a goofy horse. He showed that in the stretch. Jose did a really good job keeping him to task and staying on the horse, most importantly. We were a bit disappointed in his last race at Keeneland (fourth in the Transylvania). He was quite sullen in the paddock prior to the race."
Right: Reagan's Wit heads out for the post parade. Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said, "He does that when he makes the lead. He doesn't slow down and he didn't brush the rail. He's pretty green. I was ready for it. I knew it was coming. He switched leads on point. He did everything like a pro and opened up. I'm very excited about the way he ran today. Hopefully he matures a little after this."
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