One of the biggest days of the year on the Mid-Atlantic racing calendar – and in America to boot – unfolds Friday with Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Course.
A 14-race card is on tap for Friday, including six stakes topped by the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies and Grade 3 Pimlico Special for older horses. That six-pack sets the stage for Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes, second jewel of the Triple Crown and undoubtedly one of the biggest days of racing around the world. Our team is on the scene in Baltimore for the festivities and will update on all the action, and hopefully pick a winner or two or six.
The handicappers from This Is Horse Racing and The Saratoga Special return for another weekend, and they’ll go through Saturday’s Preakness and into next month’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
Rob Whitlock jumped out to a quick start on Kentucky Oaks Day with five winners and followed it up with four more on Derby Day to lead the way with nine. Rob came up with Think Big in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint, Mindframe in the Churchill Downs, Zulu Kingdom in the American Turf and scratched into Kopion in the Derby City Distaff for his four-pack.
Charles Bedard sits solo in second with seven winners after also posting a five-win Oaks Day. Alec DiConza, Sean Clancy and Tom Law are tied for third with six wins apiece – Tom and Sean coming up with Sovereignty in the Derby, of course – while Jessica Paquette sits alone in sixth with five wins. Jessica also tabbed Sovereignty.
We have a three-way tie for seventh – or last depending on how you look at these things – with Joe Clancy, Paul Halloran and John Shapazian sitting at four wins. Paul also tabbed Sovereignty.
Here are the picks for Black-Eyed Susan Day. Be safe and good luck.
Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes. $125,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 3:05 p.m. ET.
Grade 1 winner Candied finished third in Grade 3 “prep” for this last time out and looks to end losing skid that dates back to last year’s Lady’s Secret Stakes in June at Monmouth Park. Daughter of Candy Ride stands out on class here against eight others led by Dazzling Move, Lemon Muffin and the 2-for-2 Sudden Switch.
- John Shapazian: Candied, Sudden Switch, Peignoir.
- Jessica Paquette: Dazzling Move, Candied, Sudden Switch.
- Tom Law: Candied, Sudden Switch, Dazzling Move.
- Charles Bedard: Lemon Muffin, Candied, Peignoir.
- Rob Whitlock: Candied, Dazzling Move, Sea Dancer.
- Alec DiConza: Candied, Miss Hebrides, Sudden Switch.
- Joe: Peignoir, Candied, Sudden Switch.
- Sean: Candied, Peignoir, Sudden Switch.
- Paul Halloran: Sudden Switch, Candied, Peignoir.
Hilltop Stakes. $125,000, 3-year-olds, fillies, 1 mile, turf. Post time 3:36 p.m.
The race that produced current turf sensation She Feels Pretty has been a springboard to many over the years. Who will be next? Plenty of candidates with what looks like a balanced field of nine.
- John: Sigh No More, Obeissante, Play With Fire.
- Jessica: White Rocks, Pretty Lavish, Sigh No More.
- Tom: Pretty Lavish, Sigh No More, Me Governor.
- Charles: Pretty Lavish, White Rocks, Obeissante.
- Rob: Sigh No More, White Rocks, Me Governor.
- Alec: Sigh No More, Play With Fire, Me Governor.
- Joe: Sigh No More, Pretty Lavish, Complexity Jane.
- Sean: Obeissante, Pretty Lavish, Sigh No More.
- Paul: Complexity Jane, Me Governor, White Rocks.
Miss Preakness Stakes (G3). $150,000, 3-year-olds, fillies, 6 furlongs. Post time 4:07 p.m.
Stunner, from the same team that campaigned Covfefe a few years back, looks pretty strong in here against 12 others. Daughter of Girvin exits back-to-back runner-up finishes in graded stakes and shortens up a bit more for Brad Cox and Flavien Prat. Vodka With A Twist, no stranger to graded company, ships in from Southern California off a third in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks going two turns.
- John: Vodka With A Twist, Stunner, Long Neck Paula.
- Jessica: Volleyballprincess, Delray, Stunner.
- Tom: Stunner, Vodka With A Twist, Echo Sound.
- Charles: Vodka With A Twist, Stunner, G W’s Girl.
- Rob: Family, Echo Sound, Stunner.
- Alec: Echo Sound, Vodka With A Twist, You’ll Be Back.
- Joe: Family, Stunner, Vodka With A Twist.
- Sean: Stunner, Family, Mila Rose.
- Paul: Echo Sound, Stunner, Vodka With A Twist.
The Very One Stakes. $100,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 5 furlongs, turf, 4:38 p.m.
Always one of our favorites, especially if we get the chance to say the The Very One. Watch the weather – believe it or not but there’s potential for racing in Maryland this week – and try to decipher this field led by multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Loon Cry, Charles Town star Moonlit Kiss, Steve Asmussen’s Accomplished Girl and Maryland Million winner Bosserati.
- John: Pleasant Embrace, Loon Cry, Bosserati.
- Jessica: Moonlit Kiss, Loon Cry, Bosserati.
- Tom: Pleasant Embrace, Loon Cry, Bosserati.
- Charles: Loon Cry, Simply Stated, Pleasant Embrace.
- Rob: Pleasant Embrace, Bosserati, Accomplished Girl.
- Alec: Pleasant Embrace, Bosserati, Loon Cry, Simply Stated.
- Joe: Accomplished Girl, Loon Cry, Shoshanah.
- Sean: Loon Cry, Bosserati, Accomplished Girl.
- Paul: Pleasant Embrace, Mendys Honey, Pinotslilgirl.
Pimlico Special Stakes (G3). $250,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 3/16 miles. Post time 5:10 p.m.
Remember when the Special had its own day, and, aghast, a week before even. Ah well, that was then and this is now. Things change and now it’s part of a strong card and probably in a better showcase in the current climate of the game. Star Of Wonder, winner of four of five including his last two, could kick off big weekend for WinStar Farm. He’ll take on good field led by multiple graded stakes winner and $2,159,107-earner Red Route One, 2024 Lexington Stakes winner Encino and New York shipper Phileas Fogg among others. Too bad the race lost some luster with the defection of defending champ Pyrenees.
- John: Star Of Wonder, Pyrenees, Encino.
- Jessica: Red Route One, Encino, Pyrenees.
- Tom: Red Route One, Star Of Wonder, Encino.
- Charles: Phileas Fogg, Awesome Aaron, Star Of Wonder.
- Rob: Encino, Phileas Fogg, Awesome Aaron.
- Alec: Awesome Aaron, Star Of Wonder, San Siro.
- Joe: Encino, Star Of Wonder, Phileas Fogg.
- Sean: Star Of Wonder, Phileas Fogg, Encino.
- Paul: Encino, Just Steel, Star Wonder.
George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2). $300,000, 3-year-olds, fillies, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 5:44 p.m.
Runnin N Gunnin, third in the Grade 2 Fantasy last time at Oaklawn Park, takes on Margie’s Intention, making her first start for Brad Cox, and others in the day’s feature. The latter, a Louisiana-bred daughter of Honor A. P., exits back-to-back runner-up finishes in restricted stakes at Fair Grounds. Plenty of others to like if they don’t float your boat, including Repole Stable’s Reply, Godolphin’s Paris Lily, and the Eddie Kenneally-trained Amarth.
- John: Margie’s Intention, Runnin N Gunnin, Paris Lily.
- Jessica: Paris Lily, Reply, Runnin And Gunnin.
- Tom: Amarth, Runnin And Gunnin, Paris Lily.
- Charles: Kinzie Queen, Margie’s Intention, Liam In The Dust.
- Rob: Amarth, Paris Lily, Margie’s Intention.
- Alec: Margie’s Intention, Liam In The Dust, Amarth.
- Joe: Amarth, Runnin N Gunnin, Reply.
- Sean: Paris Lily, Runnin N Gunnin, Margie’s Intention.
- Paul: Runnin N Gunnin, Amarth, Reply.
