Sent away as the even-money favorite, Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll needed every inch of the 1 3/16-mile distance of Friday's Grade 3, $250,000 Pimlico Special Stakes presented by Bullett Bourbon, getting up in the final jump under Flavien Prat to nose out front-running Speed Bias and jockey Luis Saez.
The Pimlico Special, first run in 1937, was co-featured on Friday's Black-Eyed Susan Stakes card at Pimlico race course in Baltimore, Md.
Trained by Ken McPeek, Rattle N Roll ran the 1 3/16 miles (the same distance as Saturday's Preakness) in 1:54.72. The 4-year-old colt by the Curlin stallion Connect out of Jazz Time, by Johannesburg, paid $4.20 to win. The Pimlico Special was his fourth graded stakes victory and seventh win overall from 17 starts.
Speed Bias, an Uncle Mo colt making his stakes debut for Ron Moquett, led every step of the way until the last one, setting fractions of :23.56, :47.58, 1:10.77, and 1:35.61. Clapton finished third, with Keystone Field fourth and Kuchar fifth in the field of seven older runners. Cooke Creek was scratched.
Rattle N Roll settled well off the pace early and was kept wide throughout by Prat, moving four wide around the final turn and into the stretch before unleashing his late rally.
“I almost skipped the race and almost waited for the Blame at Churchill,” said McPeek. “I was fortunate to be able to get Flavien Prat. It wasn't the easiest win, but this horse is so solid.”
McPeek said he didn't have a specific next race in mind for Rattle N Roll, but now has a pair of top older runners for the Lucky Seven Stable of Leo and Ginny Mackin and their five children: Mike ,Jeff, Kim, Jay, and Craig.
Lucky Seven Stable also owns Smile Happy, winner of the G2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 5.
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