Last season's GII Golden Rod S. winner Hoosier Philly was intent on getting to the front, and she did so dutifully, as Sacred Wish (Not This Time), Merlazza (Medaglia d'Oro) and Faiza drafted in behind on her outside flank through an opening quarter in :23.44. The rail-skimming Scared Wish tried to creep up on the leader, but promptly had that door slammed in her face, losing some ground in the process. With Hoosier Philly still narrowly in front and Merlazza and Faiza keeping her honest, Taxed was only about four lengths away and moving easily following a :47.24 half. Given her cue leaving the far turn, the grey swung out four wide while inching closer to the front turning for home, gradually reeled in the drifting pacesetter and overtook her game, but tiring rival at midstretch en route to a 3 3/4-length victory. The GI Starlet winner Faiza was a clear third over 14-1 shot Balpool (Uncaptured).

“I had a very good trip,” said winning rider Rafael Bejarano. “I put her in the position the way that I wanted and went from there. I followed the favorite [Faiza], came to the stretch and let her out. My horse responded really good and she finished really well. She has improved a lot.”

In regard to the beaten favorite, Bob Baffert explained, “She broke well and was in a good spot. When the running started, she did not have that kick that she usually has. She ran a good race; she just wasn't good enough today. We are still trying to figure her out. [Flavien] Prat said she had the trip. She did everything right but win.”

He added, “It was a good test for her, this being her first time shipping. We are proud of her; at least she was right there. Those two fillies [Taxed and Hoosier Philly] looked good in the paddock; I thought they would run well. We will go home with her and regroup.”

The victory gave Bejarano's his first graded victory since the 2021 GII Jessamine S. on California Angel, while it was trainer Randy Morse's first since the 2014 GI Stephen Foster S. with Moonshine Mullin.

“It's hard to compete with these guys who go in and spend millions of dollars on young horses,” said Morse. “I'm not knocking them–I'd like to be in their position. Most of my better horses have been claimed.

“I won the Stephen Foster, that was a Grade I. Even if it's a claiming race, a win's a win.”

Claimed for $50,000 while facing maidens at Churchill Downs last November, Taxed returned to be fourth behind future GI Central Bank Ashland S. winner Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) in the Year's End S. at Oaklawn Dec. 31 before posting a solid runner-up finish to Wet Paint (Blame) in the Martha Washington S. Jan. 28. Fading to ninth after pursuing the early pace in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Honeybee S. Feb. 25, a race also won by Wet Paint, she came home an improved second to that familiar foe after shedding the blinkers in the GIII Fantasy S. Apr. 1.

“She was just always pulling, too rank,” explained Morse. “Because every time she ran, she looked like she was going to win, and she just didn't have any finish. As you see now that she's relaxing behind horses and settling. It's made a huge difference.”

Taxed wound up in the Black-Eyed Susan after failing to draw into the May 5 GI Kentucky Oaks as the first also-eligible.

The filly's owner, Omaha, Nebraska, resident Richard Bahde, has owned horses for 30 years, racing primarily in Kentucky and Arkansas. According to Bahde, the win marked his first win at this level.

“I started out in the bull rings in Nebraska with $5,000 claimers and then I met [trainer Randy Morse] and he took me to a whole different level. We have had a lot of fun together.”

When asked about Taxed's latest win, he enthused, “When she made her move on that turn, I knew we had it won. She loves her job, she loves to run and once she got clear to the outside, it was over. She went past [Hoosier Philly] like she was standing still.”

Pedigree Notes:

Taxed's Black-Eyed Susan victory gives her the distinction of being the initial graded winner for sophomore sire Collected, who stands at this breeder's Airdrie Stud. Her dam, three times stakes placed through a 15-race racing career, won at distances ranging from six to eight furlongs and was purchased by Brereton Jones for $75,000 in foal to Congrats at Keeneland November in 2015. A 100% winner-producer from her four foals to make the races, Yankee Union has an unraced juvenile colt by Airdrie's Preservationist (Arch) named In a Jam who was picked up by D J Stable for $50,000 at Fasig-Tipton July and is training forwardly at Casse Training Center. She is also the dam of a yearling filly by American Freedom and foaled a filly by Complexity Mar. 31.

Friday, Pimlico
GEORGE E. MITCHELL BLACK-EYED SUSAN S.-GII, $300,000, Pimlico, 5-19, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:49.45, ft.
1–TAXED, 118, f, 3, by Collected
           1st Dam: Yankee Union (MSP, $164,064),by Yankee Gentleman
           2nd Dam: A Touch of Romance, by El Prado (Ire)
           3rd Dam: Dance Account, by Private Account
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($27,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $105,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Richard Bahde; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Randy L. Morse; J-Rafael Bejarano. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 8-2-2-0, $379,644. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hoosier Philly, 124, f, 3, Into Mischief–Tapella, by Tapit. ($510,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC; B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss. $60,000.
3–Faiza, 124, f, 3, Girvin–Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike. ($90,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $725,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $30,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 2 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 11.00, 6.30, 0.60.
Also Ran: Balpool, Merlazza, Cats Inthe Timber, Towhead, Comparative, Sacred Wish. Scratched: Frosty O Toole, Miracle, Pate.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Samples drawn May 6 and 10 by the MRC were sent to Industrial Laboratories in Colorado, while the samples drawn by 1/ST RACING and MJC on May 11 were sent to the University of California at Davis Maddy Laboratory.

The May 6 samples were screened for both prohibited and therapeutic substances and were reported clear for all horses Thursday by Industrial Laboratories.

Results for the May 10 and 11 samples will be available Friday, and are expected by 3:00 p.m. ET in advance of the GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S., in which Beautiful Gift is entered. The outcome of those results will be announced publicly by 1/ST RACING and MJC upon receipt.

“1/ST RACING is committed to achieving the highest level of horse care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing. We have been an industry leader in instituting processes and protocols that have led to nationwide medication reform and increased accountability and transparency,” said Craig Fravel, Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST RACING. “While we acknowledge the challenging circumstances that prompted this further need for transparency, it reflects, above all else, that the principles of integrity, accountability, and safety in our sport are non-negotiable.”

In addition to third-round sampling, the medical records for all Baffert trained horses have been reviewed by Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer, 1/ST RACING. Baffert has provided medical records covering the period of Apr. 1 through May 10. Medical records for Medina Spirit reportedly reflected the dispensing of Otomax Apr. 9 and 19. Otomax is a legal, topical ointment used off-label to treat dermatitis in racehorses. Medina Spirit's medical records were compared to confidential veterinary records obtained from the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) which were submitted within 24 hours of those dates and have been verified.

Baffert also voluntarily submitted radiographs of Medina Spirit's fetlocks (ankles) and carpi (knees), which his veterinarian took at Pimlico May 12. These radiographs were reviewed by the Maryland Equine Medical Director, 1/ST RACING's Chief Veterinary Officer, and a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons that consults with 1/ST RACING and MJC. All three veterinarians independently determined the radiographs showed no abnormal findings.

To view a copy of the Maryland Jockey Club and Bob Baffert agreement, click here.

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The Stronach 5 will begin at approximately 5:12 p.m. with the Pimlico Special, a 1 3/16-mile event with five graded-stakes winners in the field of 11. The final leg of the Stronach 5 will be the Black-Eyed Susan at approximately 5:44 p.m.

Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) winner and Oaklawn Handicap (G2) runner-up Fearless, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., is the 9-5 favorite in the Special. Last Judgement, winner of the Challenger (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs over the winter, will be saddled by Mike Maker and ridden by Jose Ortiz. Cordmaker, third in the last two runnings of the Pimlico Special, looks for the third time to be the charm.

The Stronach 5 heads west for the second and third legs. Golden Gate's third race, a maiden special weight event for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 mile on the turf, drew a field of seven including Batukhan, who was a troubled ninth in his turf debut in March at Santa Anita. The gelding made his debut last year in France for Andre Fabre. Twice the Price makes his turf debut after finishing second or third in five of his eight career starts.

Next up is Santa Anita's fourth race, a maiden special weight event at six furlongs for California bred or sired fillies and mares. Omg It's Jessica gets blinkers after finishing second twice and third once in four career starts. Trainer Bill Spawr saddles first-time starter Feeling Grazeful.

Gulfstream's 10th race, a $12,500 claiming event at five furlongs on the turf, drew 10 including Gran Malbec, second in both of his last two turf starts at the distance. Royal Asset makes his first start since December for trainer Kelly Breen, who also saddles No Nay Maybe.

The Stronach 5 concludes with the Black-Eyed Susan, 1 1/8 mile event for 3-year-old fillies. Beautiful Gift arrives from California after finishing second in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) after a victory in the Santa Ysabel (G3). Miss Leslie, saddled by Maryland's leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, enters off a victory in the 'Win & In' Weber City Miss April 24. Todd Pletcher will saddle Iced Latte, Steve Asmussen will send out Willful Woman, Chad Brown saddles The Grass Is Blue, and Mike Maker has entered Army Wife.

Friday's races and sequence

• Leg One – Pimlico Race 12: (11 entries – 1 3/16 mile) 5:12 ET, 2:12 PT
• Leg Two – Golden Gate Race 3: (7 entries – 1 1/16-mile turf) 5:20 ET, 2:20 PT
• Leg Three –Santa Anita Race 4: (7 entries – 6 furlongs) 5:35 ET, 2:35 PT
• Leg Four –Gulfstream Race 10: (10 entries – 5 furlongs turf) 5:38 ET, 2:38 PT
• Leg Five –Pimlico Race 13: (10 entries – 1 1/8 mile): 5:44 ET, 2:44 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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The 97th running of the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies highlights a spectacular 14-race program that includes six stakes, four graded, worth $1 million in purses. It returns to its traditional spot on the eve of the Preakness Stakes (G1) after sharing the program with the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown when the races were delayed from mid-May to early October amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Other graded stakes on the program are the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs, and $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles.

Rounding out the stakes action are a pair of turf events, the $100,000 Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies at one mile, and $100,000 The Very One, a five-furlong dash for females 3 and older. First-race post time Friday is 11:30 a.m. Post time for the Black-Eyed Susan, carded as Race 13, is scheduled for 5:44 p.m.

Adventuring, second choice on the morning line at 4-1, enters the Black-Eyed Susan off back-to-back wins, graduating by 6 ½ lengths in a one-mile, 70-yard maiden special weight rained off the Fair Grounds turf Feb. 16. Most recently, she was a popular two-length winner of the one-mile Bourbonette Oaks on the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

“Obviously, she's very well bred … and we're hopeful that she'll be able to handle the mile and an eighth. She certainly appears that she can,” Cox said. “She broke her maiden in an off the turf race on the dirt and performed extremely well. She was able to get the job done on the synthetic and she works well enough on the dirt to give us the confidence to try a graded stake on the dirt. We're looking forward getting her up there.”

By Pioneerof the Nile out of the Hard Spun mare Questing, all Grade 1 winners, Adventuring – like Beautiful Gift – will be stretching out to her longest race yet. She was second in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight Dec. 20 at Fair Grounds to Will's Secret, who went on to be third by two necks in the Kentucky Oaks.

“She had enough points to go in the Kentucky Oaks, but we thought the Black-Eyed Susan made more sense. Plus, she wasn't nominated to we'd have had an extra large fee to run,” Cox said. “I really like her … She's already a stakes winner, but we need to hopefully get some graded wins.”

Florent Geroux, up in the Bourbonette Oaks, gets the return call from Post 9 in a field of 10. All fillies will carry 120 pounds.

Miss Leslie earned an automatic berth in the Black-Eyed Susan by virtue of her 1 ½-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss April 24 at Pimlico. Listed at 15-1 in the program, she is aiming to become the first Weber City Miss winner to parlay that victory into a repeat in the Black-Eyed Susan.

Also facing her longest race to date, Miss Leslie is unbeaten around two turns having also won the 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26 at Laurel Park in her 2-year-old finale. She owns four wins, two seconds and a third in eight career starts, three of those wins – and both stakes – coming since being claimed for $25,000 last November by Maryland's four-time defending leading trainer, Claudio Gonzalez.

“When she ran the first time long, she proved right away that she loved the distance. And, she did it again the last time, too. She loves it,” Gonzalez said. “It's going to be tough. It's going to be different fillies coming from outside, not only local fillies. They are coming from everywhere. It's a big race. I believe she has to show how she can handle the tough fillies.”

J.D. Acosta rode in the Weber City and will again have the assignment from Post 7.

Boama Corporation's Beautiful Gift won one of two starts at 2, a one-mile maiden special weight last October at Santa Anita. Both her races this year have come there, as well – a gutsy head victory over Moraz in the Santa Ysabel (G3) and half-length loss to Soothsay while second in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) April 3. Both races were contested at 1 1/16 miles.

Rather than send Beautiful Gift to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) April 30, the connections opted to wait for the Black-Eyed Susan. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be aboard for the third straight race, breaking from outside Post 10, and are the 9-5 program favorite.

“She's run well,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “I was going to run her in the Kentucky Oaks, but it came up way too tough. That's one of the toughest Kentucky Oaks I've seen. I didn't want to put her through that. I said, 'We'll wait for the Black-Eyed Susan. You try to spot your horses, give them a chance where they have a chance to win.”

Recently elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame, trainer Todd Pletcher is a four-time winner of the Black-Eyed Susan with Spun Sugar (2005), Panty Raid (2007), In Lingerie (2012) and Stopchargingmaria (2014). He will be represented this year by Repole Stable's Iced Latte, making her stakes debut.

Iced Latte, another Pioneerof the Nile filly, won impressively at second asking in a one-mile maiden special weight March 14 at Gulfstream Park. She stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in an optional claimer April 25 at Belmont Park, leading all the way until caught late by Midnight Obsession and running second by a length in the slop.

“It seemed like she handled it OK,” Pletcher said. “I don't think it is indicative of her quality. We were impressed by her maiden win. She's always trained very forward and I liked the way she breezed [the other] morning.”

Luis Saez is named on Iced Latte, 8-1 on the morning line, from Post 6.

Army Wife and Lady Traveler, both Grade 3 placed, look to break through with their first graded triumphs. Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife went winless in her first three starts last year, all on turf, before graduating in her first try on dirt. She hasn't been worse than third since, winning an optional claimer March 13 at Gulfstream and running third behind Search Results and Maracuja, respectively second and seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, in a 1 1/8-mile Gazelle (G3) April 3 at Aqueduct.

“She's a filly we've always been high on. She makes a fabulous impression,” trainer Mike Maker said. “She had a couple of months off and got a little behind, but she's doing well and we're looking forward to it.”

Joel Rosario rides Army Wife (8-1) from Post 1.

West Point Thoroughbreds, John Ballantyne, William Freeman and Michael Valdes' Lady Traveler is well-tested against graded company, having run second in the Jan. 30 Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream and fourth last out in the April 2 Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland, both at seven furlongs. Her trainer, Dale Romans, won back-to-back editions of the Black-Eyed Susan with Keen Pauline in 2015 and Go Maggie Go in 2016.

“Last time, even though she didn't hit the board, she ran a nice number and really showed improvement,” West Point COO Tom Bellhouse said. “In the middle of the race she started making a big move and, unfortunately, the horse that was in front of her when she started to make the move kind of drifted out and got in her way a little and kind of broke her momentum.

Lady Traveler (15-1) is a half-sister to two-time Grade 1-winning turf multi-millionaire Heart to Heart. She will be ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano from Post 5.

“She's a cool filly. She hasn't been able to put it all together yet. She shows you glimpses of greatness at different times in the race,” he added. “She runs in snippets. She's like the darling of the workout report guys. She works out great, everybody's in love with her, she looks beautiful – and she's finicky. She doesn't tell you when she's really going to run her race or not. We're due. We're ready to have some fun.”

SF Racing's Spritz, second to Adventuring in the Bourbonette Oaks, is making her return to the dirt in the Black-Eyed Susan after spending the winter at Turfway Park. She was off the board in two dirt races last fall, one each at Monmouth Park and Delaware Park, before being moved to trainer Rodolphe Brisset.

“Our filly is doing really good,” Brisset said. “We saw the filly getting better, I thought, with each race. I don't think we had the perfect trip in the Bourbonette. Maybe the five-eighths move was a little too soon after going 23 [seconds] flat the first quarter. We were second-best. Since that, the filly's been working on the dirt very good.

“She's definitely a two-turn horse and she's tactical out of the gate. She's shown us that the more we've run her, and we know that on the dirt it's a pretty good weapon,” he added. “Based on the way she's breezing on the dirt, it's time to take a shot at it and see what she wants to do.”

Flavien Prat has the call on Spritz (20-1) from Post 3.

Stephen Baker, David Bernsen and Magdalena Racing's Forever Boss (15-1) was sixth in the Bourbonette Oaks but bounced back impressively with a 4 ¼-length score in an 1 1/8-mile off-the-turf allowance April 21 at Keeneland. Her trainer, Ken McPeek, upset last year's Preakness with filly Swiss Skydiver. Jose Ortiz rides from Post 4.

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Willful Woman (12-1) can give Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his first Black-Eyed Susan win. The daughter of Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist is a half-sister to 2007 Fantasy (G3) winner Ever So Clever and was seventh in her only previous graded attempt in the March 6 Honeybee (G3) to Will's Secret.

A maiden winner one race prior to the Honeybee, Willful Woman rebounded to capture a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance April 9 in the slop at Oaklawn Park by 1 ½ lengths under Ricardo Santana Jr., who rides back from Post 2.

“She lost it at the break,” Alex Lieblong said of the Honeybee. “She was looking at something in the infield when they popped the gate and then got flustered when she missed it. It was just one of those deals where we were like, 'Ok. Let's start over.' That's what we did with the allowance. I hated that we missed the series there but it might wind up being one of those deals where it worked out for the best, if you just give them time.”

Completing the Black-Eyed Susan field is Louis Lazzinnaro's The Grass Is Blue (6-1), who respectively ran fourth and third to her Chad Brown-trained stablemate Search Results in the Gazelle and March 6 Busher Invitational. A stakes winner in the 1 1/8-mile Busanda Jan. 24 to kick off her 3-year-old season, she was beaten two heads when third behind Miss Leslie in the Anne Arundel County. The Grass Is Blue will carry three-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. from Post 8.

First run in 1919 as the Pimlico Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan was renamed in 1952 to honor the Preakness and Maryland's state flower. Among its winners are Nellie Morse, who later became the only filly to then win the Preakness; Hall of Famers Gallorette, Twilight Tear, Davona Dale, Real Delight, Royal Delta, Serena's Song and Silverbulletday; and divisional champions Vagrancy, But Why Not and Wistful.

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Alex Lieblong said the filly, based in Kentucky with Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, is being pointed to the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan for sophomore fillies that headlines a program of six stakes, four graded, worth $1 million in purses on the eve of the 146^th Preakness Stakes (G1).

“[Asmussen] says all systems go on her,” Lieblong said. “I usually get a vibe from him one way or the other and I think he's felt real good how she's trained. She worked the other morning and had a nice work. It was unlike an Asmussen work, although there were only 17 or 18 horses that worked, but she had a nice work there. So, knock on wood, it looks like she's headed that way.”

Willful Woman breezed five furlongs in 59.80 seconds May 2 at Churchill Downs, fastest of 17 horses. It was her first timed work since rebounding from running last of seven in the March 6 Honeybee (G3) by winning an optional claiming allowance April 9, both going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park.

Purchased for $400,000 as a yearling in August 2019 at Saratoga, Willful Woman's sire was the champion male at 2 and won the 2016 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) and was third in the Preakness at 3. Ever So Clever, also out of the Grade 3-placed mare Foxy Danseur, won the 2017 Fantasy (G3) for Asmussen.

“We think she's a really nice filly. She's just kind of kept growing into herself,” Lieblong said. “She was kind of a big, tall, scopey thing, so to speak, but now she's filling that scope out some so we're tickled pink with the way she's doing.”

Previously in the Black-Eyed Susan, the Lieblongs owned Marathon Lady, a 12-1 long shot who came up a neck short of Bob Baffert-trained winner Fiftyshadesofhay in 2013. They won the 2020 Miss Preakness (G3) with Wicked Whisper. Asmussen in seeking his first Black-Eyed Susan win.

The Lieblongs will be back to defend their title in the $150,000 Miss Preakness for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs with the Asmussen-trained Abrogate, most recently fifth in the seven-furlong Eight Belles (G2) April 30 on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard. The 3-year-old Outwork filly has won three of five career starts including the six-furlong Purple Martin Stakes April 3 at Oaklawn.

“If the horse whisperer, Asmussen, says she's ready, then we'll give her a shot,” Lieblong said. “She was right there with the leaders last time, and they went quick. She might be just a six-furlong horse.”

Though Lieblong said they will likely miss Preakness weekend to attend the high school graduation of their granddaughter, they have enjoyed great hospitality in previous trips to Pimlico and always look forward to the racing.

“We always enjoy coming up there if we can, if we've got something that looks like it might fit. Everybody's so friendly up there,” Lieblong, an Arkansas native, resident and businessman who also serves as chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission, said. “I'm looking forward to a year, like everybody is, without all the added drama and hard times.”

G2 Winner Fearless Bound for Pimlico Special (G3) After Saturday Work
WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Grade 2 winner Fearless is headed to the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) on Friday following his half-mile breeze Saturday in New York.

In company with the 146^th Preakness Stakes (G1) contender Unbridled Honor for Hall of Fame-elect trainer Todd Pletcher, Fearless worked four furlongs over a Belmont Park training track rated fast. Both horses were timed in 49.75 seconds.

Pletcher, still seeking his first career Preakness triumph, won the Pimlico Special in back-to-back years with Revolutionary in 2014 and Commissioner in 2015.

“I thought he worked very well this morning,” Pletcher said, “so he is on target for the Pimlico Special.”

Fearless returned from eight months between races to capture the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) Feb. 27 in his 5-year-old debut. The gelded son of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper closed to be second, beaten a half-length, in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 17 at Oaklawn Park.

Irad Ortiz Jr., the three-time defending Eclipse Award winner, was aboard for both starts and retains the mount in the Pimlico Special.

Other horses pointing to the Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up, contested at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, include defending champion Harpers First Ride; Cordmaker, third each of the past two years; Alwaysmining, Last Judgment, Max Player, Modernist, Prioritize and Treasure Trove.

Proxy Breezes Saturday at Fair Hill, $100,000 Sir Barton Remains in Play
Godolphin homebred Proxy, most recently fourth in the Lexington (G3) April 10 at Keeneland, breezed Saturday at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. for his next start, which could come next weekend at Pimlico Race Course.

Proxy worked four furlongs in 49.20 seconds over the main dirt course at Fair Hill, third-fastest of 24 horses. The bay son of Tapit out of the Include mare Panty Raid – all Grade 1 winners – is nominated to the $100,000 Sir Barton for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the undercard of the 146^th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15.

In his most recent race, Proxy ran fourth in the Lexington (G3) April 10 at Keeneland, his fourth race this year. Proxy made his first three starts at Fair Grounds, finishing second in the LeComte (G3) and Risen Star (G2) before a fourth-place finish behind Hot Rod Charlie in the Louisiana Derby (G2).

Proxy won back-to-back starts at Fair Grounds in November and December after being beaten a neck on debut last October in an off-the-turf maiden event at Monmouth Park.

“He came out of the Lexington in great shape. He ran hard all winter. He ran five times down at the Fair Grounds and then we ran him right back kind of close in the Lexington. We're just giving him a little chance to catch up with himself and freshen him just slightly and look for a summer program for him,” trainer Michael Stidham said.

“We've got him nominated to multiple spots and we haven't really decided on which one,” he added. “Iowa Derby, Ohio Derby, all those different races, and we're not sure which one we're going to go for.”

The fastest half-mile breeze Saturday at Fair Hill was turned in by Proxy's stablemate Micheline, who completed the distance in 48.40 seconds. Godolphin's 4-year-old daughter of champion Bernardini win the 1 1/8-mile Hillsborough (G2) March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs and exits a sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley (G1) April 10 at Keeneland.

Micheline is nominated to the $150,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf, also part of the Preakness undercard.

“Both horses worked very well at Fair Hill. They're training well and doing well,” Stidham said. “We're looking at some different spots with them but nothing is set in stone yet.”

Stidham said Godolphin's Pixelate, caught in deep stretch and beaten a nose by Corelli in the 1 1/16-mile Henry S. Clark April 24 at Pimlico, was unlikely to come back in the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) May 15.

“We're nominated to the Dinner Party but we're most likely not going to run just because it's a little close back,” he said.

Entries for the May 14 Black-Eyed Susan Day program will be taken Sunday, while entries for the May 15 Preakness Day program are due Monday.

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Among them are Bourbonette Oaks winner Adventuring in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies on Preakness eve, May 14. The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile ran in three straight off-the-turf races to begin her career with a third, a second and a victory before taking the Bourbonette over Turfway's Park's all-weather surface.

“She's training really well,” Cox said at Churchill Downs Thursday morning. “She had enough points to go in the Kentucky Oaks [G1], but we thought the Black-Eyed Susan made more sense. Plus she wasn't nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, so we'd have had an extra-large fee to run. But I really like her. She's out of a mare [Questing] who was a multiple Grade 1 winner at a mile and an eighth and a mile and a quarter, so I think the distance is something she's going to handle. Huge, huge pedigree. She's already a stakes-winner, but we need to hopefully get some graded wins.”

Cox said Dreamalildreamofu, winner of Turfway's Latonia Stakes in her prior start, and Gedridofwhatailesu are both being pointed to the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles May 14. Getridofwhatailesu won the Pippin at Oaklawn Park before taking third in the Azeri (G2) won by stablemate and 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, and finishing fourth in the Apple Blossom (G1) to front-running Letruska, with the Cox-trained two-time champion Monomoy Girl second.

“Dreamalildreamofu is coming off a synthetic race,” he said. “She's performed well on three different surfaces – turf, dirt, synthetic – so we have options with her. Getridofwhailesu was fourth in the Apple Blossom last time and is Grade 2-placed. She's a stakes winner and hopefully we can make her a graded-stakes winner. She's going great, and probably is going to get a little class relief. No Letruskas or Monomoy Girls in this group.”

Fair Grounds allowance winner T D Dance is being pointed for the $100,000 James W. Murphy for 3-year-olds on grass and French Empire the $100,000 Runhappy Skipat for older fillies and mares at six furlongs. Both races are part of the blockbuster Preakness undercard. A $20,000 claim last fall at Churchill Downs, French Empire has won four straight for Cox, most recently an Oaklawn allowance race.

French Empire came to Cox's stable a month ago after winning four straight races for Cipriano Contreras in the wake of being claimed for $20,000 last fall. She is entered in the Vagrancy (G3) Saturday at Belmont Park.

“She's training really well,” Cox said. “She actually is entered in the Vagrancy this weekend, but we decided to scratch and point for the Skipat. T D Dance is doing well, and I'm looking forward to giving him an opportunity in a stakes. Two races back he didn't perform quite as well as we were hoping. He was able to rebound and come back and win an allowance race.”

Cox won the top prize of $50,000 in the Maryland Jockey Club's Preakness weekend trainer bonus two years ago, when he also finished third and fourth in the Preakness Stakes with Owendale and Warrior's Charge, respectively. Cox finished in a tie with Steve Asmussen for second last year.

“I like it; it's cool,” Cox said of the program. “We won it two years ago, and it was a very nice bonus. It wasn't something we'd really pointed for. Then last year based off the morning line, I'd have said we had a big shot to win it. Last year we kind of pointed for it. This year, not as much, but it's very nice. If you run a couple and they run well, you definitely start watching the leaderboard, I can tell you that.”

West Point Thoroughbreds, John Ballantyne, William Freeman and Michael Valdes' Grade 3-placed Lady Traveler, most recently fourth in the Beaumont (G3) April 2 at Keeneland, is expected to make her next start in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies Friday, May 14 at Pimlico Race Course.

A bay daughter of Grade 1 winner Quality Road, Lady Traveler is trained by Dale Romans who won the Black-Eyed Susan in back-to-back years with Keen Pauline (2015) and Go Maggie Go (2016) and most recently was second with Coach Rocks (2018). West Point was third with Tom Albertrani-trained Toasting in 2013.

“We're set to enter Lady Traveler in the Black-Eyed Susan,” West Point CEO Tom Bellhouse. “We've had some fun in the Black-Eyed Susan in the past. We had Toasting that hit the board and then Coach Rocks ran great a couple years ago. I know Dale likes the race.”

Lady Traveler is a half-sister to two-time Grade 1-winning turf multi-millionaire Heart to Heart, out of the Silver Deputy mare Ask the Question. She broke her maiden and was second in the Rags to Riches last fall in Kentucky, and opened 2021 rallying for second in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park.

Since then she has finished off the board in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance on turf March 10 at Gulfstream and the seven-furlong Beaumont, beaten less than five lengths at odds of 17-1.

“She's a cool filly,” Bellhouse said. “She hasn't been able to put it all together yet, but she's got an amazing pedigree.”

West Point may have another Preakness weekend starter in Jaxon Traveler, a multiple stakes winner it owns with Marvin Delfiner and is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Nominated to the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs, the Maryland-bred Jaxon Traveler broke his maiden on debut last fall at Pimlico and won the Maryland Juvenile Futurity in December at Laurel Park.

Jaxon Traveler suffered his only loss in five starts when he was beaten a head in the Gazebo March 20, a race where he needed to come from off the pace, before rebounding with a front-running triumph in the April 24 Bachelor. Both races were going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park.

“We're waiting to hear if Steve wants to come back that quick in the Chick Lang. The race is perfect for him, but he hasn't committed to us yet,” Bellhouse said. “I hope we run both of them. It would be a blast to come down next week and just have a great time.”

SF Racing's Bourbonette runner-up Spritz is scheduled to breeze this weekend over the main track at Keeneland with the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) in mind, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said.

“If she works OK on Sunday, Spritz will be running in the Black-Eyed Susan,” Brisset said. “She'll have her last work Sunday depending on the weather. As of now, we're looking at working her on Sunday, shipping her on Monday night and we'll be there on Tuesday morning.”

Spritz, by Awesome Again out of the Holy Bull mare Holy Blitz, spent the winter racing over Turfway Park's all-weather surface. It was where she broke her maiden going 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 and followed up with a game effort in the one-mile Bourbonette, beaten two lengths by Adventuring, who is also being pointed to the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan.

“She's extremely well-bred. For her to finish second in a stakes was very good for her value as a broodmare,” Brisset said. “But, obviously, if we can be stakes placed or a stakes winner on the dirt, that would be even better.”

Other horses pointing to the Black-Eyed Susan are Army Wife, Beautiful Gift, Forever Boss, Iced Latte, Lady Traveler, Miss Leslie and Willful Woman.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn for the Black-Eyed Susan Day program Sunday, May 9.

Brisset said plans call for Team Valor International's Australian-bred Victory Kingdom to breeze Friday at Keeneland for a start in the $100,000 The Very One for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs on the grass Friday, May 14.

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The 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies serves as a co-headliner on an 11-race Spring Stakes Spectacular program featuring seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses including the $125,000 Federico Tesio, a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15.

In its sixth year, the Weber City Miss is being contested for the first time at Pimlico after having its first five runnings at Laurel Park. It remains a 'Win and In' event for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) on Preakness Eve, May 14.

Though born in Kentucky and trained by Midwest-based Tom Amoss, who winters in Louisiana, Littlestitious has called Laurel Park home since mid-March, when horses were restricted to the grounds amid an equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) quarantine that was lifted April 18.

She remained in the barn of trainer Brittany Russell.

“She was there longer than we anticipated,” Politi said. “She's been great. Really, she just settled in there and hasn't turned a hair. She's been under Brittany's care and she's worked a bunch of times. She breezed the other day at Pimlico and did it well. All systems are go.”

Littlestitious arrived at Laurel for the March 13 Beyond the Wire, after having run fourth behind Clairiere and Travel Column in the Feb. 13 Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds. Those horses respectively rank second and sixth in points for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (G1), a race Politi – an orthopedic surgeon in Ohio – won in 2019 with Serengeti Empress.

“In this category I would say she fits. We ran her against the big girls over the winter and that was probably just a little too much for her,” Politi said. “She's got a good opportunity here. It's the right distance and I think it's the right level for her. I think she'll get better as she gets older, hopefully. She's been a dream so far for us, so it's been great.”

A 10 ¼-length winner of the My Trusty Cat at Delta Downs in December to cap her juvenile season, Littlestitious ran fifth after setting the pace in her 3-year-old opener, the one-mile, 70-yard Silverbulletday Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds. A decided long shot in the Rachel Alexandra, she was third choice in the Beyond the Wire behind Street Lute – a winner of five straight stakes – and Fraudulent Charge, second to Street Lute in two of those races.

Fraudulent Charge put Street Lute away and appeared on the way to her first stakes victory before Littlestitious, always within striking distance just off the pace, swept past in mid-stretch to win by a half-length. Street Lute was third.

“The second and third fillies in there were beating their heads together all winter there,” Politi said. “It's hard to tell what anybody has. It's kind of like the Derby trail or the Oaks trail when they come together. They've all been running in their little silos, and I think we were running in the silo of Clairiere and Travel Column, and you'd like to get out of that silo.”

In the Beyond the Wire, Littlestitious displayed a similar stalk-and-pounce tactic under jockey Sheldon Russell that she used to break her maiden going six furlongs at Keeneland last fall prior to her romp in the My Trusty Cat.

“She's shown that in a couple of her races. The day she won at Keeneland was a very gritty, fast-closing performance,” Politi said. “The other thing I was really impressed with, which you guys get to see all the time, was the ride that Sheldon gave her. I thought that she broke really sharp and it would have been really easy just to send her because she was on the lead three steps into the race. He let her settle, let her relax and he fit her perfectly. He couldn't have ridden her any better.”

Russell rides Littlestitious back from far outside Post 7 at 120 pounds, two fewer than stakes-winning topweight Miss Leslie.

“She's going to run her race and I think she runs her best if she can just relax and make a run, so I don't think we'll change the strategy. We'll see how it sets up,” Politi said. “She can show some speed, but I don't think she's one-dimensional. The day she won at Delta she was sitting right on the pace and then kind of ran away from them, but I think she'll be happy to settle a little bit.”

Politi channeled Michael Scott of 'The Office' when asked what a strong showing in the Weber City Miss would mean for Littlestitious.

“I'm not superstitious. I'm a littlestitious, so I won't talk about the next race yet,” Politi said. “I guess that will just depend on how she does.”

While Street Lute is sitting this weekend out to await the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) May 14 at Pimlico, Team Gaudet and Five Hellions Farm's Fraudulent Charge will be back for another try. A 6 ¼-length waiver maiden claiming winner on debut Nov. 12 at Laurel, she has been beaten a total of 1 ½ lengths in her three stakes seconds.

All four of her races at come at Laurel with jockey Johan Rosado in the irons. Rosado, engaged to trainer and co-owner Lacey Gaudet, was up for a bullet five-furlong breeze in 1:01.20 April 19 at Pimlico.

“When you just get beat, you can't take anything away from a horse like that. Street Lute was the only one that had beat her, and she's an awesome filly, and then she got lucky and beat her last time,” Gaudet said. “I think everything would have to go really right for [Littlestitious] to beat her going two turns.

“[Rosado] likes to be very honest with me and he's under the impression that this filly will absolutely relish two turns, and she's shown every bit of that. This is what we were pointing for. It was a little tough getting to this point but I think we're feeling a little better after her work,” she added. “She had an amazing breeze which lifted a little bit of weight off our shoulders. I worked her in company with a pretty handy horse that we have and she was impressive. Her last work before her last race was impressive, and this was maybe even a little more impressive.”

Fraudulent Charge will carry 118 pounds including Rosado from Post 2.

Magic Oaks' Hybrid Eclipse will look to stretch her win streak to three races while making her stakes debut Saturday. New York-based trainer Linda Rice said the bay filly had been considered for the April 3 Gazelle (G2) at Aqueduct, won by Kentucky Oaks points leader Search Result.

Originally part of Laurel Park's spring meet, the entire Spring Stakes Spectacular program was shifted to Pimlico due to ongoing evaluation and renovation of Laurel's main track.

“Frankly we had looked at the Gazelle in New York and we opted to wait for the Weber City Miss,” Rice said. “I was excited about running her back there. She really seems to relish that track. But, we will move over to Pimlico and hopefully she will run well over that course, also.”

Winless in three starts at 2, Hybrid Eclipse broke her maiden in her sophomore debut Jan. 23 at Aqueduct. She stepped up and stretched out to about 1 1/16 miles in an entry-level optional claiming allowance Feb. 25 at Laurel, romping to a six-length victory under Horacio Karamanos, who rides back from Post 4.

“This is the next logical step for her,” Rice said. “We hope that she puts in a good showing and if things go well, maybe we'll find ourselves in the Black-Eyed Susan.”

BB Horses' Miss Leslie was a head winner of the about 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26 at Laurel, her second straight win after being claimed for $25,000 by leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez. This year, the Paynter filly ran second to Street Lute in the six-furlong Xtra Heat Jan. 16 and most recently sixth in the seven-furlong Wide Country March 13, both at Laurel.

Also entered are Exogen, beaten a head when second in the six-furlong Cicada March 20 at Aqueduct; Moonsafe, a 15 ¼-length waiver maiden claiming winner Feb. 27 at Laurel; and Oliviaofthedesert, the 2020 Trapeze Stakes winner trained by Ken McPeek racing at her eighth track in 10 career starts.

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The $125,000 Federico Tesio S. headlines seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses on the Spring Stakes Spectacular program Saturday, Apr. 24, originally scheduled to be run at Laurel Park. With the ongoing evaluation of Laurel's main track, live racing has been shifted to Pimlico, effective Thursday, Apr. 22.

Laurel's spring meet, delayed seven days to an Apr. 8 opening amid an equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) quarantine, was scheduled to run through May 2.

For the sixth straight year, the Tesio will serve as a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the 1 3/16-mile Preakness S. Saturday, May 15.

The Preakness highlights a program of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.25 million Saturday, May 15.

A total of six stakes, four graded, worth $1 million in purses help comprise the May 14 GII Black-Eyed Susan Day card.

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All seven stakes worth a total of $750,000 in purses originally scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 17 will be run on the new date with a similar 12:40 p.m. post time. Nominations for all stakes are due Saturday, Apr. 3.

The Spring Stakes Spectacular is led by the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles and the $125,000 Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies at about 1 1/16 miles. The Tesio is a 'Win and In' qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 146th GI Preakness Stakes S. May 15, and the Weber City is a 'Win and In' event for the $250,000 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 14, both at Pimlico Race Course.

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Miss Marissa was keen early alongside of Mizzen Beau, the pair a length ahead of the rest of the field through early fractions of :23.10 and :46.61. Meanwhile, the favored Bonny South was last of the 10-filly field after being squeezed back a bit at the start (the G1 Alabama runner-up has a late-running style anyway, so it may not have compromised her chances).

Rounding the far turn, Miss Marissa took command from Mizzen Beau and grabbed a two-length lead into the lane. Bonny South weaved in and out of horses to be about six lengths off Miss Marissa at the head of the stretch, but it took her about a sixteenth of a mile to find her best stride.

Bonny South really started to close in the final sixteenth, and Miss Marissa briefly looked in trouble before Centeno asked his filly for just a bit more. Bonny South was able to cut the distance to a neck in the shadow of the wire, but had to settle for second as Miss Marissa got her first stakes victory.

Hopeful Growth closed to finish third ahead of frontrunning Mizzen Beau in fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Miss Marissa is out of the winning Arch mare Ardara. She was an $11,000 yearling at the OBS October sale, and required four starts to break her maiden as a 2-year-old. She finished off the board in two graded stakes efforts last year, but returned as a 3-year-old to be third in the listed Ruthless Stakes in January. Recently, the filly won two straight allowance races, one at Monmouth and another at Saratoga, prior to stepping back into graded company.

Overall, Miss Marissa has four wins from 12 starts for earnings of over $320,000.

Winning Trainer James Ryerson (Miss Marissa) – “She's fairly fast. The fractions are going to be fast with her up near the lead, so I wasn't too concerned [with the early fractions]. She ran great.”

“Last year, I thought she wanted two turns and she made a liar out of me. It was ugly. But [this year] ever since we got a two-turn race at Monmouth she just moved forward in the race we got in at Saratoga. It was a small field but there were some nice horses in there. She ran fast, and then you look for a tougher spot. She answered today.”

Winning Owner Alfonso Cammarota (Miss Marissa): “This is my biggest win, but I have won other races with other horses.”

“I knew she was going to win. I do a lot of background on the horses when I buy them. I buy the horses personally. I do a lot of background on the siblings. Her mother won a race at a mile and a quarter and I knew she was going to be good. She proved it today. My research paid off.”

Winning Jockey Daniel Centeno (Miss Marissa): “The plan was to try to break sharp, get a good position and try to go easily from there. If someone tried to go to the lead we wanted to make sure that we were very close and make sure that she was really comfortable. She broke really sharp, I saw the inside horse go and I let her go. She sat off her practically all the way around. When I asked her she responded very well to the end.”

Jockey Florent Geroux (Bonny South, 2nd): “Horses that are deep closers sometimes you need some luck. She ran a great race. She finished the fastest. Today, we couldn't catch the winner.”

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