Preakness Weekend To Feature 15 Stakes Worth $3.5 Million

Nine stakes–of which five are graded–worth $2.5 million in purses will highlight the 148th running of the GI Preakness S., which will be contested this year on Saturday, May 20. Overall, 15 stakes–including the 99th running of the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. on Friday, May 19–will be contested over two days of racing at Pimlico.

Other graded stakes on the Preakness undercard are the GIII $200,000 Dinner Party S. for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the grass, GIII $200,000 Chick Lang S. for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, the GIII $100,000 Maryland Sprint S. for 3-year-olds and up also racing three-quarters of a mile, and GIII $100,000 Gallorette S. for fillies and mares, three years old up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

The historic GIII $300,000 Pimlico Special for 3-year-olds and up, contested at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, and GIII $150,000 Miss Preakness S. for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs top the Black-Eyed Susan undercard.

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Lexitonian Retired, Will Stand At Lane’s End

Lane's End farm announced today that the Calumet homebred Lexitonian will stand the 2022 season at their Versailles farm.

An impressive two-year-old debut winner at Belmont, the son of champion Speightstown went on to win the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., along with the Concern Stakes before hitting the board in the G2 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland in his 3-year-old season. At 4, he ran second by a nose to Collusion Illusion in the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. In his 5-year-old campaign, he ran second by a head to Flagstaff in the hotly contested G1 Churchill Downs Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on the Kentucky Derby undercard and scored a huge victory in the G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., defeating 2020 Champion male sprinter Whitmore and G1 winners Mischevious Alex and Firenze Fire.

“He's a horse who fights”, said trainer Jack Sisterson. “He has the talent, the will, and the heart. He's a class act winning and placing second in multiple Grade 1 races. I've had a tremendous amount of confidence in him throughout his career because you can run him over any track, and he always knows what to do.”

“We are thrilled that Calumet is entrusting us with a horse as special as Lexitonian is,” said Bill Farish of Lane's End Farm. “He has been a consistent top-level performer at all stages of his racing career. He has the pedigree, racing ability, and soundness that we think will set him up for success at stud.”

A 5-year-old son of prominent sire Speightstown, Lexitonian is the first foal out of the young Tapit mare Riviera Romper. She is a daughter of G1 Test winner Swap Fliparoo that Calumet acquired at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale for $310,000 while carrying him.

Lexitonian will stand for $7,500 for the 2022 breeding season.

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Mighty Mischief Takes Rail Path To Chick Lang Stakes Victory

The shortest distance from the gate to the wire is the rail path, and Mighty Mischief took it to his first graded stakes victory on Saturday in the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

The 3-year-old Into Mischief colt was hustled out of the gate by jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., and quickly separated from a group of second-flight contenders that included Jaxon Traveler, Willy Boi, and Hemp. Mighty Mischief ran easy through an opening quarter in :23.16 seconds, while Willy Boi moved up to challenge on the outside, and Jaxon Traveler was three-wide as they headed into the turn.

Mighty Mischief held his position on the rail through the turn, and he entered the home stretch with a two-length advantage after a half-mile in :45.97 seconds. The colt remained under hand urging by Santana until the final furlong, when the jockey provided the occasional reminder with a right-handed whip.

Nobody emerged to directly challenge the leader, but slight post time favorite Jaxon Traveler was the only one to even be within striking distance when the wire approached, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to third-place Hemp, who was three-quarters of a length better than Willy Boi.

Mighty Mischief stopped the clock in the six-furlong sprint in 1:09.74 over a fast main track. He paid $5.60 to win as the field's second choice.

The Chick Lang was the first graded stakes test for Mighty Mischief, who made his first career start on Feb. 7 in a narrow second-place effort at Oaklawn Park. He then embarked on a two-race winning streak at the same track; most recently taking an April 10 allowance optional claiming race by a front-running 4 1/2 lengths.

Saturday's victory improved Mighty Mischief's career earnings to $255,200.

Mighty Mischief races as a homebred for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, out of the Super Saver mare Wealth Creation. He is trained by Steve Asmussen, who also saddled the other part of the exacta.

To view the race chart, click here.

$200,000 Chick Lang (G3) Quotes

Winning Trainer Steve Asmussen (Mighty Mischief) and (Jaxson Traveler, 2nd): “The only thing that could have been better is a dead heat. I think they're both very quality horses. The race might have been a little quick back for Jaxon Traveler. He didn't have as much speed as he normally does, and the race got away from him a little bit from the half-mile to the three-eighths.”

(Pre-race instructions?)  “I think that's covered when you've got Ricardo [Santana Jr.] and Irad [Ortiz Jr.]. At this level, this is as good as it gets. I think where they drew made the difference in the outcome of the race.”

“The significance of this is that it's Corinne Heiligbrodt's mare and they're the breeder of this one as well. Not only for them to breed another Chick Lang winner, and I'm sure this is their third Chick Lang winner.”

“Jaxon Traveler has been a very versatile horse. He's traveled, and being a Maryland-bred, [there are] Mid-Atlantic opportunities for him. Mighty Mischief, this being his first stakes try, we'll see how he comes out of it and what we need to do with him next.”

Winning Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. (Mighty Mischief): “This is a nice horse. We have a lot of confidence in him. We've always loved this horse from Day 1. He's improved a lot. They let me walk the first quarter. I was really happy. He was really comfortable. The first quarter, when they let me walk in 23 [seconds], I knew I was going slow. I knew he was going to accelerate for home, and I just waited for company to come back to me. And when they came close to me, I had a lot left.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Jaxon Traveler; 2nd): “No excuse. He was running at the end, but the other horse [Mighty Mischief] was hard to catch. The other horse went 23 [seconds], went a little easy the first quarter.”

Trainer Anthony Farrior (Hemp; 3rd): “He ran good. There were a couple of good ones in here. [Jockey Jevian]Toledo rode a great race, sitting behind the speed and made one run. Glad to hit the board. He finished well, and we're happy with him. He's a Maryland-bred, so we'll have a little fun with him in the state. Everyone wants to run on these days. It's everyone's dream to run on Preakness Day. I'm just glad the owners gave me a horse that can run. The plan worked good. I knew Steve [Asmussen] would be tough. When he comes, he brings good horses. I am very pleased. I thought we could run third, I really did. The three horses that were favored were all going to go out there and, hopefully, one would falter and we could come running. At the top of the lane, I thought we were going to get a little more of it, but they kept running, too.”

Jockey Jevian Toledo (Hemp): “I was hoping they would stop and I could catch them. They kept running. But my horse, he ran, not 100 percent, he tried 200 percent. So he ran his race, he ran good. The other horses are really nice horses and kept going. I think with the competition here, he should be really nice next time.”

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Undefeated Yaupon Ties Stakes Record In Chick Lang Romp

L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon kept his perfect record intact in impressive fashion Thursday, streaking to a stakes-record four-length triumph in the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

The 45th running of the six-furlong Chick Lang for 3-year-olds helped launch a spectacular Preakness weekend program of 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.35 million in purses over three days featuring the 145th running of Saturday's $1 million Preakness (G1).

Stakes action was kicked off earlier on Thursday's card with upset victories by Hollis in the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint and A Great Time in the $100,000 The Very One, both going five furlongs on the grass.

Favored at 3-5 over eight rivals, Yaupon ($3.20) improved to 4-0 with his second straight graded-stakes triumph following the Amsterdam (G2) Aug. 29 at Saratoga in his previous start. The winning time of 1:09.10 matched Lantana Mob from 2008 for the fastest in stakes history.

Both Yaupon and Lantana Mob came from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who also won the 2018 Chick Lang with 2019 champion sprinter Mitole. It was the first Chick Lang victory for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“Put him on the lead and keep him on the lead, and he keeps running,” Velazquez said.

Velazquez did precisely that, hustling Yaupon to the front from the gate and assuming control through testing splits of 22.77 and 45.11 seconds, pressed to his outside by Arkaan while the rest of the field tried to keep pace. Yaupon was firmly in command as Arkaan dropped back once straightened for home and sprurted away as Double Crown came with a steady run to edge 17-1 long shot Relentless Dancer for third.

“You've got to ride him the first part. For the first three-sixteenths of a mile, I had to ride him just to keep his head on the business,” Velazquez said. “Even at the three-eighths pole I am reminding him, 'Hey, keep your mind on your business.' Then when he switched down the lane then he knew. It was 'OK, time to go.'”

Unraced at 2, Yaupon debuted with a nose victory June 20 at Churchill Downs then rolled by 3 ¾ lengths in a Saratoga allowance July 18, both races coming over older horses. In his first race facing straight 3-year-olds he captured the six-furlong Amsterdam, his stakes debut.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Double Crown won the Roar and Carry Back over the spring and summer at Gulfstream Park, and was exiting a third-place finish in the Smile Sprint (G3) Sept. 5 under regular pilot Cristian Torres, who made the trip north to ride. Double Crown was racing for the first time in Maryland since his debut triumph last September, after which he was purchased privately.

“He always gives 100 percent,” Torres said. “I had a perfect trip. He broke good. I let him settle off the speed. At the three-eighths, he started picking it up very nice and down the stretch, when I got him clear, he was rolling.”

Run as the Hirsch Jacobs Stakes from its inception in 1975 to 2009, the Chick Lang was renamed in honor of the racing industry legend widely known as 'Mr. Preakness,' who passed away in 2010 at age 83.

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