Pimlico | Horse Racing Free Tips

Golden Memories: Jockey Gustavo Avila Recalls Canonero II’s 1971 Preakness

Although 50 years have passed, Gustavo Avila can readily recall his ride of a lifetime aboard Canonero II in the 1971 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, just two weeks after the Venezuelan visitors shocked the world by pulling off an unimaginable upset victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

The retired 83-year-old jockey, who resides in Miami with his family, came to Pimlico “a bit uncomfortable” and preparing for a race that would test Canonero II's speed as well as his stamina.

“One thing was certain,” the Venezuelan Hall of Fame jockey said, “this was going to be a violent race because of how fast it would be.”

Avila and his Kentucky-bred Venezuelan invader, who rallied from 18th to win the Kentucky Derby by 3 ¾ lengths, proved to be well-prepared to withstand a thrilling speed duel that developed with Eastern Fleet, winning by 1 ½ lengths and proving that his thrilling upset victory at Churchill Downs was hardly the fluke many had written it off to be.

Claudia Spadaro of Gulfstream Park and HipicaTV sat down and spoke to Avila just a week ago.

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Timing Right for Horologist in Allaire Du Pont

Horologist (Gemologist) aims to collect her sixth career stakes victory in Friday's GIII Allaire du Pont S. at Pimlico. The du Pont returns to its traditional spot on Preakness weekend after being moved to late December because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Transferred to trainer Bill Mott last summer, the New Jersey bred kicked off her tenure with the Hall of Famer with a score in Monmouth's GIII Molly Pitcher S. in July before finishing third in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. in September. Victorious in the Oct. 4 GII Beldame Invitational S., the bay tired to ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7, but rebounded to take Aqueduct's Top Flight Invitational S. Apr. 10.

Horologist can give Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his second du Pont victory, following Ajinia–1997's champion 3-year-old filly– in 1998.

Brad Cox enters Friday's nine-furlong contest with the pair of Dreamalildreamofu (Commissioner) and Getridofwhatailesu (Ghostzapper). The Elkstone Group's Getridofwhatailesu won the Jan. 23 Pippin S. at Oaklawn before finishing third in the GII Azeri S. won by 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks-winning stablemate Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil). In her latest start, she finished fourth behind the front-running Letruska (Super Saver) with Cox-trained two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) second in the Apr. 17 GI Apple Blossom S.

“She's a stakes-winner and hopefully we can make her a graded-stakes winner,” Cox said. “She's doing great, and probably is going to get a little class relief. No Letruskas or Monomoy Girls in this group.”

Full of Run Racing's Dreamalildreamofu exits a narrow triumph in the eight-furlong Latonia S. over Turfway Park's all-weather surface in March. A winner on all three surfaces, she is making her graded-stakes debut Fridy.

“Dreamalildreamofu is coming off a synthetic race,” Cox said. “She's performed well on three different surfaces–turf, dirt and synthetic. So, we have options with her.”

Robert and Lawana Low's Spice Is Nice (Curlin) is seeking her first career stakes win in the du Pont, a race her trainer Todd Pletcher won with Pool Land (2006), Super Espresso (2011) and Stopchargingmaria (2015).

Second in Gulfstream's GII Davona Dale S. following a 12-length debut triumph early in 2020, the chetsnut won an optional claiming allowance at Belmont later in July before running sixth the following month in the 10-furlong GI Alabama S., in what turned out to be her seasonal finale. She returned to win a 8 1/2-furlong optional claiming allowance at Keeneland Apr. 9, her first start in nearly eight months.

“She had a nice allowance win at Keeneland. The timing is good for this,” Pletcher said. “She's a nice filly that had a good break and came back well from it. So, we're making the step back into the graded stakes ranks and feel good about the way she is doing.”

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Street Lute Seeks Redemption in Miss Preakness

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute (Street Magician) looks to rebound off a third as the 3-5 favorite in Laurel's Beyond The Wire S. Mar. 13 and gain her first graded score in the GIII Miss Preakness S. at Old Hilltop Friday. Reeling off five straight wins from last November through February, including the Laurel's six-furlong Xtra Heat S. in January followed by the seven panel Wide Country S. Feb. 20, the chestnut tried a mile for the first time in the Beyond The Wire, but tired late to finish third, beaten five lengths.

“I've always felt she was a better sprinter. We tried her long just because there was nowhere else to run and you've got to find out sooner or later,” trainer John 'Jerry' Robb said. “There's a lot of really nice fillies in here. This will be her biggest test, yet I'm sure. You couldn't work any better, you couldn't go into it any better, and we've got home field advantage.”

Robb opted to bypass the 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss S. Apr. 24 and point for the Miss Preakness instead. The filly posted her most recent breeze May 7, going four furlongs in a bullet :46.80 seconds, the fastest of 35 horses going that distance at Pimlico that day.

Doug Scharbauer's Red Ghost (Ghostzapper) kicked off her career in style, winning by 8 1/2 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong off-turf test at the Spa last August but failed to handle the transition to the sod and had to settle for seventh in the Sept. 15 Untapable S. over 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs. Returned to the dirt last time, the Wesley Ward trainee came from off the pace to win at six-furlong Keeneland allowance Apr. 16. John Velazquez, who was aboard last time, returns to the saddle Friday.

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong, who won the 2020 Miss Preakness with Wicked Whisper, return this year Abrogate (Outwork), half-length winner of the six-furlong Purple Martin S. Apr. 3 at Oaklawn. Last time out, she ran fifth by 2 1/2 lengths in the seven-furlong GII Eight Belles S. Apr. 30.

“She chased a pretty fast pace in her last race. They went 1:09 for the three-quarters,” Alex Lieblong said. “She was there most of the time right up with the leaders, and it was a quick one. She might be just a six-furlong horse.”

The winner of her first two starts, including a muddy allowance score in Hot Springs Jan. 24, the dark bay finished third in a sloppy renewal of the Dixie Belle S. Feb. 28.

“It's a little quick back,” said Steve Asmussen's assistant, Scott Blasi of the quick turnaround from the Eight Belles, “but she'll appreciate shortening up.”

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Black-Eyed Susan Adventure

Godolphin's Adventuring (Pioneerof the Nile) rides a two-race win skein as she tries to add her first graded victory in Friday's GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico. Second choice on the morning line at 4-1, the homebred hit the board in her first two starts–both off-turf tests–at the Fair Grounds late last season. Well supported in her Feb. 16 reappearance at the New Orleans oval, the daughter of dual Grade I winning Questing (Hard Spun) came from just off the pace to romp by 6 1/2 lengths before adding another to the win column in Turfway's Bourbonette S. going a mile over the synthetic Mar. 27.

“Obviously, she's very well bred,” said trainer Brad Cox. “We're hopeful that she'll be able to handle the mile and an eighth. She certainly appears that she can.

“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.”

Explaining the decision to bypass the Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks, Cox added, “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.”

“I really like her…She's already a stakes winner, but we need to, hopefully, get some graded wins.”

Boama Corporation's Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) broke her maiden second out stretching to a mile at Santa Anita last October. In a pair of starts facing short fields at that venue this term, the half to GSW and GISP Chitu (Henny Hughes) posted a head victory in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 7 before succumbing by a half-length to Soothsay (Distorted Humor) in the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 3. Both races were contested at 1 1/16 miles.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will re-join the 9-5 program favorite who breaks from the 10 hole.

“She's run well,” 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.”

Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife (Declaration of War) went winless in her first three starts last year–all on turf–before graduating in her first try on dirt at Churchill in October. Runner up going a mile in a Churchill optional claimer Nov. 28, she was a nose winner in a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 13 before running third behind winner Search Results (Flatter)–who subsequently finished a close-up second in the Kentucky Oaks–in a nine-furlong GIII Gazelle S. at Aqueduct Apr. 3.

“She's a filly we've always been high on. She makes a fabulous impression,” said trainer Mike Maker. “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 gets the call on Army Wife, who breaks from Post 1.

Alex and JoAnn Leiblong's Willful Woman (Nyquist) come into this off an optional claiming victory in the slop at Oaklawn Apr. 9. Prior to that, she finished seventh in the Mar. 6 GIII Honeybee S.

“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.”

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