Tag: Racing

All eyes and many betting dollars were on the undefeated Faiza before Friday's Grade 2, $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico race course in Baltimore, Md.

The Girvin filly, a $725,000 purchase by Baltimore resident Michael Lund Petersen at the nearby Fasig-Tipton Timonium Sale of 2-year-olds in training in 2022, was bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones and had racked up four graded stakes victories in California for trainer Bob Baffert.

But when the field of nine turned into the stretch of the Black-Eyed Susan, Faiza – the 3-5 betting favorite – began to retreat after chasing front-running Hoosier Philly throughout. Taxed, another filly bred by Brereton Jones at his Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky., commenced a strong rally, leaving Faiza in the dust and taking dead aim at Hoosier Philly and Edwin Morales.

Under Rafael Bejarano, the Randy Morse-trained Taxed, a daughter of Collected, overtook Hoosier Philly inside the furlong pole and drew off to her first career stakes win. Hoosier Philly, sensational in a perfect 3-for-3 season at 2 but disappointing in two prior starts this year, easily held second, 3 3/4 lengths behind the winner, with Faiza and jockey Flavien Prat checking in third, beaten another 2 3/4 lengths. Balpool was fourth, followed by Merlazza, Cats Inthe Timber, Towhead, Comparative, and Sacred Wish. Frosty O Toole, Miracle, and Pate were scratched.

Time for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track was 1:49.45, following fractions of :23.44, :47.24, 1:11.28, and 1:36.36. Taxed returned a $24 mutuel.

The winner, claimed for $50,000 by trainer Randy Morse out of a maiden claiming race she won at Churchill Downs last Nov. 20, campaigns for Richard Bahde, who called the Black-Eyed Susan “the greatest win we've ever had.”

The win was the second in eight starts for Taxed, produced from the stakes-placed Yankee Gentleman mare, Yankee Union. She sold originally for $27,000 as a Keeneland September Sale yearling, then brought a bid of $105,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Morse, winning his first graded stakes since Moonshine Mullin captured the G1 Stephen Foster Handicap in 2014, entered Taxed in four stakes at Oaklawn since the claim.

She ran on the front end before tiring to be fourth in the Years End on Dec. 31, then was a good second in the Martha Washington on Jan. 28. On Feb. 25, with Bejarano in the saddle for the first time, she was chasing the pace early and wound up ninth in the G3 Honeybee. Bejarano suggested taking the blinkers off the filly and she responded with a solid second to Wet Paint in the G3 Fantasy.

She blossomed in her morning works at Churchill Downs, but like Hoosier Philly was on the outside looking in when she came up short on points for the G1 Kentucky Oaks. Both were on the also eligible list but failed to draw in.

The Black-Eyed Susan and its $180,000 winner's share of the purse was a very good consolation prize to not getting to run in the Oaks.

Black-Eyed Susan Quotes:

Winning Trainer Randy Morse (Taxed): “That was pretty special…. I tell you. I've been kind of dreaming that she might run that way.”

(On the $50,000 claim last fall): “She's a real nice-looking filly, and I'd seen her train. Just one of those deals where we got lucky – got her in a shake.”

(On removing blinkers) “She was just always pulling, too rank. 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.”

“When they headed up the backside, I loved her spot. She was behind horses and clear. I said to myself, 'If you can't do it from here, you don't have any excuse.'”

(On where this ranks among career highlights): “I won the Stephen Foster, that was a Grade 1. Even if it's a claiming race, a win's a win.”

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

Winning Owner Richard Bahde (Taxed): “We are very excited to win this race. This is our first visit to Maryland, our first visit to Pimlico, and I want to come back again as soon as possible. The next stake, I want to be here. The folks here at Pimlico have been so gracious and kind, the whole setup.

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

(Biggest win?) “It just happened. This is it. I have never won a graded-stakes race before. I am multiple graded stakes-placed, but this is the first win.

“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 that 3 horse (Hoosier Philly) like she was standing still.”

Winning Jockey Rafael Bejarano (Taxed): “I had a very good trip. 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 and was better than the last time.

(Is she better without blinkers?) “For sure. Definitely. This is the second time she has run without the blinkers, and she improved. It seems like she is more relaxed.”

Trainer Tom Amoss (Hoosier Philly, 2nd): “Edgar (Morales) rode a fabulous race on her. We were able to control the pace. Look, when he turned for home and peeked over his shoulder, I got that feeling that you can't buy. I thought we were going to win. There were a lot of things going through my mind, and they were all positive. Until about the eighth pole. We just had one that was better than us today. I'm happy for Randy Morse. He's a great trainer, and I'm proud that he got to win the race. I maybe had a little egg on my face, proclaiming her (Hoosier Philly) as the best I've trained. I think we're on the road to proving that again.”

Jockey Edgar Morales (Hoosier Philly, 2nd): “She broke good. I wasn't planning to be on the lead, but the 4 horse [Merlazza] bumped into me a little and she cruised to the lead. She was running comfortably so I just let her be. She tried hard. She always tries. You can't count those last two races. The Fair Grounds was not the best for her.”

Trainer Bob Baffert (Faiza, 3rd): “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. 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 (1-2 finishers Taxed and Hoosier Philly) looked good in the paddock; I thought they would run well. We will go home with her and regroup.”

Jockey Flavien Prat (Faiza, 3rd): “No excuses.”

The post Taxed Overtakes Hoosier Philly For First Stakes Victory In Black-Eyed Susan appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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Maple Leaf Mel kept her record perfect on May 19 with a win in her graded stakes debut, taking the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico decisively under jockey Joel Rosario. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the 3-year-old had to scrap for the early lead with favored rival Key of Life out of the gate, but took over a quarter-mile in and didn't look back, easily fighting off closing efforts from Afternoon Tea and Topsy to win by 1 1/2 lengths, with minimum urging from Rosario in the stretch.

The race is the fourth run and the fourth win for Maple Leaf Mel, who took a break after her 2-year-old campaign and came back to win the East View Stakes at Aqueduct in late March.

Maple Leaf Mel is named for Englehart assistant Melanie Giddings, who hails from Canada. Owner Bill Parcells and Englehart wanted to pay tribute to Giddings, who is a endocervical and ovarian cancer survivor. Giddings has been with the gray filly for most every day of her career so far, and the pair share a special bond.

Topsy finished second, followed by L Street Lady and Afternoon Tea. The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.56.

Maple Leaf Mel went off at 8-5 and paid $5.40, $3.60, and $3.20. See the full chart here.

August Dawn Farm owns the New York-bred daughter of Cross Traffic, who was bred by Joe Fafone. She is out of City Place mare City Gift.

Maple Leaf Mel was an $18,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September by Paul Neatherlin from the consignment of Eaton Sales. She was later pinhooked into the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale by consignor Robert Brewer, where August Dawn gave $150,000 for her.

$150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) Quotes

Winning Trainer Jeremiah Englehart (Maple Leaf Mel): “I loved the way she was in the paddock. She had really good energy. (Assistant trainer) Melanie (Giddings,) has been telling me she has been doing very well. She's one of those fillies that loves doing what she does. It showed today.

            “Joel (Rosario) was thinking, 'Do you want to go to the lead?' I said, 'Well, we've got the outside post. At least break and see where everyone is going.'  We knew the 2 had the speed. I was content with just sitting off her. When Joel got the lead, I got thinking, 'Coach (owner Bill Parcells) told me that he wanted to sit. In the locker room I was going to get beat up pretty good if she took the lead and then faded late. It worked out great.

            “You can do whatever you want with her.”

“The way she does it, I always figured she would run with whoever we put her against just because when you ask her to run, she does it. I thought she would handle it but this was going to be her real, true test to show she would handle it. She passed.”

Melanie Giddings, assistant trainer to Jeremiah Englehart and cancer survivor): “This is emotional. There is a lot of pressure when you have Bill Parcells as the owner. He will say, 'Is she ready? Is she ready?' I keep telling him, 'Yes,' and you just hope it all works out.

“This is special not just for me but there are a lot of other people as well. I can't tell you how many people have come up to me and they say, 'Oh my God, I feel you.' They have had this or that happen to them. It's nice. They have a horse to look up to, in a sense, when she is winning.

“I had endocervical and ovarian cancer, which was diagnosed in 2020. Bill named the horse for me, partly because of that (She is also from Canada) and we had built up a friendship. He is at the barn every day (in Saratoga during the summer). He loves the sport. It's nice for him to get this win. He might have been a little nervous today because I did not hear from him. I think everyone can kind of feel a little relief.  She is a New York-bred and the other filly (Key of Life) won in Lexington, This is a nice horse. This makes me feel proud because I think so highly of her.”

Winning Jockey Joel Rosario (Maple Leaf Mel): “She has a lot of speed. Her break was not really super-fast, but she has so much speed. After she got the lead, she looked around a little bit. And I just let her do her thing, and hopefully we had something left turning for home.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen assistant Darren Fleming (Topsy, 2^nd): “I thought she ran huge. She finished up really well. I'd have to watch the replay. I don't know how she got that far back.”

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Topsy, 2^nd): “My filly broke alertly, put herself in a good spot and she was really finishing down the lane. The track's a little tight, but it's very fair out there. It seems like the best horses are getting it done.”

Trainer Brittany Russell (L Street Lady, 3^rd): “You know, we were really trying to get a piece of this, and L Street Lady ran a really big race. She came from off it and for her to run up and get third was great. They were really rolling. She is a nice filly. I am surprised she did not get a little more respect (45-1 odds). I am delighted, very happy with her.”

Brad Cox, trainer beaten-favorite Key of Life: “She got outrun, it looked like to me. The winner was very good; and we didn't run our best race but were no match for the top finishers.”

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