Baroness Thatcher Heads Black-Eyed Susan Line-Up

(from Pimlico report)
Baroness Thatcher, who ran second to Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Rags to Riches in the Las Virgenes (gr. I) at Santa Anita in February, heads a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered Sunday for Friday’s $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) at Pimlico Race Course.

The Patrick Biancone trainee is the probable morning-line favorite for the traditional Preakness eve headliner that is highlighted by five stakes. A total of 134 horses are entered for the 13-race card.

Garrett Gomez will ride the daughter of Johannesburg in the nine-furlong Black-Eyed Susan. Baroness Thatcher is 2-for-8 lifetime, having won the Santa Ysabel (gr. III) at Santa Anita on Jan. 7 before finishing three-quarters of a length behind Rags to Riches in the Las Virgenes . She was fourth behind Rags to Riches in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) on March 11 before finishing fifth sprinting in the Beaumont (gr. II) at Keeneland on April 12.

Todd Pletcher’s Panty Raid, who was second in the Bourbonette (gr. III) at Turfway Park two races back, is likely to be the second choice. The daughter of Include won an allowance race at Keeneland at the Black-Eyed Susan distance in her last start on April 12.

D. Wayne Lukas-trained Grace Happens, who was pulled up in the mud in the Kentucky Oaks, was also entered in the field, along with trainer Eddie Gaudet’s Comely (gr. II) runner-up Winning Point. Also entered for the 83rd running of the Black-Eyed Susan are trainer Jennifer Bramblett’s Enchanting Star, second in last fall’s Frizette (gr. I) at Belmont; Fibbalator, who has won two in a row at Philadelphia Park; trainer Tim Ritchey’s Moon Catcher, who has never been worse than second in five starts; and Fee Fi Fo Fum, an also ran in the April 14 Comely at Aqueduct.

The co-feature on Friday’s card is the $200,000 Allaire DuPont Breeders’ Cup Distaff Stakes (gr. II), a 1 1/16-mile event for fillies and mares.  It drew a prospective field of 12 that includes grade I winner Sugar Shake and prominent stakes victors Swap Fliparoo, Fiery Pursuit, Lexi Star, Gasia, and Promenade Girl.       

The $125,000 Adena Stallions’ Miss Preakness Stakes (gr. III) drew a field of nine 3-year-old fillies for the six-furlong event, headed by trainer Mike Trombetta’s undefeated Your Flame In Me. The daughter of Boundary is 3-for-3, winning both starts last season and coming back to take the ungraded Xtra Heat at Pimlico on April 28.

Fillies and mares are featured in both the $95,000 The Very One, run at five furlongs on turf, and in the $95,000 Whimsical Stakes, run at six furlongs over the main track, on the Friday undercard.

All the added money races except for the Whimsical will be televised live on ESPN 2.

$125,000 Adena Stallions' Miss Preakness Stakes (gr. III, Race 10, 4:40 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 6 Furlongs
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Your Flame in Me (MD), 118, Jose C. Caraballo
2. Silver Knockers (MD), 116, Joe Bravo
3. Acadia Breeze (KY), 118, Garrett K. Gomez
4. Five Star Daydream (KY), 118, Edgar S. Prado
5. Richwoman (FL), 122, Javier Castellano
6. You Asked (FL), 116, Ramon A. Dominguez
7. Time's Mistress (KY), 122, Mark Guidry
8. Sea the Joy (KY), 118, Mario G. Pino
9. Magnetic Miss (IL), 120, Calvin H. Borel

$200,000 Allaire DuPont Breeders' Cup Distaff Handicap (Gr. II, Race 11, 5:11 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 1/6 Miles
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Take a Check (MD), 118, Luis Garcia
2. Sugar Shake (KY), 124, David R. Flores
3. Amandatude (KY), 118, Carlos H. Marquez, Jr.
4. Leah's Secret (FL), 120, Mark Guidry
5. Swap Fliparoo (FL), 122, Edgar S. Prado
6. Lexi Star (MD), 120, Ryan Fogelsonger
7. Gasia (KY), 124, Mario G. Pino
8. Fiery Pursuit (KY), 124, Mark Guidry
9. Kettleoneup (KY), 124,     Calvin H. Borel
10. Peak Maria's Way (KY), 118, (No Rider)
11. Rolling Sea (IL), 118, Garrett K. Gomez
12. Promenade Girl (MD), 124, Jeremy Rose

$250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II, Race 12, 5:43 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 1 1/8 Miles
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Winning Point (KY), 116, Luis Garcia
2. Panty Raid (KY), 116, Edgar S. Prado
3. Baroness Thatcher (KY), 120, Garrett K. Gomez
4. Enchanting Star (FL), 116, Joseph Rocco
5. Moon Catcher (MD), 116, Carlos H. Marquez, Jr.
6. Grace Happens (KY), 116, Mark Guidry
7. Fibbalator (KY), 116, Kendrick Carmouche
8. Fee Fi Fo Fum (KY), 116, Javier Castellano