A historic 100th edition of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes anchors the Preakness Eve card Friday at Pimlico. The 3-year-old fillies match up over 1-1/8 miles on a 6-stakes card that also includes the tradition-rich Pimlico Special.
Horseplayers on the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet platforms can enjoy up to a $10 money-back special on the Black-Eyed Susan as well as selected stakes throughout Preakness weekend if your win bet finishes second or third. It’s also part of the $50,000 Exacta-Thon promotion over Friday and Saturday at Pimlico.
Let’s meet the contenders for the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (Race 13):
#1-JEANNE MARIE: Runner-up in Maryland’s prep, the Weber City Miss Stakes at Laurel, she accompanies Butch Reid stablemate Uncle Heavy in his Preakness bid. Based at Parx near Philadelphia, she won the Main Line Stakes at her home track and a maiden sprint last summer. Jockey Mychel Sanchez was Parx’s leading jockey in 2023 and leads the standings so far in 2024.
#2-RINGY DINGY: Daughter of 2011 Preakness fourth-place finisher Dialed In makes her first start since December. Her 4-race juvenile campaign featured a romping victory in Delaware Park’s White Clay Creek Stakes over a mile. She wintered in Florida for trainer Danny Gargan, whose father Dan. Sr won the 1973 Black-Eyed Susan aboard Fish Wife. Jockey Katie Davis can become the second female rider to win the BES, joining Lisa Ruch, who piloted Batna in 1983.
#3-LEMON MUFFIN: The field’s top money earner at $339,000 returns on 2 weeks’ rest from the Kentucky Oaks, where she finished eighth. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, 88, has won the Black-Eyed Susan 4 times in his hallowed career (1984, ’86, ’89, ’95) and a fifth victory could put him past Todd Pletcher as the all-time winningest trainer in this race. Daughter of Collected, who sired last year’s BES winner Taxed, who also plied her winter campaign at Oaklawn Park. Lukas also sent Just Steel and Seize the Grey to Baltimore for Preakness 149.
#4-CALL ANOTHER PLAY: Red-hot local can become the first Maryland-based winner of the Black-Eyed Susan since Buddy Delp-trained Calipha in 1994. She’s won 3 straight, including Laurel’s Weber City Miss Stakes, as this former claimer has caught fire at the right time. Jockey Jaime Rodriguez has won more races in Maryland this year than any other rider. Her 4 wins and 9 career starts both are field highs.
#5-GUN SONG: Jockey John Velazquez can push past Chris McCarron in the Black-Eyed Susan record books if successful with his fifth winning ride in this race. Gun Song was a Gulfstream allowance winner in February and most recently fourth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. She’s a daughter of Gun Runner, whose current crop of 3-year-olds had a big recent weekend at Churchill Downs with Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone and Eight Belles winner Vahva. Trainer Mark Hennig was third in Smarty Jones’ 2004 Preakness with Eddington.
#6-WHOCOULDASKFORMO: $450,000 daughter of Uncle Mo is the field’s most expensive purchase, but has just a maiden win from 5 starts on her form to date. Runner-up in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, but managed only minor checks in the Davona Dale and Gazelle most recently. Black-Eyed Susan winning connections include trainer Shug McGaughey (1996 Mesabi Maiden) and jockey Luis Saez (2016 Go Maggie Go).
#7-CORPOSO: Santa Anita Oaks third-place finisher is a granddaughter of 2007 Preakness winner Curlin as her sire is Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso. Tyler Gaffalione, runner-up by a nose in the Kentucky Derby aboard Sierra Leone 2 weeks ago, takes over the mount. His local success peaked in 2019 with Preakness winner War of Will. California trainer Peter Eurton makes his first Pimlico appearance since 2017. His She’s A Warrior finished seventh in this race in 2016.
#8-RECHARGE: Sunland Park Oaks winner exits a lead-and-fade fifth in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, significantly against eventual Kentucky Oaks heroine Thorpedo Anna. Last year’s Black-Eyed Susan winner Taxed also exited the Fantasy Stakes. The Fantasy loss was her only defeat in 4 starts, winning at Remington Park, Sam Houston and Sunland Park prior. Trainer Steve Asmussen has 2 Preakness wins and historically strong hands to play Preakness week in stakes, but has yet to win the BES. Jockey Joel Rosario has won this race twice (’13 Fiftyshadesofhay, ’21 Army Wife). Like race rival Gun Song, she’s a daughter of Gun Runner.
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