Racing gets started with ‘Quality’ performance at Old Hilltop
RACE 1 Under an overcast sky and on a muddy track, favorite
roared from the middle of the pack Saturday morning for the victory in the first race on Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course.
Ridden by top Maryland jockey Trevor McCarthy, trained by Fair Hill’s Graham Motion and owned by Augustin Stable, Spring Quality beat runner-up Ghost Bay and longshot One Pass.
Spring Quality, who went off at 1-1, paid $4.00, $2.80 and $2.60. Ghost Bay, ridden by Jevian Toledo, paid $7.00 and $5.40 with One Pass, ridden by Scott Spieth, at 22-1 odds, paid $7.60.
RACE 2
ridden by Katie Davis and trained by Hugh McMahon, returned to the turf at 11-1 odds and paid $21.20, $9.20 and $5.40 for the victory.
Keep Talking, with Florent Geroux up, finished second and paid $4.40 and $2.80. Grey Fox, ridden by Jevian Toledo, paid $2.60 for third.
The turf appeared to be in good condition despite Friday’s rain and once Flight Crew got in front, the race was over. RACE 3 The third race of the day, and second on the turf, was won by 2-1 choice ridden by longtime Maryland jockey Edgar Prado.
Trained by David Nunn, who is also part-owner, Flight Pattern paid $6.40, $3.40 and $2.40. Desert Princess finished second and paid $3.60 and $2.40. Seeing’n’believing was third and paid $2.40.
Prado, 49, returned to racing in Maryland in 2016 after having success in the late 1980s and 1990s at Laurel and Pimlico. He won the Kentucky Derby on Barbaro and two Belmont Stakes, and entered the horse racing Hall of Fame in 2008. RACE 4 The favorite, didn’t really let anyone else have a chance. Ridden by Horacio Karamanos and trained by Linda Rice, he easily won on the dirt and paid $8.60, $5.00 and $3.20.
There was a duel for second place with Confederate, ridden by Luis Saez, nipping Jamminwithbrandon, with Joel Rosario up. Confederate paid $7.20 and $4.60 while Jamminwithbrandon paid $2.60.
Conditions on the dirt seemed to be improving but the track conditions were still considered muddy.
RACE 5
shook off early pressure from Eila and held off three late challengers to win the $100,000 The Very One race. The five-furlong race for fillies and mares 3 years and older on turf was the first of eight stakes races Saturday.
Ridden by Javier Castellano, Everything Lovely paid $7.80, $4.40 and $3.40. Sunnysami ($9.00 and $5.40) was a head in front of Elusive Joni ($5.00) for second place.
It was the first career stakes win for Everything Lovely, a 5-yearold Maryland-bred, who is trained by Katie DeMasi. RACE 6 Horatio Karamanos guided
from Ireland, to victory over My Giant and Stone Crazy in the 11⁄16 turf race.
Barney Rebel paid $8.40, $4.80 and $3.80 for the victory, the second of the day for Karamanos. Runner-up My Giant paid $6.60 and $4.40 while Stone Crazy paid $9.40 for third. RACE 7 Historic Sagamore Farm reached the winner’s circle when
won the $200,000 Maker’s Mark Chick Lang for his third straight victory, including two straight stakes wins.
Recruiting Ready ($7.40, $4.40 and $3.00) led from the gate to the wire in beating Aquamarine by 33⁄4 lengths. It was another threequarters of a length back for 6-5 favorite and multiple stakes winner Three Rules.
It was the third win of the day for jockey Horatio Karamanos.
“He gave me a nice kick at the top of the stretch and was very strong today,” Karamanos said. “He’s a really good horse who ran against some of the best in the country last year. We are 3-for-3 together, so I think we’re a good match.” RACE 8 Japanese horse with Joel Rosario up, got caught behind a pack of horses at the start, but made his move at the top of the stretch. He dove through an opening and pulled away in the $100,000 James W. Murphy.
Sagamore Farm added a second-place finish when Chubby Star rallied from the far outside post to beat Mo Maverick by a head.
Yoshida, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, paid $7.60, $4.60 and $3.20. Chubby Star returned $13.80 and $6.80 while Mo Maverick paid $4.00.
RACE 9
was the favorite going into the 6-furlong Maryland Sprint Stakes on the dirt and ran like it. With Ricardo Santana Jr. up, Whitmore had little trouble charging to victory.
Trained by Ron Moquett, Whitmore paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.40. A.P. Indian was second and paid $2.80 and $2.60. Awesome Banner paid $6.60 for third.
“I have a lot of confidence in this horse,” Santana said. “He’ll run in any position you put him in — in front or off the pace. He broke good and just sat back comfortably. The second they cleared, he broke away running.
“As soon as I asked him, he started running.” RACE 10 It would figure that the No. 10 horse would win the 10th, a thrilling $150,000 stakes race on the turf. the No. 10 horse, gave jockey Florent Geroux his second victory of the day, by storming down the stretch.
On Leave and Elysea’s World finished second and third, respectively. RACE 11 Graham Motion’s strong Preakness weekend continued when
won the 20th running of the Sir Barton, named for racing’s first Triple Crown champion in 1919.
Making his stakes debut, No Mo Dough ($20, $8.20 and $5.40) completed 11⁄16 miles in 1:44.13 to give jockey Jose Ortiz his third stakes win of the weekend.
It was the first Sir Barton victory for Motion, winner of Friday’s Hilltop Stakes with Happy Mesa.
Ortiz and No Mo Dough had only one horse beat as the ninehorse field approached the far turn, but had a clear run on the far outside, catching front-running Time to Travel in mid-stretch before drawing away.
Time to Travel ($6.00 and $4.20) hung on for second by a nose over True Timber ($5.20). Even-money favorite Hedge Fund was fourth by another neck but disqualified for interference with Society Beau in the stretch and placed sixth. RACE 12 One race before he was sending out Classic Empire to challenge Always Dreaming in the Preakness, trainer Mark Casse won the Dixie Stakes with
ridden by Julien Leparoux. Projected was runner-up and Black Type was third.
World Approval paid $7.00, $4.40 and $2.80. Projected earned $4.80 and $3.60 with Black Type paying $3.20 for third.
RACE 13 PREAKNESS
at 13-1, stalked Always Dreaming and Classic Empire, the two favorites and made his move down the stretch for the victory. Classic Empire was a close second, but Always Dreaming faded to eighth. RACE 14 For those who stayed for the final race of Preakness Day, they witnessed long shot ridden by Jomar Torres, winning over Dukin' With Dale and Classic Wildcat. Vim paid $20.40, $9.80 and $6.20 for the victory. Dukin' With Dale paid $5.00 and $3.40 and Classic Wildcat paid $4.20.