Photo: Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography
This Saturday is the rematch between Bodemeister and I’ll Have Another in the Preakness Stakes, but there is some great racing at Old Hilltop on Friday with the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for three-year-old fillies.
A day before trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith take Bodemeister to the gate looking for a front-running score in the Preakness they will try to do the same with Mamma Kimbo, who is a perfect two-for-two in her career.
Mamma Kimbo, pictured, started off with a dazzling maiden win at Santa Anita going six furlongs then came back two months later to score an equally as impressive win in the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park. The Discreet Cat-filly was held out of the Kentucky Oaks to run specifically in the Black-Eyed Susan. She is the pace of the race and should be able to make an easy lead.
Those wanting to upset the favorite should look to a pair of NY-based fillies, Welcome Guest and In Lingerie.
Welcome Guest exits a game second place finish to Broadway’s Alibi in the Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct. Welcome Guest was never going to catch the loose-on-the-lead Broadway’s Alibi in the Comely and may face a similar pace scenario on Friday. Broadway’s Alibi came back to run second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks after the Comely.
In Lingerie was possible for the Kentucky Oaks after her front-running score in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park, but trainer Todd Pletcher had a couple of other starters for that race so decided to point the Empire Maker filly to the Black-Eyed Susan.
The one caveat about In Lingerie is that, even though she is bred to run well on conventional dirt, her best two starts have come in slow-paced races over a synthetic surface. Her lone dirt start was a second to Zo Impressive, who came back to run second, beaten six and one-half lengths, in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks.
Pletcher also brings Disposablepleasure to Pimlico to run in the Black-Eyed Susan, but needs to regain the form she had as a two-year-old. In two starts this year she was fourth in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park behind Yara and Grace Hall then was third, beaten nine lengths, in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks to subsequent Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can.
In Disposablepleasure’s second career start she finished second to Glinda the Good, who is also entered in the Black-Eyed Susan. Glinda the Good is coming off a visually impressive win in the $100,000 Instant Racing Stakes at Oaklawn Park, but based on speed figures would need to improve by leaps and bounds to upset the top choices.
The local hopes will rest on the shoulders of trainer Rodney Jenkins and his filly Plum. A daughter of Pure Prize, bred in Maryland, Plum has won four of six races with her biggest win coming in the state-bred Juvenile Filly Championship at Laurel last December. She won by a half-length in her last start, but was all out to do so. She too needs to improve if she will carry the colors of the state in the winner’s circle.
Rounding out the field are Oaks Lily, Wildcat’s Smile and Zucchini Flower.
First post on Friday is 12:00 ET with the Black-Eyed Susan scheduled to go to post at 4:46. It is the second leg of the pick-4, which starts with the Turf Sprint Stakes and also includes the Very One and Pimlico Special.
Posted by Matt Carter
