Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan perceived to be a tossup
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer May 14, 3:17 pm EDT
“The race is a lot more workable now that the filly went the other way,” Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday. “With Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, that makes it more competitive.”
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is a Grade 2 race for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico Race Course. Had Rachel Alexandra entered, the odds would have been stacked overwhelmingly in her favor. But assistant trainer Scott Blasi said the filly’s owners never had any intention of running in the Black-Eyed Susan.
Which means Lukas’ horse, Stone Legacy—who lost by 20 lengths to Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks on May 1—has a decent chance of capturing a chunk of the $150,000 Black-Eyed Susan purse.
“The thing I like about Stone Legacy is she looks like she’s just now coming around,” Lukas said. “Her last race was good, even though she got beat by a long ways. But we may find a lot of them are going to get beat a long ways by that filly.”
Stone Legacy, listed at 10-1 on the morning line, has one win in five starts this year along with three second-place finishes.
The favorite is Hooh Why, but there’s a good chance the horse will be a late scratch because the dirt track is expected to be wet and she’s used to running on an artificial surface.
Other highly regarded horses include Casanova Move (3-1), trained by Jimmy Jerkens, and Payton d’Oro (5-1) under trainer Larry Jones.
Casanova Move is coming off two consecutive runner-up finishes to Justwhistledixie, the last in the Grade II Bonnie Miss Stakes in Florida. That, and the wide-open field, served as a source of encouragement to Jerkens.
“She seems to be doing good and I don’t see any real standouts in there,” he said.
Payton d’Oro has won three straight, including a three-length victory over second-place Stone Legacy on March 1.
“I think it’s going to be tougher than the last two runnings I’ve been in. Hopefully I’m bringing enough horse to get it done,” Jones said. “She shows she’s learning how to win; now we’ll see what kind of level she can carry it at.”
The other entrants are: Don’t Forget Gil (9-2); Renda (10-1); Bon Jovi Girl and Oro Blanco (12-1); and Combinate and Stage Trick (30-1).
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer May 14, 3:17 pm EDT
BALTIMORE (AP)—The trainers and jockeys participating in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday are in full agreement over one thing in particular.
“The race is a lot more workable now that the filly went the other way,” Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday. “With Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, that makes it more competitive.”
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is a Grade 2 race for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico Race Course. Had Rachel Alexandra entered, the odds would have been stacked overwhelmingly in her favor. But assistant trainer Scott Blasi said the filly’s owners never had any intention of running in the Black-Eyed Susan.
Which means Lukas’ horse, Stone Legacy—who lost by 20 lengths to Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Oaks on May 1—has a decent chance of capturing a chunk of the $150,000 Black-Eyed Susan purse.
“The thing I like about Stone Legacy is she looks like she’s just now coming around,” Lukas said. “Her last race was good, even though she got beat by a long ways. But we may find a lot of them are going to get beat a long ways by that filly.”
Stone Legacy, listed at 10-1 on the morning line, has one win in five starts this year along with three second-place finishes.
The favorite is Hooh Why, but there’s a good chance the horse will be a late scratch because the dirt track is expected to be wet and she’s used to running on an artificial surface.
Other highly regarded horses include Casanova Move (3-1), trained by Jimmy Jerkens, and Payton d’Oro (5-1) under trainer Larry Jones.
Casanova Move is coming off two consecutive runner-up finishes to Justwhistledixie, the last in the Grade II Bonnie Miss Stakes in Florida. That, and the wide-open field, served as a source of encouragement to Jerkens.
“She seems to be doing good and I don’t see any real standouts in there,” he said.
Payton d’Oro has won three straight, including a three-length victory over second-place Stone Legacy on March 1.
“I think it’s going to be tougher than the last two runnings I’ve been in. Hopefully I’m bringing enough horse to get it done,” Jones said. “She shows she’s learning how to win; now we’ll see what kind of level she can carry it at.”
The other entrants are: Don’t Forget Gil (9-2); Renda (10-1); Bon Jovi Girl and Oro Blanco (12-1); and Combinate and Stage Trick (30-1).
