It is almost time for the middle jewel of the Filly Triple Crown! Now repeat this triple times, “Should She Sweep the Susan, Should She Sweep the Susan, Should She Sweep the Susan?” That is a hard question to ask and a harder one to answer. Who will sweep the Susan? I have a few ideas about the fillies entered in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
The finest fillies will take to the dirt on Friday, May 18th for the 94th annual running of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Their male counterparts compete in the Triple Crown, racing in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes at Churchill Downs, Pimlico Race Course and Belmont Park. Each of those venues offers a race, the day prior, for the fillies. The three legs of the defacto Filly Triple Crown are the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan and the Acorn.
The Grade II Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was inaugurated in 1919. First, it was called the Pimlico Oaks until 1952. It is a 1 and 1/8 mile (9 furlongs) dirt race for 3 year-old fillies held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Pimlico, also known as Old Hilltop, is our nation’s second oldest race track, opening its doors in 1870, just 6 years after Saratoga. Unfortunately, the track remains under constant threat of closure due to the expenses it takes to keep this old track up and running. Big racing may leave Pimlico for Laurel Park as early as 2020 if laws and funding don’t help to save the track. I hope the races stay at Pimlico and the choice is made to preserve history.
In 2018, Pimlico will host just 12 days of racing. The Preakness Meet falls during the month of May and hosts several stakes with the Black-Eyed Susan and the Preakness as the feature races. The $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan, this Friday, is race 11 on a card of 14. Live racing begins at 11:30 A.M. ET and the final post is at 6:31 P.M. ET. The Black-Eyed Susan will go off at 4:48 P.M. ET and it would be great if it has a record crowd to show support and enjoy the venue. Over 50 thousand attended in 2017, when Actress won, followed by the largest attendance record for the Preakness at over 140 thousand. For those that can not watch from Old Hilltop there will be television coverage provided by NBC Sports Network from 3 to 5 P.M. ET.
Preparing for the Black-Eyed Susan may take you some handicapping but first, familiarize yourself with the staples of celebrating the day. The official flower is the state flower of MD and the name sake of the race itself, the black-eyed Susan. It is a black centered, yellow petaled flower in the sunflower family. A large blanket of Viking poms that look like black-eyed Susan’s will be draped over the winner. The official song is, “Maryland, My Maryland.” The trophy is large, pretty and glass. The drink is the Black-Eyed Susan. Mix it like this; 2 parts orange juice, 1 part vodka, 1 part bourbon, 1 part peach schnapps and 2 parts sour mix, shake it with ice, strain and garnish with an orange wedge and cherry. All parts of the alcohol may be subbed for peach flavor seltzer water and the sour mix made of sugar, lemon and lime juices. The attire is optional but a splash of yellow and pink are the predominate colors. Pink for the fillies and the second race on the card, The Komen Maryland Survivor Race, and yellow for the flowers. The food of choice is crabby, crab dip, crab soup, crab cakes, no thanks! I’m hoping to enjoy some Black-Eyed Susan Cake and will share that recipe in another post.
Now, here are the 2018 contenders by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/breeder/and morning-line odds:
- Tell Your Mama/Javier Castellano/Robert B. Hess, Jr./Looch Racing Stables, Inc./Robert D. DeWitt/20-1
- Midnight Disguise/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Linda Rice/William B. and Devin T. Wilmot, Joan M. Taylor/William B. and Devin T. Wilmot, Joan M. Taylor/4-1
- Coach Rocks/Luis Saez/Dale.L.Romans/Roddy J. Valente, RAP Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds/Calumet Farm/7-2
- Red Ruby/Paco Lopez/Kellyn Gorder/Sandra Sexton and Brandi and Steven Nicholson/Hargus and Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm, LLC./5-1
- Mihrab/Jevian Toledo/H. Graham Motion/RMJ Stables/Woodford Thoroughbreds/30-1
- C.S. Incharge/Julien R. Leparoux/Dale L. Romans/William Pacella, Frank L.Jones and Frank Shoop, Jr./ William Pacella, Frank L.Jones and Frank Shoop, Jr./15-1
- Goodonehoney/Steve D. Hamilton/Jason Egan/Kasey K Racing Stable,LLC., Michael R. Day and Final Turn Racing Stable, LLC./Kasey K Racing Stable/5-1
- Indy Union/Jose L. Ortiz/Jeremiah C. Englehart/Robert G. Hahn/Mt. Joy Stables, Inc. and Highclere, Inc. /10-1
- Sara Street/Dylan Davis/Kiaran P. McLaughlin/Godolphin, LLC/Godolphin/4-1
- Stakes On a Plane/Shelon Russell/Jeff Talley/Maxis Stable/Green Lantern Stables, LLC./20-1
Tell Your Mama is a KY bred filly born to Blame and Taletobetold. In 10 starts she has a record of 0 wins, 3 second place finishes and 2 finishes in third, to be shown as such (10:0/3/2). She is a shipper which may bode well for her as it is her first time in MD. She has raced at 5 tracks throughout KY, CA and FL. Tell Your Mama has been tested in 2 graded stakes. She has raced twice and finished in the money each time at my home track, Keeneland. I have some pictures of her throughout this story back when she was trained by the talented and local Geoff Mulcahy. I do like following Mulcahy at Mulcahy Stables at the The Thoroughbred Training Center and various racetracks.
Midnight Disguise is sired by Midnight Lute and her dam is Thin Disguise. She is a NY bred filly. Her record is (6:4/1/0). She has always raced at Aqueduct where she has finished 1st and 2nd in black type racing and 4th in a Grade II Stakes. I am pleased to see Ortiz get the mount, I am a big fan and neither of the brother jockeys have won the Black-Eyed Susan yet.
Coach Rocks is the only filly in the field to have just raced in the Kentucky Oaks, where she finished 7th. Her dam is Mexican Moonlight and her sire is Oxbow. Her performance is (9:3/2/1). She has raced in Saratoga, 3 different KY tracks, she is KY bred and FL as well. Coach Rocks is a Grade II winner. Her connections, Saez, Romans and Calumet have all won Black-Eyed Susan races.
Red Ruby is raced by a favorite trainer of mine, Kellyn Gorder who has a stable at Keeneland where I am fortunate to have seen many of his races. She is a pretty grey horse who gets her looks from her mama, Caroni. Red Ruby is a KY bred, sired by Tiznow. Racing twice each at Churchill and Oaklawn, her career is (4:2/1/0). In her last start she hit the board in a Grade 3 stakes. Rain is in the forecast and she likes the slop. This is my choice for the Black-Eyed Susan stakes! Go, Red Ruby, go! Gorder was nice to provide a picture.
Mihrab shares her KY breeding and her sire, Tiznow, with Red Ruby. Bsharpsonata is her dam. With a record (6:2/0/1) this filly knows her way around MD. 4 of her starts were at Laurel Park, the other 2 in FL. Mihrab has hit the board in 2 black type races and been tested in a graded stakes race.
C. S. Incharge has raced twice at Keeneland where I caught up with her to get some photos, shown in this post. Her Ky bred pedigree consists of Take Charge Indy and C.S. Royce. With a (7:2/0/2) racing record she has won a black type race and was tested in a graded stakes. Her trainer, Romans, won the Black-Eyed Susan in 2015 and 2016 but he trains Coach Rocks too.
Goodonehoney is your homegirl! She is MD bred, MD raced and undefeated. However, she has just raced twice (2:2/0/0). Her last start/win was a black type race at Laurel Park. She was foaled to Great Notion and Diva’s Gold. I bet the locals will be pulling for this girl.
Indy Union is KY bred but she just performed well in MD, finishing directly behind Goodonehoney. All of Indy Union’s other starts were in NY for a record (6:1/1/1). She was tested twice in graded stakes before her second place finish in a black type race. Union Rags is her sire and Fapindy her dam. This is the contender that finishes off the duel Ortiz brother race.
Sara Street is yet another KY bred. She was born to Street Sense and Sara Louise who both won or bred winners of sloppy tracks. Her career reads (4:1/2/0). She has raced at Gulfstream and Aqueduct. Her last 2 races she finished second in a listed race and a Grade II stakes. Her connections have yet to win a Black-Eyed Susan stakes race.
Stakes On a Plane is already a winner in the name category as far as I am concerned. I like that she has raced 5 times at 2 tracks in MD. Her record is (6:2/0/0). Competing in a graded stakes and 2 black type races, she hit the board in a black type at Laurel Park. Stakes On a Plane is a KY bred daughter of Run Away and Hide and Zeenut.
Grab up your yellow or pink poncho and enjoy the races at Pimlico this weekend. Find out the truth about your pick, should she sweep the Susan? Check back for my Preakness post and cake recipe in the making. May everyone have a fun and safe trip at the Old Hilltop!
Photo credits: Thank you to friend and fan Melissa Harrison for your contributions of photos from the Pimlico meet last week and Kellyn Gorger for the great picture of Red Ruby!
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