Sweetgrass Making Stakes Debut in Black-Eyed Susan (G2)

Pimlico Special (G3) Holds Fond Memories for McLaughlin

Miss Temple City Pointed to $100,000 Hilltop, Donworth to Saturday’s Sir Barton

Preakness Weekend Stakes Candidates Get in Final Works
 

BALTIMORE, MD., 05/10/15  –Riding a two-race win streak, Six Column Stables, Randall Bloch, John Seiler and Fred Merritt’s Sweetgrass is set make her stakes debut in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Friday at Pimlico Race Course.

The Ian Wilkes trainee is slated to run beyond a mile for the first time in the 91st running of the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan for sophomore fillies. Jockey Julien Leparoux is slated to ride the bay daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense for the first time.

“This race was always in the back of my mind,” Wilkes said. “This won’t be an easy spot. This will be a tough little race, so it’ll be a good spot for her first stakes appearance.”

Unraced at 2, Sweetgrass made her first three starts at Gulfstream Park over the winter. She broke her maiden going a mile on March 1 and then carried her momentum to Keeneland for a half-length victory April 3 in her first try against winners.

“All four races of her career have been very good. She had a really good third in her first start and in her second start she got wiped out at the start and ran third. It was a tremendous race,” Wilkes said. “Then, she came back and won her last two. She’s doing very well.”

Wilkes was patient with Sweetgrass as she coped with some minor juvenile issues that kept her from running last year. He has been pleased with the steady progression she’s shown in her races.

“We weren’t in a hurry with her. The horses, they dictate how much time they need,” he said. “I entered her in an allowance race at Churchill that didn’t fill and we had this race as a backup. Two-other-thans are hard to fill these days. I need to find where she belongs. I have to start somewhere.”

PIMLICO SPECIAL HOLDS FOND MEMORIES FOR MCLAUGHLIN

Nine years have passed since trainer Kiaran McLaughlin last ran a horse in the Pimlico Special, but the memories of Invasor’s breakthrough victory at Pimlico will never fade.

An undefeated winner of Uruguay’s Triple Crown, Argentinean-bred Invasor made his North American debut with a 1 ¼-length triumph over favored Wanderin Boy in the Pimlico Special, then a Grade 1 run under handicap conditions.

Invasor would rack up three more Grade 1 victories, in the Suburban and Whitney handicaps and Breeders’ Cup Classic, en route to Horse of the Year honors. In 2007, Invasor won the Donn Handicap (G1) and Dubai World Cup (G1) before being retired.

“Time flies. It was a big race that day and helped launch us on to Horse of the Year,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve always had a soft spot for the Pimlico Special. It used to be a very important race and it’s getting back to that again and becoming a very important race for older horses. We’re happy that it’s there.”

On Friday, McLaughlin hopes to make new memories with Godolphin Racing’s Transparent in the 45th running of the $300,000Sagamore Racing Pimlico Special (G3), part of the Black-Eyed Susan Day undercard and a fitting prelude to Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (G1) program.

“This has been a goal,” he said. “It’s an important race and Maryland’s an important state for horse racing. They’ve done a good job down there. It’s a big-race day and a big-race weekend. Their hospitality for the horsemen has always been tops in the country. We’ve had good luck in Maryland this spring. We like going there.”
 

MISS TEMPLE CITY POINTED TO $100,000 HILLTOP, DONWORTH TO SATURDAY’S SIR BARTON

Multiple-graded stakes-placed Miss Temple City will get a bit of class relief when she returns in Friday’s $100,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the Pimlico turf course.

Trained by Graham Motion for Sagamore Racing, Allen Rosenblum and The Club Racing, the sophomore daughter of Temple City blazed through a five-furlong work in 1:00 Saturday at the Fair Hill Training Center in company with Grade 3-placed colt Donworth, who is being pointed to Saturday’s $100,000 Sir Barton.

“I was very pleased with both of them,” Motion said. “Miss Temple City is doing super and she’ll run in the Hilltop, hopefully, and Donworth will run in the Sir Barton if all goes well.”

Miss Temple City won her first two career starts last year, breaking her maiden in October at Laurel Park and taking a Gulfstream Park allowance Dec. 17 at the Hilltop distance.          

Third by a length behind Consumer Credit and subsequent Grade 3 winner Quality Rocks in the Sweetest Chant (G3) Jan. 24, Miss Temple City rallied for second by 2 ½ lengths to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Lady Eli in the Appalachian (G3) April 12 at Keeneland.

“Lady Eli looks like she could be perhaps the best filly in the country, 3-year-old or older,” Motion said. “It’s a little unfortunate to have to run against her, but I think this is a really nice filly.”

Regis Racing’s Donworth was a neck winner in his March 14 unveiling at Gulfstream Park, then went off as the favorite in the Lexington (G3) April 11 at Keeneland, where he was second by three lengths to Preakness Stakes contender Divining Rod.

“We just got a little behind with Donworth, so he sort of missed the Triple Crown races. I purposely didn’t nominate him because I didn’t want to get tempted to put him in there,” Motion said. “The Lexington came up a fairly small field and we were tempted to take a shot. I thought he ran really well. It was the second race of his career and first around two turns, so the Sir Barton seemed like a logical step.”
 

PREAKNESS WEEKEND STAKES CANDIDATES GET IN FINAL WORKS

Several horses aiming at Preakness weekend stakes had their final works Sunday morning including a pair from Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas at Churchill Downs.

Robert Baker and William Mack’s Super Saks and Three Chimneys Farm’s Lady Zuzu each had three-furlong blowouts. Super Silks was timed in 34.40 seconds, the fastest of 11 works, while Lady Zuzu went in 35.40.       

Super Saks was entered in the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs on the main track, and Lady Zuzu in the $100,000 Hilltop. Both are part of the Black-Eyed Susan Day program.

Also on the work tab at Churchill was Miss Preakness contender Enchanting Lady, who went a half-mile in 50.80 seconds for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

At Laurel Park, Geisha Stakes winner Brenda’s Way worked four furlongs in 49.60 for her start in Friday’s $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) for females 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Robert Manfuso’s Taketheodds went five furlongs in 1:02 as a tune-up for the $100,000 Skipat, also on Friday