Prevalence Looking to Maintain Momentum in Maryland Sprint (G3)
Advance Wagering Friday on Saturday’s Entire Preakness Day Car

BALTIMORE – Following off the board finishes in back-to-back graded-stakes, Courtlandt Farms’ Whocouldaskformo will have a change of equipment when she returns in Friday’s $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies, celebrating its 100th running this year, is the headliner on a spectacular 14-race program featuring six stakes, three graded, worth $1 million in purses on the eve of the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

First race post time Friday is 11:30 a.m.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, winner of the 1996 Black-Eyed Susan with Mesabi Maiden, Whocouldaskformo is a $450,000 daughter of champion Uncle Mo exiting the April 6 Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct, also going nine furlongs. Under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez she got bumped and raced in mid-pack before finishing fourth, beaten 10 lengths.

Whocouldaskformo ran an even fifth in her prior start, the one-mile Davona Dale (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream Park, which came three weeks after her runner-up finish in the one-mile, 40-yard Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs, her stakes debut.

“Johnny rode her the last time and he said at the half-mile pole we were right there and she just kind of got lost after that and finished fourth,” McGaughey said. “So we put the blinkers on her. She breezed a couple of times in them, and we’ll see what happens. I hope it keeps her a little more focused and maybe a little more aggressive when the time comes.”

Whocouldaskformo drew Post 6 of eight with jockey Luis Saez replacing Velazquez, previously committed on Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) fourth-place finisher Gun Song. The Black-Eyed Susan will be Whocouldaskformo’s fourth try around two turns including a 6 ½-length maiden special weight triumph Dec. 31 at Tampa.

“I like that it’s two turns going to a mile and an eighth. I ran her a mile in the Davona Dale and it didn’t work, so I was looking for a long race. That’s why I sent her up for the Gazelle,” McGaughey said. “The allowance races were only going a mile, and that’s one turn at Aqueduct. I thought this would be a good spot, and I think it is a good spot. She’s 6-1 on the morning line, so it isn’t a bad spot.”

McGaughey has trained five years for Courtlandt’s Don Adam, winning the Feb. 3 Tampa Bay (G3) with Never Explain, who also captured the 2023 Dinner Party (G3) on the Preakness undercard. Together they also campaigned such horses as 2021 Holy Bull (G3) and Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Greatest Honour and 2023 Pat Day Mile (G2) and Swale (G3) winner General Jim.

In addition to her sire, Whocouldaskformo’s grandsire, Bernardini, was also a champion. She didn’t make her debut until Dec. 1 at Aqueduct, running third in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct.

“Beautiful mover. Got a world of pedigree, by Uncle Mo. It’s just a matter of us getting her right. She wants to be kind of aggressive in the morning, but in her races she relaxes well. The good thing about her, she was second in the stakes at Tampa, so she’s got black type,” McGaughey said. “I think [Whocouldaskformo] has a future.”

Prevalence Looks to Maintain Momentum in Maryland Sprint (G3)

Godolphin homebred Prevalence, impressive in snapping an eight-race losing streak dating back nearly two years last time out, returns as the narrow 5-2 program favorite in Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The six-furlong Sprint for 3-year-olds and up is the fourth of nine stakes, five graded, worth $3.3 million on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the 149th running of the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 6-year-old Prevalence has made 16 starts over 3 ½ seasons of racing with five wins, none bigger than the seven-furlong Commonwealth (G3) April 9, 2022 at Keeneland. The Medaglia d’Oro gelding didn’t visit the winner’s circle again until April 6, romping by 6 ½ lengths in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance over the same track.

“He has shown some serious talent from time to time his whole career, but he is a horse that has been very difficult to keep right and keep sound, but when he is right, he is very right,” Walsh said. “Now, he has a bit of age under him and some maturity and we gelded him. Maybe now he is about to do his best work.”

Prevalence went unraced at 2 and began his career with back-to-back wins at Gulfstream Park over the winter of 2021 including an 8 ½-length debut triumph that January. He went to the sidelines after off-the-board finishes in the Wood Memorial (G2) and Pat Day Mile (G2), lost his comeback race in February 2022 and then reeled off two straight wins capped by the Commonwealth.

“Before we ever ran him, he had some issues. He didn’t start until the spring of his 3-year-old year; he missed his whole 2-year-old year. We had some stops in between, as well. Hats off to the horse; he has kept showing up when he is right,” Walsh said. “He has run some fantastic races.

“He won the Commonwealth at Keeneland [and] he galloped first time out in a good maiden at Gulfstream. There have been flashes of a very good horse from time to time,” he added. “Hopefully, this time around we can get it all together and get a good string of races with the horse.”

Prevalence finished second to favored Straight No Chaser in last year’s Maryland Sprint, a half-length ahead of Nakatomi, who went on to win his next start and run second in the Phoenix (G2) and third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). Irad Ortiz Jr., up both last out and last spring, rides from Post 2 in a field that includes 2022 winner Jaxon Traveler, fellow two-time Grade 3 winner Super Chow and multiple stakes winners Coastal Mission and Prince of Jericho.

“He was very good the last day at Keeneland and he ran very well last year in the Maryland Sprint. We have had some issues with him over the years with various things and this is the first time I have finally felt that he is right,” Walsh said. “You can’t beat a bit of age and maturity. Hopefully it is all behind him and we get a good run of races in him and see how good he is.”

Advance Wagering Friday on Saturday’s Entire Preakness Day Card

In addition to Friday’s live 14-race card headlined by the 100th running of the $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies, 1/ST Racing and the Maryland Jockey Club are offering advance wagering on Saturday’s entire Preakness Day program.

The 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan is the last of six stakes, three graded, worth $1 million in purses on Friday. Saturday’s blockbuster program includes nine stakes, five graded, worth $3.3 million in purses headlined by the 149th running of the $2 million Preakness (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m. EST Friday and 10:30 a.m. EST Saturday.

In addition to the regular wagering menu, there will be a pair of two-day Pick 5 bets covering Friday and Saturday’s races, each featuring a low 12 percent takeout and 50-cent minimum with a mandatory provision if there are no tickets with all five winners.

The All-Stakes Pick 5 includes Friday’s $100,000 The Very One and Black-Eyed Susan and Saturday’s $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint, $500,000 Dinner Party (G3) and Preakness. The All-Dirt Pick 5 sequence has Friday’s $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) and historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) and Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Sprint (G3), $100,000 Sir Barton and Preakness.