Leading Trainer Entered in 18 of 28 Races Including Eight of 15 Stakes
Preakness Meet Resumes with Live Eight-Race Program Friday

BALTIMORE – Over the first four days of historic Pimlico Race Course’s Preakness Meet, which opened last weekend, trainer Brittany Russell started six horses. Three of them won, including a Mother’s Day double for the mom of two, tying her for the lead at the boutique 11-day stand.

This weekend, the history-making Russell will be much busier. She has six horses entered in four of eight races as the Preakness Meet resumes with a live program Thursday. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

Russell has 12 horses entered in 10 of 14 races on Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan (G2) day program, and another 10 in eight of 14 races on Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (G1) card. Of the 15 total stakes worth $4.3 million in purses over the two days, Russell is represented in eight stakes.

“This weekend is something we look forward to all year,” Russell said. “To have horses doing well and healthy … you give horses some time and you kind of gear them back up and you hope you can get them right for this weekend. That’s been a goal with plenty of them, but with horses sometimes things don’t work out.”

The first female to ever lead Maryland’s annual trainer standings in wins, ending Claudio Gonzalez’s six-year reign with 118 victories last year, Russell owns or shares six individual meet titles. Three of them have come at Pimlico, including each of the last two Preakness meets. She currently sits second in Maryland through 4 ½ months of racing with 35 wins, five behind Jamie Ness.

Among Russell’s horses Thursday are Overdramatic, a $300,000 yearling owned by Repole Stable exiting a 4 ¾-length waiver maiden claiming win March 15, and Dwelling Legacy in Race 4; 4-year-old filly Riley G chasing a third straight victory in Race 6 against stablemate Goodgirl Badhabits, who won her first two starts by 23 combined lengths and is unraced since finishing eighth in last June’s Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park; and Lusty, the lone also-eligible in Race 7.

Friday’s lineup includes Cats Inthe Timber in the listed $100,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff, Cap Classique in the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3), Bosserati in the $100,000 The Very One and Be Better in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3).

Highlighting Russell’s contingent Saturday are Apple Picker in the $100,000 Skipat, Prince of Jericho in the $100,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) and Massif in the $100,000 James W. Murphy. Cats Inthe Timber is entered for main track only in the $100,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares on the grass.

“I feel like I have a group that’s doing well. Yes it’s a big weekend and it’s going to be some tough asks, but it’s a weekend that I have a lot of clients coming to town. Everybody is on our home turf, so it makes it seem like it’s special. We want to win here,” Russell said. “They’re coming to town so if there’s races [and] they want their horses running in those spots, I’m with them. This is why we do it.”

As if the racing isn’t enough, Russell – who has local strings at Pimlico, Laurel Park and the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. – will oversee morning workouts, as well. Among the scheduled workers is multiple graded-stakes winner Post Time, owned by Ellen Charles of Hillwood Stable.

Post Time has won eight of 10 starts including a string of four consecutive stakes – the 2023 City of Laurel, Jan. 28 Jennings and Feb. 17 General George (G3) at Laurel and April 6 Carter (G2) at Aqueduct – before finishing second by less than a length in Aqueduct’s May 3 Westchester (G3).

“We’re going to breeze him Friday or Saturday, weather pending. Hopefully that works out and we’ll just see how he’s doing,” Russell said. “He ran great last time in defeat. Honestly, I think he thought he won; he had his ears pricked on the gallop out. You hate to not take a swing with him as long as everything’s in order and he’s doing good.”

Unsure where he’ll run next, the Met Mile (G1) on the Belmont Stakes (G1) undercard June 8 at Saratoga might be in Post Time’s future. Wherever it is, Russell is enjoying the ride with the octogenarian Charles, granddaughter of late Post cereal heiress, businesswoman and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post.

“Posty is great. I’m not ruling out the Met Mile, but I’m not sure yet,” Russell said. “We have so much fun with [Mrs. Charles] and it’s so much fun going on the road with her and this horse. They make the whole thing fun. We do the road trip thing with her and she’s great company.

“And, she lets us do what we think’s right with the horses. If she doesn’t like the idea of the Met Mile once we sit down – if I say, ‘Hey he’s doing great, this is my thought’ – if she doesn’t like it, no problem. But very rarely will she deter an idea. Like when I said I think we should go to the Westchester, she was all for it. She’s game.”