Live Oak, Trombetta Seek Repeat in $100,000 Hilltop Stakes
Trio of Golden Oldies Set for $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint

BALTIMORE – Lael Stables’ Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) runner-up Chalon is set for her 2019 debut in a talented field for the $100,000 Fidelity First & Blackwell Real Estate Skipat Stakes at historic Pimlico Race Course on Friday, the day before the 144th Preakness Stakes, the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

The Skipat for 3-year-old fillies and mares at six furlongs on the dirt is one of seven stakes, four graded, on the 14-race Black-Eyed Susan Day card totaling $1.15 million in purses. Two other stakes races are the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds and up going five furlongs on the grass and the $100,000 Maker’s Mark Hilltop Stakes for 3-year fillies at a mile on the turf.

A field of 10 was entered for the Skipat. Chalon, a 5-year-old daughter of Dialed In, out of Fall Fantasy, was beaten a head by Shamrock Rose in the Breeders’ Cup at seven furlongs in her last start. Trainer Arnaud Delacour believes her seasonal debut would work best at a shorter distance.

“She’s coming back a little late, kind of on purpose because I think that her best distance is probably around six furlongs,’’ said Delacour. “She can do seven-eighths, but it’s kind of a stretch. I think the six furlongs at Pimlico should work out very well.”

Chalon had three victories and two seconds in five starts last year and earned $365,000. Her career record is 13-5-5-1 with $657,295 in earnings.

Among the challengers are Anna’s Bandit – three-for-three this year – and Estilo Femenino, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, out of Court Dress, won a $62,000 allowance/optional claimer in her last start on April 26 at Oaklawn Park.

No Guts No Glory Farm’s Anna’s Bandit comes in off victories in the Conniver Stakes at Laurel on March 16 and the Original Gold Stakes at Charles Town on April 20. The 5-year-old daughter of Great Notion has a career record of 24-10-3-6 and earnings of $404,335.

Also entered are Adios Annie, Everlasting Secret, Hailey’s Flip, Last True Love, Majestic Won, Maybe Wicked, and Phantom Shot.

Like Chalon, Everlasting Secret, a 7-year-old mare with four wins in 16 career starts, and Maybe Wicked, a 4-year-old filly with three victories in nine career starts, are making their seasonal debuts.
 

Trombetta, Live Oak Seek Repeat in $100,000 Hilltop Stakes

A field of 14 was entered for the 47th running of the Hilltop, with owner Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation and trainer Michael Trombetta looking to win the race for the second year in a row, this time with Souper Escape.

The trainer, who will send out Win Win Win in the $1.65 million Preakness on Saturday, won last year’s Hilltop with Live Oak’s Souper Striking.

“She’s good, the timing is good,’’ said Trombetta of his Medaglia d’Oro filly who won a $50,000 allowance/optional claimer at Laurel on April 27. “This is the next logical step.”

Also entered is Orra Moor, who finished fourth in the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park on April 12. Trainer Todd Pletcher is looking for her to rebound in a switch from dirt to turf. She breezed a half-mile in 48.55 seconds May 11 on Belmont Park’s inner turf course, third-fastest of 15 horses.

“Being a daughter of Orb out of a Royal Academy mare, I’d had it in the back of my mind that she might improve on turf,’’ said Pletcher. “She worked pretty well on the turf Saturday. She got over the ground easily, went smoothly, galloped out strongly – overall, it was a favorable impression, which is why we decided on the change of surface.”

The rest of the field includes Primela, Nova Sol, Fashion Faux Pas, Cover Photo, Dogtag, Makeme Dream, Ebullient, Venetian Princess, Introduced, Who U Gonna Call, Her Royal Highness, and Be Nimble

After Fashion Faux Pas’ second-place finish in the Mizdirection Stakes at Aqueduct at six furlongs on April 14, trainer Arnaud Delacour decided to add distance. Fashion Faux Pas opened her season off the board in the Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

“This will be the first time going this far,’’ he said. “The furthest she’s been is seven furlongs at Gulfstream in the Forward Gal. She didn’t run any good, but I think she didn’t like the track. Since then we switched to turf, and she seems to be running pretty well on it.”

Trio of Oldies but Goodies Set for $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint

A field of nine was entered for the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint, including a trio of horses with nearly 100 starts among them – American Sailor, Pure Sensation and Tempt Me Twice.

Seven-year-old gelding American Sailor headlines the list with 36 career starts that includes 10 victories, but the son of City Zip is winless in his last five starts going back to August 2018.

Pure Sensation, trained by Christophe Clement, will be making his 32nd start and is coming off a win in a $62,000 allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream Park on April 12. The 8-year-old gray has 11 wins and career earnings of nearly $1.6 million.

American Sailor drew the No. 1 post and will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche; Tempt Me Twice, Sheldon Russell aboard, leaves from the No. 4 post; and Pure Sensation, with Jose Ortiz up, drew the No. 8 slot.
 
Tempt Me Twice, trained by Ann Merryman, will look to make it two in a row in his 29th career start. The Maryland-bred won a $42,000 allowance a Laurel Park on May 4 in his last race. Also entered are Tricks to Doo, Bound for Nowhere, New York’s Finest, Clever Triad, Oldies But Goodies, and Completed Pass.

Tricks to Doo was fourth, beaten 1 ¾ lengths, in the 5 ½-furlong King T. Leatherbury Stakes April 20 on Laurel’s world-class turf course in his most recent start. He has one win and one second in three career tries on the grass and drew Post 2 for the McKay.

“He ran well the last time. He had 15 on the outside so we had to use him a little bit to get a position and try to save some ground and it probably cost him a little bit at the end,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “[With] a better draw we can use him a little less at the beginning and hopefully he can give us a little better finish.”