Russells Have Chance to Make Preakness a Family Affair
2019 Maryland Million Sprint Winner Taco Supream Retired

BALTIMORE – Though they ultimately decided to pass on Saturday’s $125,000 Federico Tesio, owner Mark Schwartz and trainer Daniel Velazquez remain on course to bring Grade 2 winner Brooklyn Strong to Pimlico Race Course for the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1).

Brooklyn Strong could have earned an automatic berth with a victory in the 1 1/8-mile Tesio, a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds to the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown May 15. The Tesio headlines six stakes worth $650,000 in purses on an 11-race Spring Stakes Spectacular program.

Velazquez said that the connections opted to give Brooklyn Strong more time following a fifth-place finish in the Wood Memorial (G2) April 3 at Aqueduct, his sophomore debut. It was his first race in four months, since winning the Remsen (G2) in December.

Plans following the 1 3/16-mile Preakness include a start in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) June 5 at Belmont Park.

“Mark really wants to run in the Belmont. I told Mark, ‘If we run in the Tesio, we’re not going to run in the Belmont. We’re going to do Preakness-Belmont, that’s it,” Parx-based Velazquez said. “The horse is doing really good. He came out of the race good. He worked the other day nice and easy. I have no complaints. I feel like he’s ready to rock and roll when it’s time.”

Brooklyn Strong, respectively a son and grandson of Grade 1-winning millionaires Wicked Strong and Medaglia d’Oro, won three of four starts at 2 including the Sleepy Hollow at Belmont against fellow New York-breds last fall on start prior to Aqueduct’s 1 1/8-mile Remsen.

In the Wood, Brooklyn Strong encountered traffic trouble racing inside and wound up beaten 4 ¾ lengths behind 72-1 long shot winner Bourbonic, one of four Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls for trainer Todd Pletcher, including Wood runner-up Dynamic One and Florida Derby (G1) winner Known Agenda.

“There’s no shame in that. It wasn’t the most ideal trip and we didn’t have all the training that we needed going into that race, so I’m proud of him. He showed up,” Velazquez said. “We only had one shot to try and get in the Derby and we kind of had to press it a little bit but it is what it is. As long as he stays healthy, he’s a gelding, he has a bright future.”

Brooklyn Strong had his first work since the Wood April 19 at Parx, going a half-mile in 49.55 seconds. Velazquez, the son of trainer Alfredo ‘Freddie’ Velazquez, owns 188 career wins since 2009 mostly working for his father before going out on his own in 2016. The Remsen was his first graded-stakes triumph.

“He can definitely handle the distance. Now that he has that big tightener underneath him … we have a nice window for the Preakness and we’d just go in real ready and 1,000 percent prepared for the Preakness,” Velazquez said.

“Obviously we have other options with him. If we really wanted to just be easy on him, we could just go New York-bred on him and he’ll win those little stakes races,” he added, “but we think he’s definitely better than that. We just want to target some good races and have some fun with him.”

Russells Have Chance to Make Preakness a Family Affair

Her husband, champion jockey Sheldon Russell, has been to the Preakness. Twice. Now, trainer Brittany Russell, entering just the fourth full year on her own, has a chance to join him.

Russell will send out Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables’ Maythehorsebwithu in Saturday’s $125,000 Federico Tesio at Pimlico Race Course. A win would give the Bullsbay gelding an automatic berth into the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15.

“Yes, we would love that. It would be a ton of fun. That’s the goal, right? – to get to a big race like that,” Russell said. “But, also we’re just trying to stay humble and we just hope that he runs well Saturday and we can make a decision. You’re going to be coming back in three weeks so there’s a lot of things to consider.”

A front-running four-length winner of the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 20 at Laurel Park, Maythehorsebwithu ran second by a half-length in the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms March 13, his two-turn debut. He is the 5-2 program favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Tesio breaking from far outside Post 8.

Among his rivals is Private Terms winner Shackled Love, third choice at 9-2 behind New York shipper The Reds (4-1). Maythehorsebwithu was among nine horses nominated to the Triple Crown by the late March 29 deadline for a fee of $6,000. A total of 326 horses were made eligible by the original Jan. 23 deadline at a cost of $600.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Russell had the opportunity to travel to big races before going solo, particularly during her time with trainer Brad Cox. She also worked for trainers Jimmy Jerkens, Ron Moquett and Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard.

“Yeah, he was a late nominee. We wanted to give ourselves the option. If he runs off the screen in the Tesio, you’d hate to not have had that option,” Russell said. “We’re just going to let him tell us, just try and stay humble about it. It’s only April. There’s a lot of options left in the year for him. The Preakness is a big deal. I’d love nothing more than to run a horse in a big race for myself.”

Sheldon Russell finished 10th in the Preakness on 2011 Tesio winner Concealed Identity. He was sixth aboard Excession for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen last fall.

2019 Maryland Million Sprint Winner Taco Supream Retired

Big Bertha Stable and Stormy Stable’s Taco Supream, who upset his multiple graded-stakes winning stablemate Laki in the 2019 Maryland Million Sprint, has been retired from racing.

Bred in Maryland by Ann Briggs Jackson, Taco Supream finished third or better in 21 of 28 lifetime starts with eight wins and $406,487 in purse earnings. He also ran second 10 times, including the 2019 Challedon and 2020 Dave’s Friend at Laurel Park, the latter his career finale.

The winner of the Dave’s Friend, Whereshetoldmetogo, is the 2-1 program favorite for Saturday’s $100,000 Frank Y. Whiteley, among six stakes worth $650,000 in purses on an 11-race Spring Stakes Spectacular program. Also in the Whiteley is 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial (G3) winner Laki.

“He came out of the last race pretty decent and then started to show signs of a soft issue that we’ve been managing the whole time we’ve had him, really. He’s such a good racehorse and the guys decided they didn’t want to risk anything bad happening,” trainer Damon Dilodovico said. “When I could come in the barn and I’ve got Tiz Mandate, Taco and Laki right next to each other, that’s a pretty good start.”

Taco Supream enjoyed a career highlight in the 2019 Maryland Million Sprint, coming with a six-wide run through the stretch to upset multiple graded-stakes winner Call Paul by three-quarters of a length. Laki, who chased the pace for a half-mile, faded to be fifth of seven, beaten 6 ¼ lengths.

“We had Laki in there and we were kind of on the fence about giving him a little break. He had run in the MATCH Series and he just wasn’t as aggressive in his training. He was sound but just wasn’t on his game,” Dilodovico said. “We ended up running him in there and we went from a low of watching one of my champions, one of my all-time best horses in Laki, just kind of not have enough in the lane, and then here comes Taco.

“It took us forever, he had the worst luck. He would catch the toughest horses at that particular level every time he was running. It was big for Taco and those guys because for some of the guys it was their first stake win. I’ll always remember that,” he added. “I’ve got a nice picture of Taco and my wife when Taco came back the winner’s circle. She just rested her head on his neck and took a breath. That’s a memory that I’ll keep forever.”