Stablemate Balpool Possible for G2 Black-Eyed Susan

BALTIMORE – Twin Creeks Racing Stable’s Law Professor breezed a half-mile Saturday at Belmont Park ahead of his next scheduled start in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.

With regular exercise rider Jesse Sauder up, the multiple stakes-winning homebred went four furlongs over a fast main track in an easy 50.88 seconds. It was his fifth work following a 4 ¼-length victory in the April 1 Excelsior over a muddy track at Aqueduct.

“We weren’t looking for too much today,” trainer Rob Atras said. “He’s worked on schedule for pretty much the last four or five weeks, so we were just looking for a maintenance half today and making sure he came out of it good and all that. It was just an easy half for him; he did it well within himself; and he came out of it good, so hopefully that’ll set him up for a big race next weekend.”

Law Professor is a gelded 5-year-old son of Constitution that has won three of six races since joining Atras last spring after racing in southern California, where he won the Santa Anita Mathis Mile (G2) and was second in the San Pasqual (G2) in the winter of 2021-22. He captured the mile-and-70-yard Tapit on the grass last September at Kentucky Downs off a five-month layoff in his first start for Atras.

Sent off at 26-1, Law Professor ran second by 1 ¼ lengths to champion Life Is Good in the Woodward (G1) last fall at Aqueduct, and this year won the Queen’s College by 7 ½ lengths Jan. 7 and was third in the Razorback (G3) Feb. 18 at Oaklawn Park.

“He went quite well this morning and came out of the work good so far, so it is our preference to go to [the Pimlico Special],” Atras said. “It’s our first choice.”

Atras also breezed Madaket Stables’ 3-year-old filly Balpool Saturday for a possible start in the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19 at Pimlico. The daughter of Uncaptured went a half-mile over Belmont’s training track in 47.85 seconds, ninth-fastest of 77 horses.

“She went great, actually,” Atras said. “She was on the training track in company with another filly. She sat about a half-length off and she really finished up good and had a nice gallop-out. It was really encouraging and I’m very happy with her right now.”

Balpool has won three of her four starts this year, the only loss coming in a March 10 optional claiming allowance at Laurel Park, Pimlico’s sister track in Maryland. She rebounded to capture a similar spot April 7 by 9 ½ lengths and became a stakes winner in an off-the-turf edition of the Memories of Silver April 29, both going a mile at Aqueduct.

“We did nominate for the Black-Eyed Susan, but we’re not 100 percent committed yet,” Atras said. “We were going to kind of take a look and see who was going to go in the race just to make sure we look like we’re competitive. It’s still a possibility.

“If we look like we’re competitive on paper with the rest of the field and there’s maybe one standout, I think we would still come. If there’s three or four tough ones in there that look like they’re just a little better than us, we’d probably look for another spot,” he added. “We were planning for the breeze today and we’re kind of going one step at a time, making sure she breezed good and comes out if it good. Obviously tomorrow is entry day so we’ll try to find out exactly who’s probable for the race and make a decision based on that. There’s a decent shot that we’re going to go.”