May 20 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Next for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly

BALTIMORE – Luna Belle rolled down the stretch of her two-turn debut and straight into next month’s Black-Eyed Susan (G2) with her fifth consecutive stakes victory, a popular 4 ½-length triumph in Saturday’s $125,000 Weber City Miss at Laurel Park.

The Weber City Miss for 3-year-old fillies going about 1 1/16 miles served as co-headliner with the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds among four stakes worth $450,000 in purses on the first of back-to-back Spring Stakes Spectacular Saturdays at Laurel.

Owned by Deborah Greene and trainer Hamilton Smith and bred by Smith, Greene and her late father, Fred Greene Jr., Luna Belle ($2.20) completed the distance in 1:45.44 over a fast main track and earned an automatic berth to the 98th running of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Friday, May 20 at historic Pimlico Race Course on the eve of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Now 4-0 this year, Luna Belle will attempt to become the first horse to sweep the Weber City Miss and 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan. Of the five previous winners that went on to Pimlico, Lights of Medina came the closest when she was second by a head in 2017 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“We’re going to try it. As long as everything looks good after this one, that’s what we plan to do. We’ll run in the Black-Eyed Susan and then I’m going to give her some time, come back in mid-summer maybe and look to the fall with Maryland Million and all that,” Smith said. “Everyone tells me to go out of state and all that, but why go out of state when you can win here at home? She’s doing awfully good, and we’re very proud of her.”

Luna Belle improved to 4-0 this year, with all five of her wins during the streak coming under jockey Denis Araujo. They settled in fifth as Michael Stidham-trained Chardonnay was sent to the lead and held it through fractions of 24.31 and 47.85 seconds pressed by 16-1 long shot Zawish with Khuluq and Click to Confirm in behind.

It was unlike her prior race, when the normally late-running Luna Belle found herself racing near the front early and taking over the top spot after a half-mile before going on to a 3 ½-length triumph in the one-mile Beyond the Wire March 19 at Laurel.

“She relaxed much better today. We tried to do that, and she sat there perfect,” Araujo said. “The pace was perfect. By the half mile pole, the race was almost over. She shows she can run.”

Araujo tipped Luna Belle outside rounding the far turn and straightened for home with a clear path to run down Chardonnay, who was still in front after six furlongs in 1:12.19. The bay daughter of Great Notion soared past her rivals and opened up to her biggest margin of victory since opening the season with a six-length romp in the six-furlong Xtra Heat Jan. 29.

“Stidham said he was going to the front with his horse in the article that we read. I just told the kid, ‘Hopefully she’s not rank. If they go to the front, just sit off them a little bit and hope she relaxes for you,’” Smith said. “She relaxed real well for him, and he rode her perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything better. She came running when he asked her, like always. She’s a special little filly, I have to admit.”

Khuluq, making her stakes debut for New York-based trainer Chad Brown, was a clear second, 3 ¾ lengths ahead of Click to Confirm. They were followed by Chardonnay, Zawish and Abidale.

“I was pretty confident. Ham does a great job, Denis does a great job,” Greene said. “Who knows how far she can go? She just gets the job done and I’m so excited.”

Smith has steadily stretched Luna Belle out this year, following the Xtra Heat with the seven-furlong Wide Country Feb. 19 and the Beyond the Wire. Her streak began in the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Fillies Dec. 18, which clinched her title as Maryland’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2021.

“The distance and everything, you always worry if they can make it or not,” Smith said, “but the way she rated today and the way she ran, it looks like she’ll go further.”