South Florida Shipper Sprints to Decisive 4 ½-Length Win

BALTIMORE – C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms’ Mystic Lake, already a two-time stakes winner, earned her first graded credentials with an impressive front-running 4 ½-length victory in Friday’s $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The 39th running of the six-furlong Miss Preakness for 3-year-old fillies was the third of six stakes, three graded, worth $1 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day program headlined by the 100th edition of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for sophomore fillies.

Trained by South Florida-based Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Mystic Lake ($13.60) broke running from her rail post in the full field of 12 and immediately took control, cruising through an opening quarter-mile in 23.09 seconds, chased by Launch, riding a two-race win streak including Gulfstream Park’s Any Limit last out, and favored Youalmosthadme in third on the rail.

Mystic Lake turned for home in front after going a half-mile in 46.44 and quickly gained separation, powering through the stretch to win in 1:11.40 over a fast main track. Youalmosthadme, twice graded-stakes placed sent off at 2-1, got up for second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Discreet Ops, who edged Cap Classique by a nose for fourth.

Lady Moscato, Belle’s Blue Bell, Value Area, Carmelina, Launch, Miss Harriett, Closing Act and Let Them Watch completed the order of finish.

Mystic Lake earned her third win from five starts this year, all in stakes, following victories in the Jan. 13 Gasparilla and March 24 Sophomore Fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs. Second as the favorite in the six-furlong Star Shoot over Woodbine’s all-weather surface April 27 in her prior start, she placed twice in stakes at 2 including the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine (G3) last fall.

Miss Preakness (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (Mystic Lake): (By phone from South Florida) “She is just a consistent filly and she ran big today. She has run well on the dirt. She has won her last three on the dirt. The only blemish on her record was her first time on the dirt (career debut last August at Gulfstream when ninth). For some reason she did not break that day and ran poorly. I am just thankful to get this win, to win a graded stake for the owners. They have been great supporters of us. Her strategy is to go to the lead and go as far as she can and as fast as she can. That is her strategy; there are no two ways about it.

“We were facing some good horses today and we were going to get a class test. She showed up, big time.”

Winning Jockey Flavien Prat (Mystic Lake): "She jumped very well and got an early good position, and she did the rest from there.”

"She always runs forward, obviously. Here it was the 1-hole. You’ve got to break well, but she dirt, and it turned out well.”

Assistant Trainer Blake Cox (Youalmosthadme, 2nd): “She didn't break, she never really has. He shoved her out of there and gave her a great trip. Second best today."

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Youalmosthadme, 2nd): “My filly has never been the fastest out of the gate. She seems to get better starts from outside posts, but today we were in a good spot. She traveled really well throughout and at the top of the lane we had a chance to get the winner, but the winner kicked away.”

Jockey Jean Alvelo (Discreet Ops, 3rd): “There was a ton of speed in the race. She broke great. I was just trying to keep her as close to the pace as I could. She was really chasing after it, and she never stopped running. She will like a little longer distance.”