Stakes Winner O Dionysus Captures Opening-Day Feature at Pimlico
Stakes Winner O Dionysus Captures Opening-Day Feature at Pimlico
12-Day Preakness Meet Runs Through Memorial Day, May 28
143rd Preakness (G1) May 19, 94th Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19
BALTIMORE – Marathon Farms’ O Dionysus, a two-time stakes winner on dirt, made a successful transition to the turf by capturing Thursday’s Opening Day feature as racing returned to legendary Pimlico Race Course.
The 12-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico runs Thursday to Sunday through Memorial Day, May 28, highlighted by the 143rd running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1), the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, Saturday May 19 and the 94th running of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Friday May 18.
O Dionysus ($13.20) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.30 over a firm turf course to notch his first win since taking the Miracle Wood Stakes for 3-year-olds last February at Laurel Park and give jockey Jevian Toledo – Maryland’s leading rider in 2017 – his 800th career victory in his first mount of the day.
Winner of the Christopher Elser Memorial and second by a nose to subsequent Grade 2 winner and Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Irish War Cry as a 2-year-old, O Dionysus was sidelined after running second in the Federico Tesio last April. He didn’t return to the races until Feb. 24 and was off the board in a pair of sprints, the latter in the Not For Love Stakes March 17.
“I was hoping [he’d like the grass],” trainer Gary Capuano said. “He’s a nice horse. A couple races we brought him back sprinting, he didn’t have much of a shot against those real, real fast horses. He’s a big, long-striding horse that kind of needs to get his feet under him and he ran well today.”
Toledo settled O Dionysus in fourth as Dattt Melody took the field of six through fractions of :24.95, :49.87 and 1:14.85, pressed by both Grandiflora and Southside Warrior. Toledo tipped O Dionysus out to the five path straightening for home and they powered past the pacesetter at the eighth pole and edged clear.
Kabang, favored at 4-5, made a belated bid to get second by a nose over Dattt Melody, with Barney Rebel another half-length back in third.
Marathon Farms’ Peter Angelos is also majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, who are last in the American League East standings. They snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night.
“The Orioles are struggling so maybe the horses will pick his head up a little bit,” Capuano said.
The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, the 1 3/16-mile Preakness anchors eight stakes on a 14-race card Saturday, May 19 that includes the $250,000 Dixie (G2), $150,000 Gallorette (G3) and $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3). First post on Preakness Day is 10:30 a.m., with a 6:48 p.m. post for the Preakness.
The Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies is the focal point of a 14-race program on Friday, May 18 that offers seven stakes including the historic $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3), $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff (G3) and $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3). Post time is 11:30 a.m.
Preakness Week at Pimlico offers several events including Sunrise at Old Hilltop, where fans can have breakfast trackside while watching horses go through their morning exercise Tuesday, May 15 through Friday, May 18; the traditional Alibi Breakfast on Thursday, May 17; and Budweiser InfieldFest, one of the country’s most eclectic outdoor music festivals.
Headlining this year’s InfieldFest on Preakness Day are Post Malone, 21 Savage and Odesza on the event’s new 65-foot mega-stage designed to give attendees a view of the live racing. Also scheduled to perform are DJs Vice and Frank Walker. Additional information can be found at www.preakness.com.
