BALTIMORE, 05-04-13---Too Clever by Half won for the fifth consecutive time Saturday, taking the $52,000 feature at Pimlico Race Course. The 5-year-old mare was one of three turf winners on the card for jockey Sheldon Russell.

Too Clever by Half dueled with Nistletoe for the lead in the five-furlong test on the grass and then opened up a clear lead in midstretch and dug under strong handling to win by a length over Wild Rainbow. The 5-year-old mare paid $8.80.

Hugh McMahon claimed Too Clever by Half 14 months ago from Chad Brown. Since finishing off the board in her first two starts in her new barn, the daughter of With Distinction has reeled off five straight victories, including two during the current spring meeting.

“She surprised us last month by running so well off the layoff but Hugh has this filly right,” Russell said. “She didn’t like the Pimlico grass last year but all of a sudden she loves it. I don’t know if she matured over the winter during her nine-month vacation or just got better. She ran a career-best Beyer figure last time. I was very confident with the outside post and she showed up today.”

Russell also visited the winners’ circle with Biddy ($6.60-race 3) and Fuhr Town ($8-race 7) and has won six races this week to move into a second place tie with Forest Boyce and Xavier Perez in the jockey standings.

“I always feel that when we come to Pimlico the wins are so spread out. No rider seems to dominate,” added Russell, who captured the rider title here two years ago. “We have a lot of bug riders who are doing well, so it is nice to have a six-win week so far.”

A festive crowd of 5,749 enjoyed a picture perfect afternoon at Old Hilltop, two weeks before the eyes of the horse racing world shift to Baltimore for the $1 million Preakness Stakes (G1), the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown on May 18.

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry