ORB FINISHES FOURTH

Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club

BALTIMORE, Md. – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas made history at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday when he saddled Oxbow for a front-running upset victory in the 138th Preakness Stakes (G1). The 15-1 long shot gave his 77-year-old trainer his sixth Preakness victory, as well as his 14th triumph in a Triple Crown event.

Lukas, who had been tied with legendary “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons since saddling Commendable for a Belmont Stakes victory in 2000, became the winningest trainer in Triple Crown history.

Overlooked by the bettors, who made Kentucky Derby winner Orb their 3-5 favorite in the field of nine 3-year-olds, Oxbow was in control throughout the 1 3/16-mile Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown on his way to victory by 1¾ lengths under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

Shug McGaughey-trained Orb, who finished 9¾ lengths ahead of Oxbow while winning the Derby by 3½ lengths, was never a factor in the Preakness, finishing nine lengths behind the winner, who was one of three 3-year-olds representing Lukas.

A crowd of 117,203 flocked into Pimlico, the fourth highest mark in the history of the event. The day included the fifth annual InfieldFest which featured concerts by six bands, including headliners Pitbull and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

The 13-race card generated an all-sources handle of $81,940,233. The handle ranked as the sixth best for Pimlico’s signature day.

“It was a fantastic day to cap what was a wonderful weekend of racing and entertainment,” Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. “I challenged my team to match last year’s record-setting afternoon and they answered the call. The initial feedback on the concerts is positive and the racing office put together a quality card from bottom to top.”

Oxbow, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, joined the Lukas-trained Codex (1980), Tank’s Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995) and Charismatic (1999) as a Preakness champion.

Oxbow’s triumph also created history for Stevens, who became the oldest jockey, at 50, to ride a Preakness winner. Eldon Nelson was 45 when he rode Bee Bee Bee to an upset win in 1972.

The Lukas-trained winner, who ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:57.54, also made more history for his owner, Calumet Farm, which celebrated its record eighth Preakness success and first since Forward Pass’s victory in 1968.

Itsmyluckyday, who had finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, finished second Saturday while tracking the pace early and steadily gaining on Oxbow in the stretch before running out of ground. Mylute, the fifth-place Derby finisher, closed from last to finish third, another half-length back under Rosie Napravnik, who rode the first winner of her career at Pimlico in June 2005 as a 17-year-old.

Orb, the shortest-priced Preakness favorite since Big Brown (2008), finished a half-length ahead of Goldencents, who was saddled by Doug O’Neill, who visited the winners’ circle last year with I’ll Have Another.  He was followed by Departing, Will Take Charge, Govenor Charlie and Titletown Five. Will Take Charge and Titletown Five are also trained by Lukas, who has been represented by a record 40 Preakness starters.

PREAKNESS STAKES QUOTES

D. Wayne Lukas (trainer, Oxbow, winner) – “What a story this is. I’m happy for Gary (Stevens) and I’m just so happy for Mr. (Brad) Kelley. He’s trying to revitalize Calumet, and now Calumet is back in a Classic race. That’s just very gratifying.  It’s been a while (Charismatic, 1999), but it never gets old. I have great respect for the Phipps family and Shug (McGaughey), but I was telling one of your colleagues that I get paid to spoil dreams.

“You can’t mail them in, so we keep trying. It’s a different surface, a different scenario and a different time. You gotta line ‘em up  and run ‘em.

“Gary knows the horse a lot better than I do, so I told him to just go ahead and ride  him. I told him ‘you might find yourself up there; if you do just get in a high cruising speed, and it worked.’   It doesn’t hurt to have a Hall of Famer or two (Stevens and Mike Smith) on your horses. I had good riders and I knew my horses trained well. When they threw up that 48 (half mile) and 1:13 (six furlongs), I said watch out. Unbelievable!

“I kind of lost track of my other two horses (Titletown Five and Will Take Charge) because this guy was in front almost the whole way.” 

Gary Stevens (jockey, Oxbow, winner) – “We talked about strategy and I didn’t expect to be on the lead. In these Classic races you don’t give up anything you get for free. They gave me a free three-quarters of a mile today. I was smiling pretty good midway down the backside. I actually thought about Wayne (Lukas) up in the grandstand. I knew he would be looking at those fractions and be pleased with what he was seeing.”

“I jumped on him at the quarter pole and said, “let’s go now and just try and last.’ We did more than last today. When we pulled up he wasn’t a tired horse.”

Eddie Plesa Jr. (trainer, Itsmyluckyday, 2nd) – “I’m very pleased with the way he ran. He ran his race. He simply just got beat by a horse that was trained perfectly by Wayne Lukas. We did run our race, but we just weren’t lucky enough to win.”

John Velazquez (jockey, Itsmyluckyday, 2nd) – “My horse ran awesome. The speed didn’t develop the way I thought it would. I thought Oxbow would be third or fourth, then all of a sudden I look up and Bob Baffert’s horse (Govenor Charlie) gets left and Oxbow was on the lead all by himself. I worried then about my horse, but he ran great.”

Tom Amoss (trainer, Mylute, 3rd) – “My horse ran great. The pace was a disappointment up front. I thought there would be more speed; it didn’t materialize. We were probably at the biggest disadvantage of all, coming from way back and being the widest in the race. We’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.  I actually look at this like a missed opportunity because my horse ran a big race today.”

Rosie Napravnik (jockey, Mylute, 3rd) – “He was very sluggish out of the gate for the first quarter of a mile. Then he got going. This is a tough course. I was too far back to see who the leaders were. This was a tough pace to follow. But he ran great down the lane and closed well.”

Shug McGaughey (trainer, Orb, 4th) – “I’m disappointed. It was a great opportunity. We were 3-5 and we finished fourth. I would be disappointed any time you had this kind of opportunity and didn’t get it done. This was quite a run for a couple of weeks. We’ll pack it up and go back home and see what kind of horse we’ve got down the road and  figure it out from there.

“I don’t think two weeks had anything to do with it. Oxbow ran back in two weeks. Itsmyluckyday ran back in two weeks, Mylute ran back in two weeks. I just think he got himself in a position where he wasn’t comfortable and then without the pace scenario in front of him; they really weren’t spread out a little bit more than maybe I’d hoped. That probably affected him more than anything else.

“The pace was slower than I anticipated. I thought the pace would be quicker.  I thought maybe they would speed it up a little bit but they didn’t.  I still thought we would close into it, but it just wasn’t his day. He was just never real comfortable once he got down in there.  I’m  disappointed. I’ll probably be way more disappointed tomorrow but I know the game. It is highs and lows, probably more lows than highs. We had a great run two weeks ago. My hat’s off to Wayne to win his sixth Preakness. That’s pretty remarkable.”

Joel Rosario (jockey, Orb, 4th) – “He was in a good spot early in the race. They were going slow up front and he was fine. When I got to the half-mile pole, he had a hard time keeping up. I used my stick to try to get him going. He usually takes you there. He always runs hard. But today he never took off. He just steadied. Today was not his day.”

Doug O’Neill (trainer, Goldencents, 5th) – “I’m doing great. I thought Kevin (Krigger) had him in a great spot and when the winner kicked there, we just couldn’t keep up with him. I’m very proud of Kevin and the horse. We’re going to be fine. We’ve got a bright future. Definitely, he belongs among these horses and we’re going to be in good shape. We’ll be OK. I’ll have to talk to (co-owner) Glen (Sorgenstein) and we’ll put our heads together and see what’s next.”

Kevin Krigger (jockey, Goldencents, 5th) – “He didn’t run his race today. We were expecting him to run very well here, but it just doesn’t happen sometimes.”

Al Stall Jr. (trainer, Departing, 6th) – “He had no excuses. It looked like he got over the track OK. He just didn’t go on with it like he usually does.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. (jockey, Departing, 6th) – “I had a great trip. On the second turn, Orb was inside of me and we spurted away from him and got up to third. But he was just a little dull today. I don’t know why. It seemed like he handled the track OK. But it was a little deep.”

Mike Smith (jockey, Will Take Charge, 7th) – “He just really struggled with the racetrack. His legs were going everywhere from the word ‘go.’ He just couldn’t get a hold of it at all.”

Bob Baffert (trainer, Govenor Charlie, 8th) – “If they would have yelled “about-face” I would have won easy at the wire. My horse missed the break and never really was in the race. I’m happy for Gary (Stevens) and Wayne (Lukas); that’s awesome.”

Martin Garcia (jockey, Govenor Charlie, 8th) – “He did not like the track at all. He was very uncomfortable all the way around.”

Julien Leparoux (jockey, Titletown Five, 9th) – “(Gary) Stevens took the lead early, and I was just kind of sitting there. I felt like I had a lot of horse under me when we turned for home. But he just kind of flattened out in the stretch.”

PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Jockey Gary Steven celebrates after his win aboard Oxbow.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Taking advantage of a quick early pace, Open Water earned her first victory outside Kentucky, upsetting favored Lady of Fifty in the $150,250 Marjorie L. Everett Handicap Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park.

The victory by the 9-1 shot gave jockey Joe Talamo a sweep of the afternoon’s stakes. More than three hours earlier, Talamo teamed with Unusual Hottie to capture the $100,500 Fran’s Valentine.

Trained by Eric Guillot for a partnership that includes Southern Equine Stable LLC, Mike Smith and Whispering Oaks Farm LLC, Open Water sat well off a spirited duel between Maker Or Breaker and Sister Kate, rallied in tandem with Lady of Fifty while outside the 7-10 choice and ultimately prevailed by one length.

A 4-year-old Include filly out of the A.P. Indy mare Biscayne Bay, Open Water completed the 1 1/16 miles over Cushion Track in 1:44.01. She paid $21.40, $6.20 and $3.20.

The Grade II win was Open Water’s third in 14 starts and boosted her bankroll to $270,750. Her two previous victories came over the Polytrack at Turfway Park – by a combined 15 ½ lengths – early last year. She was 0-for-8 in California and New York before her Everett success.

“She loves this track, that’s why I gave her a little freshening after Santa Anita,’’ said Guillot. “She danced every dance last year and she was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

“I think she can go a mile and an eighth and I’ll probably run her back in the (Grade I, $250,000) Vanity (Handicap June 15).’’

Talamo, who had not ridden Open Water before Saturday, was impressed by her two works leading to the Everett. She was clocked in a bullet 1:12 3/5 for six furlongs May 5, then followed with a 1:15 move at the same distance a week later.

“It really worked out great,’’ said Talamo, who also won the 2012 Everett with Include Me Out. “You could tell they were rolling up front. On this track you just can’t go that fast (23.34, 46.54 and 1:10.84 for six furlongs).

“She was in between horses at about the 4 ½ (furlong pole) and (Lady of Fifty) was kind of pressing me a little, so I took back and went outside of her. At that time, she took a couple of breathers and I think that really helped down the lane. She was really game.’’

An impressive winner of the Bayakoa Handicap in her lone try over Cushion Track last Dec. 8 – a Grade II in which Open Water was second at 10-1 – Lady of Fifty wound up 4 ½ lengths clear of I Dazzle. Lady of Fifty returned $3 and $2.20 while I Dazzle paid $3.40 to show.

Maker Or Breaker, Sister Kate and Lady Aspen completed the order of finish.

More Chocolate, the 2-1 morning line favorite who had finished fifth 15 days earlier in the Grade II La Troienne at Churchill Downs, was scratched.

In the Fran’s Valentine, Unusual Hottie, the 9-2 second choice, took advantage of a dream trip to win by three-quarters of a length over Sugarinthemorning with 4-5 favorite Top Kisser a nose back in third after setting the pace.

Victorious for the second time in as many starts since joining the barn of trainer Jeff Mullins, the 4-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat and the Ski Champ mare Branca Como Neve won for the sixth time in 13 starts while running the mile on turf in 1:34.28.

The $60,000 payday in a race restricted to fillies or mares bred or sired in California pushed Unusual Hottie’s earnings to $289,498 for owner Seyyed Nilforushan. She paid $11, $5.80 and $2.80.

Talamo, who won last year’s renewal with Halo Dolly, became the third jockey to go back-to-back in the Fran’s Valentine, named in honor of the lone filly to win the Kentucky Oaks and Hollywood Oaks. The daughter of Saros completed the double in 1985 for trainer Joe Manzi and owner-breeder Earl Scheib’s Green Thumb Farm Stable.

The other riders to win the Fran’s Valentine in consecutive years are Garrett Gomez – Nashoba’s Key (2007) and Tutta Bella (2008) – and Rafael Bejarano – Bootleg Annie (2009) and U R All That I Am (2010).

Saving ground while reserved just off the pace set by the 4-5 favorite with Sugarinthemorning in close attendance, Unusual Hottie angled outside for the stretch run and was able to get the best of that pair in the closing yards.

“Man, she sure is sweet to ride,’’ said Talamo. “Everything went perfect. I saved all the ground, swung out and she just took off.’’

Sugarinthemorning, who was trying to end a 12-race losing streak, paid $7 and $3.20 while the show price on Top Kisser, who entered having won three in a row on the turf at Santa Anita, was $2.20.

Racing resumes Sunday. Post time is 1 p.m.

The main event on the nine race program is the $70,000 Railbird Stakes, an ungraded event for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs over Cushion Track. Ciao Bella Luna, the winner of last month’s Grade II Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland, tops the field.

BALTIMORE, Md. – Calumet Farm’s Skyring, who captured the James W. Murphy at Pimlico on Preakness Day last year, returned Saturday to triumph in the $300,000 Longines Dixie Stakes (G2) at Old Hilltop.

One of two starters saddled by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Skyring set all of the pace and held off a late-charging Wilcox Inn by a half-length in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes. The Lukas-trained Optimizer closed through traffic late to finish third.

Skyring carried veteran Gary Stevens to a 24-1 upset victory in 1:47.87 for 1 1/8 miles over firm turf, paying $50.40 to win.

Imagining, the post time favorite, finished next-to-last in the field of 11.

LONGINES DIXIE STAKES QUOTES

D. Wayne Lukas (trainer, Skyring, winner; Optimizer, 3rd) – “This horse loved this turf course last year. That’s why I told the owner, ‘We need to enter both of them.’ There’s really not that much difference between them. The public totally disregarded him even though he was very good last year. Optimizer ran a very good race. I wasn’t that disappointed. He had a little trouble and was in tight. Skyring is just a fighter.”

Gary Stevens (jockey, Skyring, winner) – “He went to the front easy enough and we were able to back things up and he just sprinted home. A very impressive performance.”

Michael Stidham (trainer, Wilcox Inn, 2nd) – “It didn’t look to me like he got into any trouble. James (Graham) switched him out to get clear and it didn’t look like he had to check at all. We didn’t run in the Woodford Reserve at Churchill because Wise Dan was in there and we are tired of chasing him. He will go back to Arlington.”

James Graham (jockey, Wilcox Inn, 2nd) – “I didn’t have quite the trip I wanted to. But I’m certainly not unhappy with the effort he gave me. I thought I had a chance to catch the winner down the stretch, but I was just moving too late.”

Graham Motion (trainer, Howe Great, 4th) – “He was right where he wanted to be. I really couldn’t give him an excuse. I thought Alan  (Garcia) gave him a perfect ride. He wasn’t beaten very far, and it was a very competitive race, so I’m not too disappointed.”

Alan Garcia (jockey, Howe Great, 4th) – “I had a very good trip. It was a tough horse race. My horse gave me everything he had.”

Javier Castellano (jockey, Imagining, 10th) – “He didn’t break that sharp out of the gate. That changed all the strategy because my horse is not a come-from-behind horse. He likes to be in the clear near the leaders. Unfortunately, he broke kind of slow today.”

PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Skyring upsets the Longines Dixie Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Glorious View extended her winning streak to four, annexed her first graded stakes, and demonstrated her tenacity with a front-running victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park.

Backed as the 8-5 favorite in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, Glorious View was away quickest of all from the rail post and maintained a one-length lead over Spectacular Sky through opening fractions of 22.14 and 45.04 seconds.

After Spectacular Sky capitulated at the top of the stretch, Glorious View faced a new challenge from Fantasy of Flight, who drew within a head of the leader. Glorious View, however, turned back Fantasy of Flight’s bid and went on to prevail by a half-length.

The final time for 6 ½ furlongs was 1:15.96, with Glorious View returning $5.40 for a $2 win wager.

“She tries so hard, it makes things a lot easier for me,” said winning jockey Junior Alvarado. “She settled for me during the first part of the race. I was never worried because she was never bothered by the horse outside her down the backstretch. She was very relaxed. And at the end, I just put her closer to (Fantasy of Flight), and she kept fighting. She would never let that other horse go by.”

Glorious View, a 4-year-old daughter of Pleasant Tap, needed eight starts to break her maiden, but has been unbeatable since earning her diploma in February at Aqueduct Racetrack. After her maiden triumph, she added scores in an allowance in March and an optional claimer on April 11, also at Aqueduct. She won all three races by at least five lengths.

“She showed a lot of gameness today,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. “She had won her last few races fairly easily, and that’s a pretty nice filly who ran up to her in the stretch.”

Owned and bred by Brant Laue, Glorious View is 4-4-1 in 12 starts. The $120,000 winner’s share of the Vagrancy purse lifted her bankroll to $303,190.

Withgreatpleasure closed to finish third, followed by Miss d’Oro, Spectacular Sky, and Irish Exchange.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Live Oak Plantation’s Za Approval waited patiently near the back of the pack before moving around the far turn, splitting rivals near the eighth pole and running down Tune Me In in the final yards of the Grade 3 $100,000 Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Za Approval covered the mile over firm turf in 1:34 2/5 and paid $3.80, $3 and $2.80 as the odds-on choice in the field of 11 colts and geldings.  Tune Me In, who finished three-quarters of a length behind the winner, held for second, completing the $48.60 exacta and paying $13.20 to place and $8 to show.  Bad Debt was another nose back in third and paid $10.

“It’s really cool to ride an old pro like this horse,” said winning jockey Joe Bravo.  “He just gave me the impression that he was in control the whole time.  I was just waiting for a place to go and he did the rest.”

A 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper from the With Approval mare Win Approval, Za Approval boosted his lifetime record to 6-3-0 from 13 starts.  He has now banked $302,165 for his connections.

Live racing continues at Monmouth Park on Sunday – gates open at 11:30 a.m., first post 12:50 p.m.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Treasured Up, third in the Grade III Regret last fall, collected the first stakes win of her 12-race career with a come-from-behind victory Saturday in the inaugural $64,652 Keertana at Churchill Downs, narrowly defeating 5-2 favorite Qushchi-GB by a head.

Ridden by the meet’s top jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, Treasured Up covered 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:15.16 for trainer Al Stall Jr. and owner B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm LLC.

Treasured Up was unhurried in the early stages of the race and had one horse beat after a half-mile as Rare Event led the field of 10 fillies and mares through quarter-mile fractions of :25.50, :49.94, 1:14.57 and 1:38.50. Bridgmohan asked the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro for her best  run with three-eighths of a mile to go. She rallied wide around the final turn, had clear sailing down the stretch and was fully extended to catch Qushchi-GB with less than 100 yards to the finish.

Sent to post as the 7-2 third choice, Treasured Up returned $9.60, $4.80 and $3.60. Qushchi-GB, ridden by Joe Rocco Jr., paid $3.60 and $2.60. Midnight Music-IRE, with Francisco Torres up, was another 1½ lengths back in third and returned $5. Beijoca, Rare Event, Preferential-GB, Tree Hugger, Game Fair, Artemus Kitten and Hankering completed the order of finish.

Treasured Up, bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, was awarded the $39,600 first prize, which boosted her career earnings to $168,533 from four wins, one second and three thirds in 12 starts.

The Keertana was one of four wins on the afternoon for Bridgmohan, who tops the Churchill Downs standings with 22 victories through the first 13 days of the 38-day Spring Meet. Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Joel Rosario is second with 14 wins.

Racing continues Sunday with a 10-race program that kicks off at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Treasured Up narrowly wins inaugural Keertana.

BALTIMORE, Md. – Michael Dubb’s Sage Valley pressed the pace before bursting away to a convincing score in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

Saddled by Rudy Rodriquez, the son of Discreet Cat left the gate as the narrow betting favorite at 2.30-1 in the six-furlong sprint on the main track. Hardened Wildcat, a very close second choice at 2.40-1, rallied to finish second, 2¼ lengths behind the winner. Laurie’s Rocket took third.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Sage Valley ($6.60) ran the six furlongs in 1:10.51 while registering his fourth straight victory and second stakes in a row.   He won the Mr Nasty Stakes at Aqueduct last November. 

MARYLAND SPRINT HANDICAP QUOTES

Rudy Rodriguez (trainer, Sage Valley, winner) – “The race came up pretty tough. I was looking for a race in New York, but I’m glad I came to this one. He ran great. He’s a nice horse; he’s lightly raced. He’s had some issues so we have to take our time with him and he’ll perform. Johnny (Velazquez) rode him nicely.”

John Velazquez (jockey, Sage Valley, winner) – “We had a perfect post position and we had a perfect trip. I thought there was plenty of speed in the race and if I could sit just off the lead and make a run down the lane that would be perfect. He responded just the way a horse should.”

Chad Brown (trainer, Hardened Wildcat, 2nd) – “He was a little far behind, but that’s him. He’s a come-from-behind sprinter. He made his move. The winner was the best horse today. We were just second-best. He’s a nice horse. We’ll just get him back home and evaluate him and pick another nice spot. I was proud of the way the horse ran. I’m disappointed he didn’t win, but he did run his race. He was just second-best.”

Javier Castellano (jockey, Hardened Wildcat, 2nd) – “The trainer told me to sit behind the speed duel and let him try and come from behind. I tried to cut the corner but I couldn’t and lost a lot of ground on the final turn. I was just second-best today.”

PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Sage Valley wins Maryland Sprint Handicap.

BALTIMORE, Md. – Hidden Brook & Dan Zucker’s Pianist took control soon after the start and played “catch me if you can” the rest of the way, as the Chad Brown-trained filly went the distance in the $150,000 Gallorette Handicap (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

Ridden by Mike Smith, the daughter of More Than Ready pulled away to a 2¾- length triumph over Hard Not to Like. Appealing Cat finished third. The Brown-trained Samitar finished fourth as the even-money favorite.

Pianist, who paid $15.40 to win, ran the 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:40.60 while beating seven other fillies and mares.

Pianist had previously won the Given Stakes on the turf at Belmont Park last year.

GALLORETTE HANDICAP QUOTES

Chad Brown (trainer, Pianist, winner) – “We had two horses in the race and the plan was for Mike to go to the lead. I thought the fractions were a little strong but I just left it to the riders. I said, ‘You just judge the pace.’ I didn’t give them any figures. I just left it to them. She looked great, although it looked like Samitar wasn’t holding the track on the backside. Both horses were training fine coming into the race, so they both deserved a shot.”

Mike Smith (jockey, Pianist, winner) – “I planned to put her on the lead unless something happened at the break like yesterday with Emollient (who stumbled out of the gate) in the Black-Eyed Susan. She jumped away from the gate very well. Chad told me before the race that we could win this if we did something a little unusual. I guess a 46-second half was a little unusual. This is the first time I’ve ridden for Chad, and I plan to ride another five years, so I hope to do this again sometime.”

Michael Matz (trainer, Hard Not to Like, 2nd) – “I was quite proud of her. She stumbled pretty bad. We told Johnny to get close to the pace, but the other horse got away from her a little bit.”

John Velazquez (jockey, Hard Not to Like, 2nd) – “Unfortunately, I stumbled out of there, as I wanted to be in there closer to the front. We got up, recouped and she ran a great race.”

PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Pianist wins the Gallorette Handicap.

BALTIMORE, Md. – Gillian S. Campbell, Greenwood Lodge Farm, Inc., Dan Clark & Greg Skoda’s Summer Applause attended the pace, assumed the lead in mid-stretch and galloped to victory in the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at Pimlico Race Course.

John Velazquez had the riding assignment on the Chad Brown trainee, a daughter of Harlan’s Holiday. Summer Applause collected her third stakes victory, having already won the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds in February and the Top Flight Handicap (Grade 2) at Aqueduct in March.

Summer Applause, who covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.54, finished two lengths clear of runner-up Sea Island.  Brushed by a Star finished third.  

Favored in a field of five fillies and mares, Summer Applause paid $5.20 to win.

ALLAIRE DUPONT DISTAFF STAKES QUOTES

Chad Brown (trainer, Summer Applause, winner) – “She ran great. She was spotting everyone six pounds. I was worried about that when I was handicapping the race the last couple days. To really pull away like that and to run such a strong race against some nice fillies, giving weight, I’m really proud of her. We didn’t know what the pace was going to be, so I left it up to Johnny.

John Velazquez (jockey, Summer Applause, winner) – “There wasn’t much speed in the race. I wanted to stay reasonably close to the lead. I asked her for run in the last quarter of a mile and she responded well. We knew it was going to be a slow pace coming into the race. When I needed to move with her she gave me the run I asked for.”

Shug McGaughey (trainer, Sea Island, 2nd) –“I thought she ran a good race. There wasn’t any pace and she made a good run at her. I thought maybe we were going to get her at the head of the stretch, but it’s a pretty nice filly that won.”

Javier Castellano (jockey, Sea Island, 2nd) – “I liked the way she ran, but unfortunately we were second best today. She put in a good effort and I was satisfied with the way she did it.”

PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Summer Applause wins Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes.