Owner Brereton Jones captured the GI Kentucky Oaks two weeks ago with Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection), and looks to add a victory in Friday's GII Black Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico with Include Betty (Include), who was stymied in traffic in an eighth-place effort at Churchill Downs that day. The late-running chestnut, owned by Jones in partnership with Timothy C. Thornton, earned last-to-first victories earlier this term in Tampa Bay's Suncoast S. Jan. 31 and the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Apr. 4. Reunited with jockey Drayden Van Dyke–who was aboard for her debut–the filly will likely need a lively pace up front in order to deliver her best effort. “It is a quick turnaround, and quite frankly, we'll really get the answer to that question until after the race is run, which will be too late,” the former Kentucky Governor Jones offered. “But we believe that the tenacity that she has and the quality that she is, we think that she's got a good chance of being very competitive with this process as well as with this group.”
One entrant who could be prominent in the early stages of the race is 8-5 morning line favorite Luminance (Tale of the Cat), runner-up to Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the GI Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4. Winner of her first two starts prior to that stakes debut, the 'TDN Rising Star' was redirected to this event after owner Kaleem Shah and trainer Bob Baffert elected to bypass a start the Kentucky Oaks. Baffert has previously stated that his primary goal with Luminance remains the GI Acorn S. over a one-turn mile at Belmont Park June 6.
Stoneway Farm homebred Ahh Chocolate (Candy Ride {Arg}) enters the Black Eyed Susan with an unblemished record after wins in a six-furlong maiden contest at the Fair Grounds and a recent 1 1/16-mile allowance score at Keeneland Apr. 8. The Neil Howard trainee has a pedigree that indicates she will improve with added distance and figures to be racing from off the pace again here.
Gypsy Judy (Kitalpha), a James Hibbert homebred, will carry the torch for the home team in the starting gate, having notched a victory in the seven-furlong Wide Country S. down the road at Laurel Feb. 16. Most recently a rallying third in the Caesar's Wish S. over one mile Mar. 21, she has prepped for this start with a series of swift workouts at Laurel, including a pair of bullet five-furlong moves Apr. 26 and May 3. “We only have to ship 45 minutes up the road and everyone else has to come a lot farther,” said trainer Robin Graham, who will saddled two other stakes runners earlier on the card. “Having horses to run on that kind of day is really great.”
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