Black-Eyed Susan

LAUREL, MD -- Two weeks ago, Saffie Joseph Jr. found himself in an eerily similar situation when one of his horses was forced to scratch from a Grade I event right before the big dance. The latest casualty was My Miss Mo (Uncle Mo) who was scratched on Apr. 29, only two days before the running of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. No doubt, the 11th-hour defection had to sting a bit, however, the filly came right back to validate her connections' unwavering faith in her, winning...

Having spent the winter in New York and without a major star in her barn, trainer Amelia Green hasn't gotten much attention this spring. But that's no fault of her own. Through Tuesday, the former assistant to Todd Pletcher had won 18 races on the year, good for a 25-percent win rate. It took her the complete calendar year in 2025 to win the same amount, 18 races. "I think a lot of this has to do with the lessons I've learned when it comes to running horses where they...

Two days after Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) announced its intent to acquire the intellectual property rights to the GI Preakness Stakes and the GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for $85 million, the firm's chief executive officer, Bill Carstanjen, said Thursday during a quarterly earnings conference call that the state of Maryland remains "in control" of the overall Thoroughbred racing product and its infrastructure, but that CDI's "real team of experts" is ready to assist if asked to help grow those assets. Although Carstanjen detailed the annual fee structure for licensing the...

BALTIMORE, MD -- On a day where the track was proving kind to front-runners, Gun Song (Gun Runner) benefitted from a text-book ride by Hall of Famer John Velazquez to give Mark Hennig a win for longtime client Lee Lewis in Pimlico's Friday feature, the GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. The 14-race card concluded with record handle of $28.4 million, up from $28.2 million one year ago. Breaking slightly inward from post 5, the chestnut cruised into contention, positioning herself on the flank of 18-1 shot Jeanne Marie...

While all eyes turn to Maryland this weekend for Saturday's 149th running of the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico Race Course, Virginia-based owner/breeder Larry Johnson has his sights set strictly on the GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S., Friday's featured race, where his filly Call Another Play (Audible) is the lone Maryland-bred entered in the eight-horse field. The 3-year-old filly is a fourth-generation homebred for Johnson, who owns Legacy Farm in Bluemont, Va., but is a decades-long supporter of the Maryland breeding program. "I've gone to Preakness weekend for...

Running for a $50,000 tag as recently as last November, 11-1 chance Taxed (Collected) proved one of the biggest bargains on the afternoon, coming from off the pace to peg Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) while also leaving the previously undefeated and piping-hot 3-5 choice Faiza (Girvin) in her wake in the GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico Friday. Last season's GII Golden Rod S. winner Hoosier Philly was intent on getting to the front, and she did so dutifully, as Sacred Wish (Not This Time), Merlazza (Medaglia...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will have a full lineup of on-site festivities during GI Preakness S. week. "The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has been a valued partner of the Preakness since 2015," said Maryland Jockey Club Acting President, Mike Rogers. "We at 1/ST and the Maryland Jockey Club look forward to bringing aftercare to the forefront of the Preakness for many years to come. The good work done by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is absolutely vital to ensuring the safety of our equine athletes and the longevity of the sport."...

Per the condition of the entry agreement into the GI Preakness S. between the Maryland Jockey Club and trainer Bob Baffert reached earlier this week, Baffert-trained horses Medina Spirit (Protonico), Concert Tour (Street Sense) and Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) underwent three rounds of out-of-competition blood sample testing. The Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) took two samples, one May 6 and the other May 10. A third sample was taken by 1/ST RACING and the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) May 11. Samples drawn May 6 and 10 by the MRC were sent...

For the first time since 2015, Maryland's local audition for the GI Preakness S. will provide horses with an opportunity to prep over the same Pimlico Race Course main track that serves as home for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. The $125,000 Federico Tesio S. headlines seven stakes worth $750,000 in purses on the Spring Stakes Spectacular program Saturday, Apr. 24, originally scheduled to be run at Laurel Park. With the ongoing evaluation of Laurel's main track, live racing has been shifted to Pimlico, effective Thursday, Apr. 22....

As a result of the ongoing pause of live racing at Laurel Park through Sunday, Apr. 4, the Maryland Jockey Club has pushed its Spring Stakes Spectacular program back one week to Saturday, Apr. 24. All seven stakes worth a total of $750,000 in purses originally scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 17 will be run on the new date with a similar 12:40 p.m. post time. Nominations for all stakes are due Saturday, Apr. 3. The Spring Stakes Spectacular is led by the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8...