Pimlico

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...

Horologist (Gemologist) aims to collect her sixth career stakes victory in Friday's GIII Allaire du Pont S. at Pimlico. The du Pont returns to its traditional spot on Preakness weekend after being moved to late December because of the coronavirus pandemic. Transferred to trainer Bill Mott last summer, the New Jersey bred kicked off her tenure with the Hall of Famer with a score in Monmouth's GIII Molly Pitcher S. in July before finishing third in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. in September. Victorious in the Oct. 4 GII Beldame...

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute (Street Magician) looks to rebound off a third as the 3-5 favorite in Laurel's Beyond The Wire S. Mar. 13 and gain her first graded score in the GIII Miss Preakness S. at Old Hilltop Friday. Reeling off five straight wins from last November through February, including the Laurel's six-furlong Xtra Heat S. in January followed by the seven panel Wide Country S. Feb. 20, the chestnut tried a mile for the first time in the Beyond The Wire, but tired late to finish third,...

Godolphin's Adventuring (Pioneerof the Nile) rides a two-race win skein as she tries to add her first graded victory in Friday's GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico. Second choice on the morning line at 4-1, the homebred hit the board in her first two starts--both off-turf tests--at the Fair Grounds late last season. Well supported in her Feb. 16 reappearance at the New Orleans oval, the daughter of dual Grade I winning Questing (Hard Spun) came from just off the pace to romp by 6 1/2 lengths...

Baltimore, MD--The leadup to this year's GI Preakness S. has proven anything but routine with news of the Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit (Protonico) testing positive for Betamethasone following his GI Kentucky Derby win two weeks ago. However, just two days before the second jewel in the Triple Crown, the vibe around the Stakes Barns on Pimlico's back side had a decidedly more business-as-usual feel rather than a Classic-week electric charge. El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer (Twirling Candy), third in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S., and Keepmeinmind (Laoban), last...

WinStar Farm LLC and CHC Inc.'s Fearless (Ghostzapper) will attempt to give newly elected Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher his third GIII Pimlico Special S. victory after winning previously in successive years with Revolutionary (2014) and Commissioner (2015). Victorious in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile Feb. 27 in his first start in eight months, the 5-year-old rallied to be second by a half-length to Silver State in the 1 1/8-mile GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 17. "[He's doing] very good," Pletcher said. "He was very good in his first start and...

There were some anxious moments for Yuji Inaida's GI Preakness S. runner France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) at Pimlico Race Course Wednesday morning. The colt from Japan had just completed his four-furlong breeze when exercise rider Masaki Takano suddenly fell off the chestnut just after he passed the finish line. Takano slowly got to his feet as France Go de Ina continued on before being apprehended by Pimlico outriders. Both Takano and the horse are fine, according to Kate Hunter, the Preakness field representative for the Japan Racing...

Medina Spirit (Protonico), who crossed the wire first in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, drew Post 3 at the post-position draw at Pimlico Race Course Tuesday afternoon. Trained by Bob Baffert, the colt was installed the 9-5 morning line favorite in the field of 10. Baffert is also represented by Concert Tour (Street Sense), who will break from gate 10 under Hall of Famer Mike Smith. The Gary and Mary West homebred took the GII San Vicente S. and GII Rebel S. earlier this season. Third choice on the...

Kentucky-based horses that ship to Maryland for this week's GI Preakness S. and supporting races will no longer face health-related return restrictions when they try to re-enter the state, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture announced Monday. According to a press release issued by the agency, "Effective Monday, May 10, [the] Office of State Veterinarian rescinds restrictions on horses originating from both Pimlico and Laurel. All horses from these facilities that meet the standard health requirements for Kentucky tracks and training centers (including EHV1 vaccination, 72-hour Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, and...

Difficulties with the dirt track base repair and cushion resurfacing project at Laurel Park continue to mount, with the loose-ended timetable for the work now expected to extend at least until the start of July. Executives with The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course, said during a Friday tele-meeting that they now need to pause work on the problematic and expensive project at Laurel until management can relocate of all horses stabled at Laurel to other facilities in Maryland. This news was delivered two weeks...

The Mid-Atlantic Championships Series (MATCH) returns May 14-15 at Pimlico Race Course after a one-year hiatus. This year's MATCH Series, to be run at racetracks in Maryland and Virginia only, will extend through Dec. 26, 2021. It will offer 24 stakes valued at $2.75 million and $282,000 in bonus money for owners and trainers. The first four stakes in the Series will be held Preakness weekend: GIII Allaie DuPont S., GIII Pimlico Special S., GIII Maryland Sprint H. and Skipat S. Please note that nominations for all the MATCH Series...

Mounting problems that have forced the closure of the main dirt track at Laurel Park are now tentatively anticipated to be fixed by the start of June. But difficulties related to the sourcing and testing of materials for the base and cushion are keeping the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) from setting an exact timetable for the return of racing and training at its primary venue. On Thursday, the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) met at Laurel for the board's first in-person monthly meeting since the onset of the pandemic. But Laurel's...