In the 89th
running of Black-Eyed Susan at
Pimlico, it was Bob Baffert, and
blinkers, and no more Beholder, as Fiftyshadesofhay got up to win by a neck.
Baffert put blinkers on
the Pulpit filly for the first time, and she was not running against Beholder,
to whom she had lost her last two races. Baffert explained why he made the
equipment change, “With the addition of blinkers we wanted her to, and she
could, settle better. Without blinkers we had to encourage her to stay in a
race.”
It certainly didn’t hurt
that, with the race on the east coast, America’s hottest jockey Joel Rosario
got in the saddle. Baffert said, “I told Rosario to just ride your race,
whatever you think. See how she breaks and keep her comfortable and just ride
her Rosario style.” In 2013 Rosario style has come to mean another win in a big
race.
Rosario described that
race, “It was kind of a perfect trip, but she was kind of slowing a little bit
from the dirt in her face. I got her on the outside and she looked like she was
really comfortable. When I passed the sixteenth-pole, I could see that the
horse in front of me was backing up a little. That’s when I felt better.”Front-runner Maracuya set
the pace for the first six furlongs in 1:13.26. Second place finisher, Marathon
Lady, then had the lead by more than three lengths in the stretch, but
Fiftyshadesofhay ran her down.
The 4-5 favorite Emollient
finished off the board, and was never in contention, after her nine-length
victory in the Ashland (G1) on the polytrack at Keeneland. Trainer Bill Mott
felt, “It looked like to me like she might have been fighting that racetrack.
The main track may not be her best surface, so you might see her try the turf
course next time.”
Fiftyshadesofhay carried
the familiar red and yellow colors of owner Mike Pegram to win the $500,000
grade two stake making the third win of her career. She covered the nine
furlongs in 1:52.73 and paid $6.60 as the betting second choice.
Nine Black-Eyed Susan
winners have gone on to be champion three year-old filly including Twilight
Tear, Davona Dale, Royal Delta, Serena’s Song, and Silverbulletday.
