The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes lured 11 sophomore fillies at Pimlico for the Friday event and there is speed throughout the race.
The Grade 2 $250,000 fixture will be run at a nine furlongs and has enticed four previous stakes winners.
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was first run in 1919 when named the Pimlico Oaks. It has been the currently-named stakes for 65 years. Over 20 winners of the Black-Eyed Susan have earned Eclipse Awards including Silverbulletday, Serena’s Song, Twilight Tear and Davona Dale.
Davona Dale is the only Black-Eyed Susan winner to also win the Kentucky Oaks, the Mother Goose, Acorn and Coaching Club American Stakes.
Shimmering Again will get tested for class in the Black-Eyed Susan as it will be her first foray into stakes company. She was wide when a tiring third in her debut but has won her last three races. She brings 1:10 and change speed to take advantage of her rail post position but there are others with designs on the lead. There is class on the bottom side as her dam won several stakes and earned nearly $500,000. This figures to either be a coming out party, or a pop and stop effort.
Tapa Tapa Tapa has not raced since running fourth in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park in March. She was dull in her other Graded attempts but showed she can handle dirt when taking the $55,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February.
Dancing Rags is an interesting commodity. She proved her class and ability last year when she won the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland with a 73 Beyer Speed Figure. She was then tried in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies but bore out early and lost her best chance. Trained by Graham Motion, who won the Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, if Dancing Rags is going to win the Black-Eyed Susan she will have to do it from off the pace. She may have just needed her last race and this is clearly a better distance for her.
Full House acted like four of a kind once in her career when she graduated by nearly 14 lengths in her first attempt at going a route of ground. That win came on the inner strip at Aqueduct and she tried the $150,000 Busher Stakes in her next race. In that event, she was beaten by Yorkiepoo Princess, who starts from post 11 in the Black-Eyed Susan today. Full House was troubled last time in the Gazelle and the feeling is she will move forward today. The connections of Full House can embrace the fact that her sibling Classy Class was Grade 3 placed and earned over $350,000.
Yorkiepoo Princess has won half of her eight starts but she failed miserably in her first try in a Graded race. That occurred in her last race in the Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes and she was troubled that day. The filly has some semblance of speed and could envision her in a stalking position.
Lights of Medina had excuses in her first few races. She was beaten by a clear winner in the slop in her debut. In her next race she was caught eight wide on a soft turf course. She opened up 2017 racing well, but relinquished the lead late and had to settle for second. After graduating in March, Lights of Medina won the $120,000 Weber City Miss at Laurel with a 79 Beyer. She has trained fast for Todd Pletcher since accentuated by her best of 33 bullet drill on May 11. Pletcher will be looking for his fifth Black-Eyed Susan win.
Corporate Queen seems to be up against it in the Black-Eyed Susan. She handled the mud winning her debut to open her career in January but has lost her other two efforts. She basically ran around the track in her last race, the Fair Grounds Oaks. Corporate Queen’s connections are just looking for the perfect recipe as she is owned in part by celebrity chef Bobby Flay.
Pletcher has another entrant in Moana. She may have been intimidated by the rail in her Tampa Bay debut but she shipped to Keeneland and graduated in a professional manner. It was a visibly impressive race and the second and third finishers were well clear.
Torrent was a non-threatening third in her last race. The effort came in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn in April and that was her first race since running third in February. She may have needed that Fantasy effort and she did win in a second off the layoff effort when breaking her maiden last year. Torrent’s dam Tidal Pool ran third in the Black-Eyed Susan and earned nearly $400,000.
Summer Luck has not ducked anybody as she has tried Graded company in her last three races but she only has one win on her resume. The daughter of Lookin at Lucky was troubled in her first attempt in a stakes, and was troubled again in March in the Davona Dale stakes. Her best asset may be the fact she will be reunited with Eclipse Award jockey Javier Castellano.
Actress has not yet secured a coveted role from the producers. She has run mirror races in her two starts and has settled for second both times. She is trained by Jason Servis and the fact he is giving her a chance in this race speaks volumes. Servis has popped at nearly a 30% clip this year. When glancing at Actress’ pedigree, it’s easy to see why Servis is optimistic. Actress’ dam Milwaukee Appeal won several stakes and earned over $1.1 million.
When the gates open, expect Shimmering Aspen to be offensively minded and gun for the lead. Tapa Tapa Tapa won’t be far away as Yorkiepoo Princess will also throw her hat into the speed brigade ring. At this point, the cards may fall right onto the lap of Full House.
The filly has been consistent and has been in the money in all five starts. She has been put through her motions with several works since her last race and posted a best of the morning drill on May 11 at Belmont Park. She has positional speed and can be the master of her own destiny and one can envision a stalk and pounce journey.
Go all in with Full House.
