Pimlico

Jockey Jevian Toledo and trainer Brittany Russell defended their titles as leading jockey and trainer respectively as the Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course drew to a close Sunday. Toledo, who ranked second in earnings behind only GI Preakness S. winner John Velazquez, finished with a comfortable 10-win margin over co-runners-up Sheldon Russell, Horacio Karamanos and Victor Carrasco. Both Toledo and Russell are represented by agent Marty Leonard. "It feels great. I'm just blessed that God gave me the good health to be here," Toledo said. "My agent does a...

There was an exciting race, a thrilling stretch duel between winner National Treasure (Quality Road) and runner-up Blazing Sevens (Good Magic), and the first-ever win in the GI Preakness S. by classy Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. And think what you want of Bob Baffert, but his winning the first Triple Crown race he entered since the suspensions and bans had ended was a compelling chapter to this story. The man sure can train a race horse. But those stories will start to drift away as we head to...

BALTIMORE, MD--The ABC Wide World of Sports telecast used to kick off with legendary TV host and personality Jim McKay uttering "The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat." And never were those atipodal points more evident than they were for trainer Bob Baffert on Pimlico's Preakness Day card. His first runner on the card, Arabian Lion (Justify) strode to a four-length victory in the Sir Barton S., getting the Baffert team off to a fast start. However, the celebration was short lived. Two races later, 4-5 choice Havnameltdown (Uncaptured)...

Hoping that the GIII Dinner Party S. might be a sampling of things to come later on the Preakness Day card, Never Explain came from off the pace to collect his first black-type victory for trainer Shug McGaughey. Handily away from gate six, the dark bay settled off the pace in fourth as GI Pegasus World Cup Turf winner Atone (Into Mischief), sent off at 5-2, strode to the front with MGSW 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel and Rising Empire (Empire Maker) in hot pursuit rounding the first turn. With the...

The day's graded stakes action at Pimlico got off inauspicious start with the injury and subsequent euthanasia of 4-5 choice Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) in the GIII Chick Lang S. Havnameltdown appeared flat-footed at the start but sped into contention as 5-1 Ryvit (Competitive Edge) assumed the helm through a :22.23 opening quarter. Exiting the far turn, the favorite took a bad step, unseating jockey Luis Saez and leaving the front-runner in the clear as 5-2 second choice Super Chow (Lord Nelson) found himself in a very wide second. Several lengths ahead...

Aspray (Quality Road) remained perfect after stepping up into stakes company for the first time as she collected the victory from off-the-pace in the Hilltop S. A debut maiden breaker in an off-the-turf affair by 2 1/2 lengths as the favorite at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 14, she was able to try the grass there Mar. 22, serving as the chalk once again and defeating optional claimers by the same margin. The bay filly, off at 4-1 here, was content to settle towards the rear of the field as 9-1...

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...

BALTIMORE, MD -- Despite having done everything right in three prior career starts, Maple Leaf Mel was nonetheless sent off the 8-5 second betting choice in Friday's GIII Miss Preakness S. behind 4-5 choice Key of Life (Mo Town), victorious in the GII Beaumont S. Apr. 16. Unaware of the crowd's leanings, the grey daughter of Cross Traffic led for most of the way and never looked back, rolling home an easy 1 1/2-length winner over the late-closing Topsy. The grey soon overtook the fast-starting Key of Life and maintained...

8th-Pimlico, $62,700, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($50,000-$62,500), 5-19, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.94, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. FORT WARREN (c, 3, Curlin--La Appassionata {SW & GSP, $162,920}, by Bernardini) became a 'TDN Rising Star' when debuted in gate-to-wire fashion for then-trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita Oct. 30. A far-beaten third next time out in the GII San Vincente S. Jan. 29, he went to the sidelines for much of the spring, changing barns to return on the east coast for Brittany Russell. Bet down to even money and with Lasix in his...

Continuing on the heels of a stacked card Friday, Pimlico offers a robust eight-stakes offering Saturday, led by the $1.5 million GI Preakness S. With GI Kentucky Derby winning Mage (Good Magic) looming as the one to beat, the race suffered a notable blow Friday with the defection of Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense), shaving the field back to seven. Having not only showed a recency in form but also the ability to win at the highest level, none of the chestnut's rivals can really make the...

BALTIMORE, MD--The past two weeks has seen the kind of drama that one might expect in soap opera, laden with twists and turns that have left even the most seasoned turfwriters scratching their heads in disbelief. However, despite the all head-snapping headlines, the days leading up to this year's Preakness at Pimlico were business as usual. Thursday morning's activity matched the Baltimore weather, brisk and clear, with everything seemingly running without any major glitches. Following a brief hiatus because of the COVID pandemic, the morning tours were back in force...

At this year's GI Preakness S., Shug McGaughey is aiming to win his own version of the Triple Crown. The Hall of Fame trainer won the third leg of the series in 1989, when Easy Goer famously defeated Sunday Silence in the GI Belmont S., and then Orb (Malibu Moon) earned the Kentucky horseman a GI Kentucky Derby score in 2013. This Saturday, McGaughey could claim his final Triple Crown jewel with a promising contender in Perform (Good Magic). On Thursday morning shortly after eight, as Perform walked the Preakness...