Allaire duPont Distaff: Margie's Intention wins Preakness eve stakes for second straight year

LAUREL, Md. – Margie’s Intention may be a Louisiana-bred but she’s made herself right at home in Maryland.

A year after winning the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico, Margie’s Intention returned to Maryland on Friday and captured the $123,750 Allaire duPont Distaff Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths over Low Country Magic at Laurel Park. It was Margie’s Intention’s fourth win from 11 career starts and the first since she won the Black-Eyed Susan by three-quarters of a length on last year’s Preakness-eve card.

It was also the first win for Josh Isner’s Delta Squad Racing which, along with Michael Dubb and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, purchased Margie’s Intention for $1.3 million out of the Night of Stars sale last November at Fasig-Tipton.

Isner, president of Axon, an American public safety technology company, was among the sparse crown in attendance to celebrate his first victory.

“I didn’t think I could have more fun in the sport, this is the coolest feeling ever,” Isner said in the winner’s circle. “When I turned 40, I made the decision I wasn’t going to get any worse at golf and instead I was going to try and win the Kentucky Derby and this is the first step toward doing it.”

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Margie’s Intention was sent off the heavy favorite in the scratched-reduced duPont field of five. Irad Ortiz Jr. said he was in no hurry with the 4-year-old filly, so he was content to sit fourth, about four lengths off the pace established by Low Country Magic and Tyler Gaffalione. Low Country Magic got away with splits of 24.70 seconds for the quarter, 49.07 for the half, and 1:13.60 for six furlongs.

Ortiz said he waited until the three-furlong marker to ask Margie’s Intention to run. It took until the sixteenth pole for her to reel in Low Country Magic, and once she did Ortiz kept her to task to the wire.

“She gave me a good feeling every step of the way, I was biding time,” Ortiz said. “I feel like I have horse to go but I said it’s too early. Then, when I let her do her thing, she jumped on the bridle and she improved her position very easily.”

Margie’s Intention, a daughter of Honor A. P. trained by Brad Cox, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.26 and returned $3.20 as the 3-5 choice.

Low Country Magic finished second by 7 1/2 lengths over Late Nite Call. Queen Azteca and Complexity Jane completed the order of finish.

Waveless and Ourdaydreaminggirl both scratched to run in Saturday’s Serena’s Song Stakes at Monmouth Park. Too Many Kisses was scratched by the stewards after they were told she was given a Vicks-like substance within 24 hours of the race.

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