Bejarano gets there right on time with Taxed in Black-Eyed Susan
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BALTIMORE -- Jockey Rafael Bejarano had a tough trip getting to Pimlico. Once here, Bejarano had a perfect trip aboard Taxed, who he got to the wire first in Friday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Bejarano, who was coming from Kentucky, said he wound up at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., instead of Baltimore Washington Airport -- a difference of about 32 miles -- and arrived at Pimlico only 20 minutes before the Black-Eyed Susan, his lone mount on the card.
In the Black-Eyed Susan, Bejarano had Taxed in the second flight of horses, about four lengths behind the pace-setting Hoosier Philly, who was chased by Merlazza and Faiza, the latter the 3-5 favorite.
Turning for home, Bejarano moved Taxed into second and she was able to reel in Hoosier Philly at the sixteenth pole and power home a decisive 3 3/4-length winner.
Hoosier Philly, under Edgar Morales, easily held second by 2 3/4 lengths over Faiza, who suffered her first career defeat in her sixth start.
Balpool finished fourth followed by Merlazza, Cats In the Timber, Towhead, Comparative, and Sacred Wish. Frosty O Toole, Miracle, and Pate scratched.
Taxed had spent all winter chasing Wet Paint around Oaklawn Park to no avail. She was left on the outside looking in for the Kentucky Oaks two weeks ago, but left the disappointment of not getting into that race in the rearview mirror on Friday.
“That’s the past. You got to press forward, can’t worry about what you have no control over,” said Randy Morse, trainer of Taxed, who got his first graded stakes win since Moonshine Mullin won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster in 2014.
Though Taxed had finished second to Wet Paint in the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn on April 1, Morse was encouraged with the performance because of how well Taxed responded to him removing blinkers from her equipment.
Friday, Bejarano said he could have gone to the lead with Taxed if he wanted, but preferred to sit behind Hoosier Philly, Comparative, and Faiza.
“I just wanted to be in perfect position on the first turn, follow the favorite. I knew [Faiza] was the horse to beat,” Bejarano said.
Around the middle of the far turn, Bejarano said he saw Flavien Prat asking Faiza and her not responding, he turned his attention to trying to run down Hoosier Philly, who came into the stretch in hand.
“When I saw [Prat] start to use his horse and he didn’t have enough I moved forward,” Bejarano said. “When I got my position down the lane, I asked her and she responded.”
Taxed, a daughter of Collected claimed for $50,000 last November by Morse for owner Richard Bahde, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.45 and returned $24. She earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She ran the way she’s been training,” Morse said. “She’s been training like a really, really good horse. Ever since we took the blinkers off, she’s been a different horse.”
Though she finished second Friday, Hoosier Philly showed more of the talent that she displayed winning all three of her starts at 2 than the subpar efforts in her first two starts this year. Morales believes Hoosier Philly simply didn’t like Fair Grounds, where she finished third in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra and fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
“The last two races, I don’t count. She didn’t like Fair Grounds that much,” Morales said. “But now she’s back to herself. Next time she’ll be really tough to beat.”
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Bob Baffert, trainer of Faiza, said he was pleased with where Flavien Prat her early on in the race, third and perched on the outside.
“When the running started, she did not have that kick that she usually has,” Baffert said. “She ran a good race. She just wasn’t good enough today.”
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