Can the Queen wires The Very One field

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Can the Queen ruled for the home team in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes. The Maryland-bred showed the way all the way for a 1 1/2-length victory in the event for fillies and mares sprinting on the turf on a muggy Friday afternoon at Pimlico.

This was the second career stakes victory for Can the Queen ($15.60), a Can the Man mare who was bred here in Maryland by Carol Ann Kaye and who now races for Joanne Shankle. Among the 16 career starts for the 6-year-old mare, who has been raced relatively sparingly by trainer Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, was a victory in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash last July at Pimlico. The The Very One was the second start of the year for the mare, who was fourth in the King T. Leatherbury Stakes last month at Laurel in her first outing in six months.

"I just take my time with her," Sanchez-Salomon said. "She's like one of my babies, really."

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Can the Queen was away from the gate alertly under Victor Carrasco and had established herself through a sharp opening quarter of 22.11 seconds on the firm turf course, with Whispurring Kitten and Payntdembluesaway stacked on her flank in stalking positions. Can the Queen kicked away from her pursuers into the stretch, and held sway to the wire while kept to task by Carrasco. She stopped the timer in 57.09 seconds for the five furlongs, and was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 86 for the effort.

"She likes to show her speed," Shankle said. "She's been training well."

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Favored Honey Pants, who was fifth with a quarter-mile remaining, made an honest rally in the final stages, coming to the inside of the chasing Whispurring Kitten, who gave way grudgingly. Honey Pants finished second by a length, with Whispurring Kitten two lengths clear of Adelaide Miss in fourth. They were followed home by Epic Idea, Phantom Vision, Spun Glass, Payntdembluesaway, and Princess Kokachin. Dendrobia, Door Buster, and the main-track-only entrant Hey Mamaluke were scratched.