Dogtag adds to Castellano's big day by winning Hilltop Stakes

BALTIMORE – Turf or dirt, one turn or two, older fillies or younger, it hadn't mattered midway through Friday's card at Pimlico for Javier Castellano. The Hall of Fame jockey recorded his fourth consecutive win of the day as Dogtag came off a layoff to win the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.

Three of Castellano's victories came in stakes races, as he also piloted Chalon to win the $100,000 Skipat Stakes and Covfefe to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Preakness. Covfefe and Dogtag are both owned by the LNJ Foxwoods of Larry, Nanci, and Jaime Roth.

"So happy," Castellano said. "I’m very fortunate, very lucky to ride some of the best horses in the country. I’m very thankful the trainers give me the opportunity.

"A day like this, you try to prepare mentally, physically," Castellano added. "You want to perform. Thank God everything's falling in the right direction. I hope it continues. I like my horses later [today], and I’m looking forward to the Preakness."

Castellano had three stakes mounts remaining on Friday's card - Point of Honor in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, My Miss Lilly in the Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff, and Tricks to Doo in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint. He is named on horses in six stakes on Saturday, led by Warrior's Charge in the Preakness Stakes and the favored Catholic Boy in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes immediately preceding that.

Dogtag, a War Front filly trained by Chad Brown, won her maiden in her second career start, taking the P.G. Johnson Stakes last August at Saratoga. She subsequently finished fourth in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes in September at Belmont Park, a race won by Newspaperofrecord, who went on to take the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in impressive fashion. Friday marked Dogtag's first start since then.

Dogtag ($8.20), who was fifth at the quarter pole in the Hilltop, swung wide into the lane under Castellano to make her run. She collared Fashion Faux Pas, who had assumed the lead in the stretch, nearing the furlong grounds and powered clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths. She finished the mile in 1:36.71 on turf rated “good.”

The favored Nova Sol, who had been last early, rallied for second, 3 2/4 lengths ahead of Fashion Faux Pas. Nova Sol was making her first start in the U.S. and completed a sweep of the exacta for Brown.