Girls Know Best cruises in The Very One Stakes

BALTIMORE – Girls Know Best is fast and versatile. She was the 3-1 morning-line favorite when The Very One was scheduled for turf, and the even-money favorite after it was transferred to the main track.

Jockey Javier Castellano gave Girls Know Best a very confident ride. He sent her up to prompt 31-1 longshot Victorias Fire early in the five-furlong race for fillies and mares, took the lead in upper stretch, and had plenty of horse left to score by 1 3/4 lengths.

Girls Know Best ($4) was timed in 57.00 seconds over a sloppy track after quick fractions of 21.74 and 44.52.

“I liked the way she relaxed and the way she finished,” Castellano said. “You can do whatever you want with her. She finished really strong. I liked the way she finished.”

Castellano rode Girls Know Best twice in Florida over the winter. He won the Lady’s Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park on her, a start after he finished second with her in the Abundantia Stakes. Both races were held over five furlongs of turf.

Pretty Perfection rallied to be second best, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Anna’s Bandit in third.

Girls Know Best is trained by Eddie Kenneally, who claimed her out of a dirt race for $40,000 at the 2017 Keeneland fall meet. He won with her on the dirt for $50,000 claiming and then switched her to grass for her four starts prior to The Very One.

In total, she is 3 for 5, with a second for Kenneally. Girls Know Best improved her record Saturday to nine wins from 15 starts. She has earned $320,024.

The Very One originally had a field of 14 but there were six scratches.