Ickymasho never in doubt in Searching Stakes

BALTIMORE – Ickymasho was two lengths in front the first time down the stretch in the $100,000 Searching Stakes – but there was still a long way to go in the longest race on Saturday's Pimlico card. It didn't matter, though. Ickymasho was 3 1/4 lengths in front the second time under the wire for her second consecutive stakes score.

It was also the second stakes win of the card on the turf for Jose Ortiz, who earlier piloted English Bee to win the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes. He has the mount on Anothertwistafate later Saturday in the Preakness Stakes.

Ortiz gave favored Ickymasho ($3) an energy-saving ride in the Searching. He kept the mare under a snug hold, and she rated kindly through modest early fractions of 25.15 seconds for the quarter, 51.62 for the half, and 1:17.18 for six furlongs on the firm course. The mare's ears were still pricked at the midway point of the race, and she easily continued on, driving clear around the far turn and into the stretch to lead by four lengths, and she never was seriously threatened although her final margin diminished somewhat. Ickymasho stopped the clock in 2:29.58 for 1 1/2 miles.

“She can handle the distance, which is a big battle in these long races,” Ortiz said. “I rode her with a lot of confidence. She relaxed well on the lead, and when I asked her to run, she responded well. The whole way around was very comfortable.”

Vevina, who was coming off an allowance win at 1 1/2 miles at Keeneland, gave a creditable effort to give chase in second, rallying from last in the starting field of six into those slow fractions. She was 3 1/2 lengths clear of Homeland Security in third. Peach of a Gal, Layla Noor, and So Innocent completed the order of finish.

Ickymasho, a daughter of Multiplex racing for Triton Stable and trainer Roger Attfield, is in the midst of a strong season at age 7. After running seventh in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at 1 1/2 miles on yielding turf to start the year, she finished second by a head in both the Grade 3 The Very One at 1 3/16 miles and Grade 3 Orchid Stakes at 1 3/8 miles at Gulfstream Park over the winter. She then won the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on April 26 at Keeneland.