Last Judgment clears early and cruises in Pimlico Special
BALTIMORE – By the time the field hit the first turn of Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Pimlico Special, Last Judgment, breaking from post 10, had secured the rail and the lead under Jose Ortiz.
Trainer Mike Maker, watching the race on a television screen on the first floor of Pimlico Race Course’s clubhouse, had a stoic look on his face, but inside he was beaming.
“When he got clear and got to the rail, I was pretty happy,” Maker said.
Already a two-time stakes winner this year when able to dictate terms up front, Last Judgment carried his speed the entire 1 3/16 miles to win the Pimlico Special by 1 3/4 lengths over Modernist. It was a neck back to even-money favorite Fearless in third.
Cordmaker was fourth, followed by Prioritize, Max Player, Treasure Trove, Forewarned, Enforceable, and Harpers First Ride, last year’s Special winner.
Last Judgment, a 5-year-old gelding by Congrats, added the Pimlico Special to earlier season victories in the Sunshine Classic at Gulfstream in January and the Grade 3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March. In the Challenger, Last Judgment beat Modernist by 2 1/4 lengths.
Last Judgment entered the Pimlico Special off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper at Gulfstream on March 27. That day, Last Judgment was pressed through fast fractions.
Friday, Last Judgment opened up and maintained a 1 1/2-length lead through fractions of 23.83 seconds, 47.60, and 1:11.54. He opened up a 3 1/2-length lead in midstretch and was never seriously threatened late.
“I thought I was going to get there, but I knew if somebody else wanted to go, I could sit on him too; not like last time, I cooked in front in 46 and that cost me the race,” Ortiz said.
Last Judgment covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:54.57 and returned $11.80 as the second choice.
“I was a little concerned about the outside post, but he doesn’t care for dirt in his face so he was going to be in the clear anyway,” Maker said.
Last Judgment earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance, according to Andrew Beyer.
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Last Judgment is now 3 for 6 since being claimed for $62,500 by Michael Dubb, Steve Hornstock, Bethlehem Stables, and Nice Guys Stables.
Irad Ortiz Jr., on favored Fearless, was unable to use his inside draw to his advantage and, down the backside, wound up chasing the pace while three to four wide. He made a sustained run starting down the backside, but flattened out, losing second to Modernist by a neck.
“I wish I broke form the outside and was close, but I break from the inside, I tried to go I can’t do it,” Irad Ortiz Jr. said. “I just have to wait and down the backside start moving. It was a long run.”