Lost Raven benefits from patient ride in Miss Preakness

BALTIMORE – Lost Raven had been on or near the lead in most of her prior starts, but with so much speed signed up for the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes on Friday at Pimlico, jockey John Velazquez knew it was folly to try and go with the early leaders. Instead, patience proved a virtue, as Lost Raven rallied to capture the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies and earn her third stakes victory, but first in a graded stakes.

Outrun early, Lost Raven ($9.80) closed strongly in the center of the track and held safe longshot One True Kiss to win by three-quarters of a length. Quick Release, the early leader, held on for third, another 1 1/4 lengths back.

Lost Raven, yet another stakes winner sired by Uncle Mo, covered six furlongs on the fast main track in 1:11.43. She was bred and is owned by Mike Repole.

Quick Release led early, hounded by Moment Is Right and favored R Girls a Charmer, through fractions of 22.69 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.94 seconds for a half-mile. She was able to dispose of those two, but could not fend off the late runners through the lane.

“I knew it would be a pretty good pace, but I didn’t think I’d be that far back,” said Velazquez, whose four goggles were all covered in dirt when he came back to the winner’s circle.

Lost Raven, trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Cicada at Aqueduct in her last start, March 26. She won the Smart Halo at Laurel last year. She has now won four times in eight starts and has earned just shy of $300,000.