Miss Behaviour prevails in Miss Preakness Stakes

Miss Behaviour was one of the top sprinting 2-year-old fillies on the East Coast last year, winning the Grade 2 Matron Stakes at Belmont, and she showed Friday that her form has carried over to age 3, scoring a convincing frontrunning victory in the $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes.

Breaking beautifully for jockey Sheldon Russell, Miss Behaviour ($12) seized command of the Miss Preakness at the start and didn’t relinquish it. She set moderate splits of 22.74 seconds and 46.03 while never challenged for the lead, and though her 4 1/2-length stretch-call lead had dwindled to 1 3/4 at the finish, she comfortably held clear of 24-1 shot Stormy Novel while running six furlongs in 1:10.85.

Trainer Phil Schoenthal said pre-race tactics had been formed to race from slightly behind the early leaders, but when Miss Behaviour broke so sharply and made the front with ease, Russell adapted.

“That’s why you pay the jockey,” said Schoenthal. “The plan was to lay off the pace, but she broke so well. He let her do her thing.”

Jojo Warrior, the 7-5 favorite, had a rough go, getting bumped and steadied early in the race. She ran on for third but was beaten almost six lengths by the place horse and might not have been able to beat the sharp winner even with a clean run.

“When I asked her, she kept going nicely,” said Russell. “She was very impressive today.”

Miss Behaviour is a homebred daughter of Jump Start owned by Cal MacWilliam and Neil Teitelbaum.