Miss Marissa sets hot pace, wins Black-Eyed Susan

Even though Miss Marissa has decent sprint speed, it’s going long that she’s been able to be far more effective, something her trainer, Jim Ryerson, explained well before the George F. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan, and something that was proven when the race was run Saturday at Pimlico.

Miss Marissa had won her prior two starts, at Monmouth and Saratoga, going long in allowance company, and completed a hat trick on Saturday with a front-running score in the Grade 2, $250,000 race for 3-year-old fillies.

Miss Marissa was game in victory in the 1 1/8-mile race. She had to duel through a quick tempo for a two-turn race, put away pace rival Mizzen Beau in upper stretch, then bravely held on over the fast-finishing favorite, Bonny South, who was aided by the hot pace but hindered by having to be fanned wide for racing room entering the lane.

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At the wire, Miss Marissa was best by a neck over Bonny South. Hopeful Growth was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third, with Mizzen Beau tiring to finish fourth. Dream Marie was fifth, then came, in order, Project Whiskey, Sharp Starr, Truth Hurts, Perfect Alibi, and So Darn Hot.

Landing Zone was scratched.

With Daniel Centeno aboard, Miss Marissa ($22.20) completed 1 1/8 miles on the fast main track in 1:48.08. She earned it, having to go 23.10 seconds for the opening quarter, 46.61 for the half, 1:10.74 for six furlongs, and 1:35.16 for one mile.

Miss Marissa, owned by Alfonso Cammarota, won once at age 2, in her fourth start, going one mile against maidens at Belmont Park. In her lone prior two-turn try before her current streak, she was eliminated at the start of the Demoiselle when she lunged in the air.

After experimenting with different distances and surfaces this spring and summer, Ryerson found the key with Miss Marissa when she beat a first-level allowance field going long at Monmouth in July. She came back in August to win a second-level allowance while earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

Bonny South was the 4-5 favorite following a second-place finish behind Swiss Skydiver in the Alabama at Saratoga.

Miss Marissa, a daughter of He’s Had Enough, has now won four times in 12 starts. She earned $150,000 on Saturday to bring her career earnings to $323,690.