BALTIMORE – In the fourth start of her 4-year-old season, Shotgun Hottie won the Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park before coming back six weeks later to win the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher, also at Monmouth. Friday, Shotgun Hottie makes the fourth start of her 5-year-old campaign in the $100,000 Allaire duPont Distaff at Pimlico, a race her connections are hoping to use to get back to the Molly Pitcher later this summer. In the duPont, at 1 1/8 miles, Shotgun Hottie takes on seven rivals, two of whom are riding five-race winning streaks against lesser competition. Shotgun Hottie comes to Pimlico off three stakes tries against seemingly tougher competition at Oaklawn Park. In her most recent start, the Grade 1 Apple Blossom, Shotgun Hottie finished fourth, 8 1/4 lengths behind heavily favored Adare Manor, who had her run of the race on the front end. “She needs racing to get into her best form as she showed last year,” said Cherie DeVaux, who trains Shotgun Hottie for Omar Aldabbagh and Jeff Ganje. “She’s been training well. It looks like a good spot.” :: Get ready for the Preakness with DRF past performances, picks, and betting strategies! For the sixth consecutive race, Shotgun Hottie has drawn the outside post. For her, that’s actually a good thing. “Her best races are when she’s in the clear. She’s a big filly that has a big stride,” DeVaux said. “A couple of times she’s been inside she’s gotten shut off.” Paco Lopez, aboard for Shotgun Hottie’s two wins at Monmouth, has the call. Intrepid Dream, a 6-year-old Maryland-bred daughter of Jess’s Dream, has won five consecutive races over a near three-year period and is 6 for 7 overall. Trainer Gary Capuano said the most recent issue that kept Intrepid Dream away from the races for nearly 17 months was in part due to an injury she suffered while running in a field on a planned break from the track. She has come back with an allowance win in the slop in March and a victory against three rivals in the Heavenly Cause Stakes on April 13, both at Laurel Park. In those races she sat second early on. “For a great big filly she’s still got enough speed, she breaks fairly well,” Capuano said. “After the first half-mile, three-quarters, she’s right up there. She’s probably a little quicker than she seems to be moving; she just comes at you, steady. She gets it done, that’s the name of the game.” Capuano admits this will be Intrepid Dream’s toughest task to date. “That’s a pretty nice, quality field. She’ll have to step her game up,” he said. Jaime Rodriguez rides Intrepid Dream from post 7. Lacie Be Good also brings a five-race winning streak to the duPont. Four of her wins came at Delta Downs. Her most recent win came in an Oaklawn allowance. “This is a really big step. It’s a chance to get some black type with a filly who’s made a little bit of money,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “A one-two-three placing would be great.” Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 2. Musical Mischief and Julia Shining finished second and third, respectively, in a second-level allowance race going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland on April 12. In that race, Musical Mischief came back after being passed by Julia Shining, but was passed herself on the inside late by Magical Lute. “It was unfortunate that horse got up inside of us. She did everything but win,” said Michael McCarthy, the trainer of Musical Mischief. “Looking to improve off that race. I think she’ll like the racetrack. I’m looking for a solid performance right back.” Musical Mischief, who was Grade 1 placed last December in the American Oaks on turf, is a half-sister to Bright Future, winner of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last summer at Saratoga. Julia Shining, who won the Grade 2 Demoiselle at 2, is a full sister to Malathaat, the champion older mare of 2022. Western Lane, Queen of Missoula, and Cats Inthe Timber complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.