The Very One: Bosserati wins race-long battle with Accomplished Girl

BALTIMORE - Maryland-bred Bosserati avenged her only prior loss at Pimlico Racetrack, holding sway through the lane for a gutsy head victory over Accomplished Girl in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes for fillies and mares sprinting on the turf.

Joel Politi’s homebred Bosserati, by Maryland stallion Holy Boss, is based in her home state with Brittany Russell.

"She likes it here at home," Russell said. "I felt like we had her ready today."

The 5-year-old mare is the reigning winner of the Maryland Million Turf Sprint against males, but was last seen under colors finishing ninth in the Pan Zareta against open fillies and mares in November at Fair Grounds. That made her the third choice in the The Very One, a race she faded to ninth in last year in her only defeat from three prior outings at Pimlico.

Bosserati ($9), who broke from post 2 under Irad Ortiz Jr., and Grade 2 winner Accomplished Girl, leaving from the outside, hooked up almost immediately in the five-furlong The Very One. They were virtually lapped on one another through an opening quarter of 22.45 seconds.

The two threw down for the length of the stretch with Bosserati edging away to a half-length lead a furlong out. Accomplished Girl ate into that margin in deep stretch and appeared to have every chance to go by, but Bosserati dug deep and, changing leads again near the wire for a last burst, held sway.

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"I just let her be her," said Ortiz, who picked up the mount when Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, escaped serious injury in a pre-race spill earlier on the card but took off later mounts. "She likes to be on the lead . . . we broke good, and she rolled.

“Turning for home and in the stretch, she doesn't want to give up."

Gift of Gab was charging at the top two through the lane, and was just three-quarters of a length back in third.

Loon Cry finished another neck back in fourth. Loon Cry was sent away favored in her 2025 debut off a multiple stakes-winning campaign last year. The mare appeared to take a few strides to settle in and was last heading into the turn. She worked her way between horses to make up ground in the stretch.

Anaita, Shoshanah, Simply Stated, Moonlit Kiss, Mendys Honey, Admiral Hopper, Maggie’s Girl, and Pinotslilgirl completed the order of finish.

The time for the five furlongs on turf rated good after rain throughout midweek was 59.44 seconds.

The Very One is named for the hickory millionaire racemare who won 22 of 71 starts while racing from 1977 to 1981. Based in Maryland, her 13 career stakes wins included the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes - formerly, and currently, the Dinner Party Stakes - at 1 1/2 miles against males in 1979 at Pimlico. A Grade 1 winner in California, she also won two editions of the Grade 3 Chrysanthemum Handicap at Laurel Park, plus the Anne Arundel Handicap at that track.

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