BALTIMORE – When trainer Bob Baffert gave instructions to jockey Joel Rosario prior to Friday’s $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, he told the rider that his 3-year-old filly Fiftyshadesofhay usually likes to be in the first three positions early in the race.

When Baffert saw that Rosario had Fiftyshadesofhay in sixth position around the first turn, Baffert thought, “Oh boy, this is something new!”

BALTIMORE – The remarkable Ben’s Cat, trained and owned by the remarkable King Leatherbury, raced to his 21st victory in 31 lifetime starts on Friday at Pimlico with a late-running score in the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint.

Ben’s Cat ($4.20), fifth in the six-horse field during the early portion of the five-furlong grass race, came storming down the center of the track to outrun Spring to the Sky by one length, with Bridgetown another half-length back in third.

With Julian Pimentel aboard, Ben’s Cat completed five furlongs on firm turf in 56.18 seconds.

AUBURN, Wash. – After a hotly contested allowance prep race failed to yield any conclusive results, the top older horses at Emerald Downs will lock horns again Sunday while chasing a bigger purse in the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. First post for the 10-race card is 2 p.m. Pacific.

BALTIMORE - After watching his filly act up in the paddock to the point where she sprung a shoe and after watching her get pinched back at the break, trainer Tony Dutrow wasn’t feeling confident about the chances of I’m Mom’s Favorite in Friday’s $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes.

 “I did not think that we were even going to run good,” Dutrow said.

 But I’m Mom’s Favorite overcame all that plus a wild late run from 50-1 shot Flattering Bea to win the Miss Preakness by a nose at Pimlico. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Lighthouse Bay in third.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Beholder, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 who was second in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3, will return to racing in August – at Del Mar or Saratoga.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Thursday that Beholder is nearing a return from a three-week vacation at a local farm, but that her next start has not been determined.

“I gave her a little break, and we’ll point for the later part of the summer,” Mandella said.

BALTIMORE - Emma-Jayne Wilson picked up points in three of the four legs of the Jockey Challenge at Pimlico Race Course on Friday to win the annual series over Edgar Prado.

There was a special wager attached to the competition, and Wilson paid $25 to win. The exacta of Wilson and Prado, who also picked up points in three of the legs, paid $72.80. The winning numbers were 4 and 6.

Wilson won with 24 points, with Prado earning 19.

INGLEWOOD, Calif, - Sweet Swap may be too quick to catch in a $62,000 allowance race over six furlongs on turf at Betfair Hollywood Park on Sunday, but he will have a formidable group of stakes winners in pursuit.

A 4-year-old colt trained by John Sadler for Kosta Hronis, Sweet Swap led throughout his last start, an optional claimer on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on April 14. That turf sprint was his third win in eight career starts.

Sweet Swap will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano in Sunday’s seventh race, which drew a field of six.

MIAMI – Trainer Leo Azpurua Jr. is looking for the right spot to bring Bellefire back from a brief freshening, especially after watching the multiple stakes-placed colt work a sharp five furlongs in 1:01.67 from the gate here Friday morning.

Whether that “spot” will be the $75,000 Memorial Day Handicap here a week from Monday remains to be determined.

Bellefire is one of 15 older horses nominated for the Memorial Day, which will be decided around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Centre Court, arguably the top filly-mare turf runner in North America, has thrived since posting her third straight victory last month at Keeneland and is “very much on target” for her next start in the Grade 1 Just A Game on the June 8 Belmont Stakes undercard, said trainer Rusty Arnold.

“She is doing just terrific,” said Arnold. “It’d be hard to imagine her training any better than she is.”

GROVE CITY, Ohio – It’s been a long process, but the 65-day River Downs-at-Beulah Park meet opens Sunday. The River Downs meet needed to be relocated this year because the track’s grandstand has been demolished and the racing surface is being repositioned to make way for a new racino that will hold 1,600 slot machines. The new facility, which is owned by Pinnacle Entertainment, is expected to open in spring 2014.