Five times since the race was restored to its former glory in 1988, the winner of the Pimlico Special has gone on to be Horse of the Year. The prospect of that happening again this year appears remote, surely in part because the purse for the 2008 Pimlico Special is $250,000, only half of what it was in recent years.
In any case, a solid field of nine older horses has been entered for the 41st Pimlico Special, which will anchor a Friday card at Pimlico in Baltimore.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Casino Drive did his job. Now, his connections are hoping Big Brown does his.
Those associated with Casino Drive are rooting for Big Brown to win Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico to set the stage for a potential Triple Crown clash in the June 7 Belmont Stakes. Of course, Casino Drive will be trying for a Triple Crown of sorts as well as he attempts to give the mare Better Than Honour her third consecutive Belmont Stakes winner. Better Than Honour is the dam of Jazil and Rags to Riches, winners of the 2006 and 2007 Belmont, respectively.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Sweeter Still prevailed by a nose over Magical Fantasy in Saturday's $109,800 Senorita Stakes at Hollywood Park, and then survived a six-minute inquiry into the stretch run to keep the win.
Sweeter Still drifted out in the final furlong, forcing Magical Fantasy farther to the outside. The stewards ruled that Magical Fantasy was also drifting to the outside and that the incident did not affect the order of finish.
"I tried to help her with my right hand, but she kept getting out," said winning jockey Martin Garcia.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - El Gato Malo recaptured his best form Saturday at Lone Star Park, when he overtook front-running Samba Rooster nearing the wire for a half-length win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Derby. Leonides dug in late to nab second by a nose over third-place finisher Samba Rooster.
El Gato Malo, who had been under consideration for the Preakness, instead was targeted for the Lone Star Derby earlier this week. With the win Saturday, he rebounded from a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The coronation of Champs Elysees as a turf superstar will have to wait until another day. The ex-claimer On the Acorn upset the highly-regarded Champs Elysees in Saturday's $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park.
A 7-year-old gelding, On the Acorn successfully defended his title in the Grade 2 Murray, which was run over 1 1/2 miles on turf.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Lucky Island continued his emergence as a potential top-flight sprinter with a strong 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $109,100 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park.
Man of Danger, who set the pace, finished second by two lengths over Forefathers. Executive Fleet, the 2-1 favorite, finished sixth of seven.
The victory was the fourth from five career starts for Lucky Island, a 4-year-old Argentine-bred son of Lucky Roberto, and third straight since trainer Kiaran McLaughlin put him on Lasix. Lucky Island is owned by Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stable.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Oh brother - and sister - did the Belmont Stakes just get a whole lot more interesting.
Casino Drive, a half-brother to recent Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and the filly Rags to Riches, announced his presence as a major contender for the June 7 Belmont Stakes - and a potential Triple Crown roadblock to Big Brown - with an impressive 5 3/4-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.
Ride Em Cowgirl ($8.40) stalked the early pace from the outside under jockey Willie Martinez, made her move on the turn, and then drew clear in late stretch to win the $100,000 Inaugural on Friday night at Presque Isle Downs.
Trained by last year's leading trainer at Presque Isle, Tom Amoss, Ride Em Cowgirl prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over Mrs. Petoski in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies. American County led to upper stretch before fading to third as the even-money favorite.
Main Executive ($24.70) was gunned to the early lead by jockey Eurico Da Silva, and they went wire to wire in the $127,400 New Providence Stakes at Woodbine.
Main Executive set fast fractions of 21.95 and 44.15 seconds in the six-furlong sprint, while being stalked by his older half-brother, Cool Selection, and Stonetown. Legal Move, the 3-5 favorite, rallied wide, and Yummy With Butter closed inside, but Main Executive held on to win by three-quarters of a length.
"He ran a huge race," said Da Silva. "He's a very professional horse. He does everything right."
The well-traveled Ravalo ($5.60) overcame a bump at the start and a late surge by Joey P. and Maddy's Lion to win a three-horse photo in the $70,000 Decathlon Stakes at Monmouth Park.
A 4-year-old gelding based in Maryland with trainer Donald Barr, Ravalo has now won at five different racetracks since last September, including two stakes at Mountaineer and one apiece at Presque Isle, Aqueduct, and Pimlico.