Post Time: Black-Eyed Susan highlights Preakness weekend Friday card

BALTIMORE – The Maryland Jockey Club is ready to kick off a scorching hot weekend Friday at Old Hilltop, culminating with the Preakness Stakes late Saturday afternoon.

On tap Friday afternoon at Pimlico Race Course is the $250,000, Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. Friday’s card will also include three Grade 3 races: the Miss Preakness, the DuPont Distaff and the Pimlico Special.

The 98th running of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes over 1⅛ mile features a robust field of 13 fillies trying to step up within the 3-year-old filly division. No fillies that ran in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks two weeks ago at Churchill Downs were entered to run in the Susan, other than also eligible Beguine, who did not get into the Oaks.

This year’s race, along with the Pimlico Special, will be televised nationally on USA Network (5 p.m.) in a one-hour telecast.

The pace looks to be similar to the expected weather at Pimlico – hot – with a lot of early speed which should set up for the late comers.

Let’s take a look at the field with trainer, jockey and odds in parenthesis: 

Race 13 – Post Time: Friday, 5:44 p.m. ET – 1 1/8 miles (dirt) – $250,000 Grade 3 Black-Eyed Susan

1 – Divine Huntress (Motion, Prat, 15-1) – Daughter of Divining Rod has not stepped up when facing graded company and will need heavy improvement in this field. Strong workout pattern for trainer Graham Motion, but seems to be up against it. 

2 – Missy Greer (Gargan, Saez, 20-1) – Long shot who broke her maiden in her fourth career race last out. Has shown improvement in her two races at Gulfstream and will likely be part of the early pace. Not convinced she’s going to be around late.

3 – Miss Yearwood (Wilkes, Leparoux, 20-1) – Broke her maiden at a mile-and-a-quarter at Churchill Downs against older horses. Willing to give the daughter of Will Take Charge a harder look. Ian Wilkes had a big Derby weekend on the undercard and must think she’s ready to roll against steeper competition. Super workout May 13 and will be coming late. Willing to consider in the exotics.

4 – Midnight Stroll (Terranova, Castellano, 15-1) – Won non-graded stake at Tampa last out for trainer John Terranova. The daughter of Not This Time has some speed underneath in the pedigree from two-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint champ Midnight Lute and stamina on top. Not sure she meets the class test. Waiting this one out.

5 – Beguine (Peltz, Ortiz, 12-1) – Was hoping to scratch into the Oaks, but didn’t materialize. Daughter of Gun Runner just missed qualifying when she was beaten a neck in the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn. Stalking type that should have no problem with the distance. Contender at a decent price.

6 – Luna Belle (Smith, Araujo, 9-2) – Maryland-bred filly has run in 11 career races, the most of any entrant in the race. She has fared well locally winning five consecutive non-graded stakes down the road at Laurel. While her speed figures seem to fit, she hasn’t faced any major competition or looked another horse in the eye at this level of competition. Wavering on including.

7 – Distinctlypossible (Brown, Ortiz Jr., 6-1) – Daughter of Curlin, the 2007 Preakness winner, will look to follow her father into the Pimlico winner’s circle. The pace looks as if it will set up perfectly for the $670,000 purchase. Has top jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard again after breaking her maiden at Keeneland after a second-place finish in a Grade 1, so the price sure looks right. The pick.

8 – Candy Light (Motion, Marquez, 20-1) – Candy Ride filly played second fiddle to Luna Belle after her maiden breaker in February. Hard to see this one breaking through in this field.

9 – Interstatedaydream (Cox, Geroux, 6-1) – Another horse, similar to the No. 7, that has been racing against steeper competition and could come in with a class edge. Wasn’t up to the task in the Ashland, but the competition there was pretty solid in Nest and Cocktail Moments. Workout tab looks as if she’s ready. In the mix.

10 – Adare Manor (McCarthy, Velazquez, 5-2) – Formerly in the Bob Baffert barn, the morning line favorite keeps Hall of Fame rider Johnny V in the irons and sports the highest speed figures in the race. Big question will be if she can withstand the hot pace. Was flattered by Desert Dawn’s performance in the Oaks. Has the talent to win and is the one to beat.

11 – Radio Days (McGaughey, Rosario, 12-1) – Dangerous connections for the Gun Runner filly who was flattered in the G3 Beaumont by the winner who won the Eight Belles on the Oaks undercard on Oaks Day. The $750,000 Keeneland September sale purchase in 2020 seems to fit, but her inconsistency since the beginning of the year gives one pause.

12 – Favor (Pletcher, Gaffalione, 8-1) – One of only two Todd Pletcher entries on the weekend at Pimlico. The grey daughter of Pioneerof the Nile drew outside and will need to position herself before the short run to the clubhouse turn. She finished third in the Fair Grounds Oaks behind two Oaks fillies that didn’t hit the board in Louisville. Tough ask from the outside.

13 – Morning Matcha (Reid, Pennington, 15-1) – Central Banker filly drew outside and will be in deeper waters than she’s been before. Her only race with graded company at the Big A was disappointing. Will need a monumental effort to compete. Pass. 

Post Time Outlook – 1 –Distinctlypossible; 2 –Adare Manor; 3 –Interstatedaydream; 4 – Beguine

Gene Kershner, a Buffalo-based turf writer, is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, and tweets @EquiSpace.