Written by Melissa Bauer-Herzog
The second leg of the Triple Crown, the G1 Preakness is part of a two day period stacked with stakes action at Pimlico in Maryland. Just like two weeks ago, the girls take the spotlight ahead of the boys with the G2 Black-Eyed Susan the headliner of Friday’s six stakes races. Two fillies in that race lead a day filled with Australasian connections throughout the six races. The first stakes on Friday takes place at 5.07am AEST with the Black-Eyes Susan at 7.44am AEST on Saturday.
Fillies look to add to resume in Black-Eyed Susan
The headline of Friday’s Pimlico card sees 10 3-year-old fillies line up for the companion race to the G1 Preakness in the G2 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyes Susan S. with Declaration Of War’s (USA) Army Wife (USA) drawing the the rail position. That Grade 3-placed filly is from the family of Australian Group 1-placed Spirit Of Valor (USA) (War Front {USA}), who most recently was the charge of Kris Lees.
A stakes winner earlier this year, The Grass Is Blue (USA) (Broken Vow {USA}) looks for her first Graded stakes win in this race. The filly is a half-sister to an American-bred three-time winner by Lonhro but her real connection to Australia comes through G1 Australian Cup winner Super Cool (Fastnet Rock). That gelding’s dam Queen Mother (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}) was imported to Australia in 2008, where she also produced stakes-placed Royal Standing (Stratum).
Con Te Partiro relative on show in Allaire DuPont Distaff
Looking for her first career stakes victory is Landing Zone (USA) (Morning Line {USA}), who kicks off the Friday card’s stakes races in the G3 Allaire DuPont Distaff Match Series S. over 1800 metres. The mare’s third dam is Northern Dancer’s (Can) bluehen daughter Northern Meteor (USA), whose descendants include dual Australian Group 1 winner Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}), and Australian stakes winner Nediyms Dream (NZ) (General Nediym).
Victory Kingdom represents Australia in The Very One
Australian-bred Victory Kingdom (Animal Kingdom {USA}) is making her second start of the year in Friday’s The Very One S. over 1000 metres. Out of a half-sister to four-time Champion Beholder (USA) (Henny Hughes {USA}), Grade 1 winner and former shuttle sire Mendelssohn (USA), and champion sire Into Mischief (USA), Victory Kingdom was exported to the United States in 2019.
Her dam Victory Party (USA) (Yankee Victor {USA}) was in Australia from 2012 to 2016 and also produced winners First Growth (Monaco Consul {NZ}) and Behold The Queen (Animal Kingdom {USA}) among her five foals born in the country.
Two of Victory Party’s daughters are still in Australia – Malibu Fever (Malibu Moon {USA}) and High Fashion (Animal Kingdom {USA}) with her 7-year-old gelding First Growth in training with Willie Parker.
Victory Kingdom when racing in Australia
Midshipman (USA) daughter Queen Of Shades (USA) is out of the Hard Spun (USA) mare Last Standing (USA), who is a half-sister to Australian runner Wren’s Day (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Imported to Australia in 2019, Wren’s Day is in training with Cody Morgan after being sold to Australian Bloodstock. The 7-year-old gelding last finished second in April’s Great Northern Tamworth Showcase Cup.
From the family of Brazen Beau’s G2 Stan Fox winner Colada (now running as Prince Of Frog in Hong Kong) comes The Very One runner Gogo Shoes (USA) (Carpe Diem {USA}). The 4-year-old filly set a track record at Aqueduct over 1200 metres on turf last out and is trying the stakes level for the second time in this 1000 metre turf race. The filly’s family also includes former shuttle stallion Bolt D’Oro (USA) as well. Colada’s dam Clearly Foxy (USA) (Volponi {USA}) has a 2-year-old Territories (Ire) colt named Border Battle and a weanling Super One filly. She was bred to Rubick last year.
By former Australian shuttler Footstepsinthesand (GB) is Bath And Tennis (Ire). That mare’s third dam is Born Gold (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}), whose daughter Born Something (Ire) (Caerleon {USA}) saw her own daughter Spring Colours (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) imported to Australia in 2017. Spring Colours’ first Australian foal is 2-year-old See You In Spring (Siyouni {Fr}), who won the Listed Without Fear S. two weeks ago. Spring Colours is also the dam of a yearling Astern colt, a weanling Aylmerton filly, and was bred to Pariah last season.
Frosted fillies look for stakes success in Miss Preakness
Darley’s Frosted (USA) sends out three in the G3 Miss Preakness S. on Saturday. Paradise Song (USA) is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Spun To Run (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}) and three-quarter sister to stakes winner Tap It All (USA) (Tapizar {USA}) out of the stakes winner Yawkey Way (USA) (Grand Slam {USA}).
Drawn three holes to her outside is Frosted’s Inject (USA), a three-quarter sister to G1 Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (USA) (Tapit {USA}) and half-sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Ride A Comet (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}). Inject is one of six winners for her Grade 1-winning dam Appealing Zophie (USA) (Successful Appeal {USA}). Inject will be breaking just one hole to the inside of another Frosted runner in Euphoric (USA), whose dam is stakes-placed Conquest Soprano (USA) (Super Saver {USA}). That filly’s fourth dam is Canadian champion Diva’s Debut (Can) (Deputy Minister {Can}).
Frosted (USA) | Standing at Darley
Out of Malibu Moon (USA) mare Tasha’s Moon (USA), Juror Number Four (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) is from the family of stakes winner Simply Spiteful (USA) (Speightstown {USA}). That mare was imported to Australia in 2012 and has seven foals, including the winning Legerity (Snitzel), Aggravate (Redoute’s Choice) and Miss Spiteful (Snitzel). Simply Spiteful also has a 2-year-old colt in training with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace named Snide (Exceed And Excel) and a pair of colts by the same stallion to come, she was bred to Capitalist last year.
Starspangledbanner daughter favoured in Hilltop
Winning her first stakes race last month, Starspangledbanner’s Bubbles On Ice (Ire) is the morning line favourite for the Hilltop S. over 1600 metres on turf. Fourth in an Irish Group 1 as a 2-year-old, Bubbles On Ice is one of seven winners from eight to race out of Galileo’s (Ire) Medicean Star (Ire), whose own dam was fourth in the same Group 1 as her granddaughter.
Harper’s First Ride back in Pimlico Special
Last year’s winner of the G3 Pimlico Special, Harper’s First Ride (USA) (Paynter {USA}) returns to defend his win on Friday. The gelding’s dam is a half-sister to the stakes winning dam of Press Leak (USA) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). That mare was first imported into New Zealand over a decade ago before being sent to Australia in 2019 and visiting Power (GB) last year. Press Lead is also the dam of G3 Tibbie S. winner Spirit Bird (NZ) (Savabeel) and stakes-placed First Law (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}).
