A competitive field of nine three-year-old fillies go in Friday’s $300,000 Black Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico Race Course, the highlight of an outstanding 14-race card.
There are now three late scratches: Pate, Frosty O Toole and Miracle, bringing the field from 12 down to nine.
The Bob Baffert trained Faiza, undefeated in five career starts ships east and was installed as the 7-5 morning line favorite. She is coming off an impressive score in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) on April 8.
Jockey Flavien Prat has been aboard her for four of her five career wins and will break the filly from the nine post.
“She’s very professional. She’s got a really good mind,” Baffert said. “Every time Prat rides, he says there is so much more in the tank because she doesn’t win by a lot. I think it’s going to be a step up. She will be running against more horses, so you never know. But she’s doing really well.”
Faiza Wins Santa Anita Oaks
A short price will lead others to offer more value including the Tom Amoss trained Hoosier Philly (10-1), who won last fall’s Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Brad Cox, who won last year’s edition with Interstatedaydream sends out a pair of runners in Merlazza (6-1) and Comparative (12-1).
The Black Eyed Susan is the 13th race on the 14-Race card and the last of five stakes on the day. First post is 11:30 ET. Saturday’s Preakness Day card gets underway at 10:30 ET.
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Pimlico Race 13 The Black Eyed Susan (G2) 5:44 ET
3 Hoosier Philly 10-1
10 Taxed 15-1
9 Faiza 7-5
1 Sacred Wish 10-1
12 Towhead 20-1
Hoosier Philly
The Tom Amoss filly was perfect in her juvenile season capping it off with a victory in the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs. She came up short as the beaten chalk in two trips this year at Fair grounds. She was third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) off the bench. She then pressed the early pace, got the lead briefly and weakened to finish a well beaten fourth I the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2); The runner up Pretty Mischievous came back to win the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in her next outing, while the third-place finisher The Alys Look was third in the oaks in her next start. She has worked sharply at Churchill Downs and should get a good trip sitting close early in a race without much early zip signed up.
Taxed
This gal earned a career top last out on a fast track at Oaklawn Park in the Fantasy (G3) after catching wet tracks in her two previous outings. She tracked the early pace overlooked at 33-1, got stuck behind traffic just briefly at the quarterpole and showed good acceleration in the final furlong to run second to a talented filly in Wet Paint, who was fourth in the Kentucky Oaks. Morse claimed this filly for just $50,000 last fall and it has turned out to be a shrewd claim as she is now graded stakes placed. The nine furlongs should suit her and she is going to get overlooked in the betting.
Faiza
The undefeated Baffert filly is going to end up a light price in this spot. She drew off to win the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) by 6 ½ lengths, earning the top last out speed fig. She only beat four and five foes in her two previous starts and she did not face very tough competition on the left coast. This is not a real deep field but she has to face 11 here and is going to be an underlay.
