A field of 14 will line up in Friday’s Black Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico.. (Photo Cheryl Ann Quigley / Bigstock)
Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner up Lane Over Sea is the headliner on Friday in the $250,000 Black Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico, one of seven stakes races on a marathon 14-race card on the eve of the Preakness Stakes (G1).
Land Over Sea will be saddled by trainer Doug O’Neill, who will be sending out the betting favorite in Saturday’s Preakness, the undefeated Nyquist, who is looking to keep his Triple Crown bid alive.
The Black Eyed Susan drew a competitive field of 14 three-year-olds that will go nine furlongs over the main track. Land Over Sea was installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite despite winning just one of her last eight starts.
Her win came in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on March 26, but she was bested by Cathryn Sophia by 2 ¾ lengths in the Oaks at betting odds of 6-1.
There are plenty of live longshots to consider including Dothraki Queen, who won the Pocahontas (G2) last year and is returning to dirt for her second start off the layoff. She is 15-1 on the morning line.
Midnight On Oconee set the early fractions and faded to finish seventh in the Fair Grounds Oaks and is better than she showed. She should bounce back with a better effort here for the Larry Jones barn. Jones won this race with Payton d’Oro in 2009.
Trainer Dale Romans won the race last year with Keen Pauline and will be represented this year by Ma Can Do It (30-1) and Go Maggie Go (5-2).
Go Maggie Go is the second choice and has just three starts under her belt. She was fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, beaten three lengths.
Todd Pletcher will be seeking his fifth Black Eyed Susan win with Kinsley Kisses, who prompted the early pace and weakened to finish third in the Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland going seven furlongs in her last outing. She will be making her first start around two turns and is 6-1 on the morning line.
Let’s head out to Pimlico for Friday’s featured race of the day:
Pimlico Race 11 The Black Eyed Susan G2 (Post time 4:50 ET)
2 Dothraki Queen 15-1
3 Land Over Sea 2-1
9 Midnight On Oconee 15-1
5 Go Maggie Go 5-2
Dothraki Queen is going to be a decent price here as she rents to dirt after an eighth place finish in the Appalachian (G3) last out at Keeneland going a mile in her first start off a 4 ½ month break. The filly as bothered coming out of the gate, was outrun early and showed some late interest, beaten 9 ¼ lengths for the top spot. The winner Catch a Glimpse came back to win the Edgewood (G3) in her next outing on May 6.
This filly showed some ability last year on the main track including winning the Pocahontas (G2) at Churchill Downs in her first start against winners. She then caught slop in a runner up finish in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland and was seven lengths behind Songbird when third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) where she as third. She capped off her year when fourth and placed third via a DQ in the Golden Rod (G2). She should move forward in her second start off the bench and picks up a new rider in Julien Leparoux.
Land Over Sea wheels back off a two week break where she was a good second in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She made a good late rally after being outrun early but could not get to Cathryn Sophia, beaten 2 ¾ lengths. She had the misfortune of running into Songbird five straight times, then won the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in her first start where she did not have to face that undefeated filly.
The question here is whether she is going to see enough early pace in front of her, her short price, and whether she regresses on the rather quick turnaround.
Midnight On Oconee makes her first start since running seventh behind Lane Over Sea in the Fair Grounds Oaks. The runner up in that race was Dream Dance, who beat Alw-1 foe sin her next outing on April 16 at Keeneland. The Larry Jones trainee ran well in her two previous starts, a runner up in the Rachel Alexandra and the Silverbulletday.
She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and she has some pedigree on the bottom side that might get to be able to handle nine furlongs. She figures to bounce back with a much better effort here and is going to be a generous price.
Wagering:
WIN: Dothraki Queen to win at 8-1 or better.
EXACTA: 2,3 / 2,3,5,9
TRIFECTA: 2,3 / 2,3,5,9 / 2,3,5,9,10
Michael Dempsey’s Preakness Day Report $20.00
Michael’s Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for the entire Preakness Day card from historic Pimlico. Michael is a Maryland bred and raced horses at Pimlico and knows the circuit from the backstretch to the finish line.
The second jewel of the Triple Crown will be run on Saturday May 21 at Pimlico. The big day of racing has seven supporting stakes including the Sir Barton Stakes, Miss Preakness Stakes (G3), Dixie Stakes (G2), Gallorette Handicap (G3), James W. Murphy Stakes, The Very One Stakes and the Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3).
