Stakes Races Ignite Preakness Fever

Despite reduced fields after races were moved off the turf to the main dirt track at Pimlico this past Saturday, there was still plenty of competition on hand in three separate stakes races to highlight the 11-race card. In the first, the $75K Stormy Blues Stakes for three-year-old fillies, Jewel of a Cat took raced just off the leader before taking over at the top of the stretch and driving to a 2 ¾ length victory. The Florida-bred daughter of Wildcat Heir has never finished worse than 2^nd in five starts. An exciting season continues to build towards the Preakness!

Bold Affair repeats in capturing Primonetta Stakes

Next up on the card was the $95,000 Primonetta Stakes for 3-year-old and upward fillies and mares, going 6 furlongs on the dirt. Bold Affair, a Maryland-bred daughter of Two Punch rallied from off the pace to claim a driving half-length victory and defend the title she captured in 2012. It was the eighth stakes victory of her career, and she’s now 3-for-3 in 2013, having earlier this spring captured both the Conniver and What a Summer stakes races at Laurel Downs.

Eighttofasttocatch too fast in the Henry S. Clark

Most adversely affected by the switch from turf to dirt was the day’s main feature, the $90,000 Henry S. Clark, which saw the field reduced from 11 to five. It turned out to be a break for the eventual winner, Eighttofasttocatch, as he was originally slotted to break from the far outside gate. Instead, Eighttofasttocatch came from PP #3, broke to the lead early, and from there he led every step of the way. Connections for the seven-year-old Maryland-bred say he’ll now be pointed to next October’s Maryland Million at Laurel. Old Hilltop continues to rock!