May 20, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Glamorous Grey
Heading into Saturday, Seize the Grey was mostly known for being the only grey horse competing in the $2 million Preakness (G1).
But after a picture-perfect run, the 3-year-old colt will forever be enshrined in Preakness history.
Seize the Grey, who closed at 9-1, owned the third-highest odds in the eight-horse field. None of that mattered, however, as the D. Wayne Lukas trainee teamed up with 25-year-old jockey Jaime Torres to deliver a shutdown gate-to-wire victory.
Making the story even more unbelievable, Torres had only started riding horses two years ago.
Together, Seize the Grey, Torres, and Lukas collectively stole the show on Pimlico’s biggest racing day of the year.
For their heroic win, the unflappable trio returned a cool $21.60 on a $2 win bet.
Told Ya I Could do it
Balnikhov (IRE) put an end to an eight-race winless drought in dramatic fashion on Saturday at Pimlico.
The well-travelled 5-year-old gelding used up every last bit of gas in a hard-charging come from behind Dinner Party (G3T) win.
Stuck at the back of the nine-horse pack until the three-quarter mark, the Phil D’Amato trainee made a gradual ascent to eighth before tearing away from the competition to score the $500,000 affair by 1 ½ lengths.
The Dinner Party delivery marked the Frankie Dettori mount’s first win since the San Francisco Mile (G3) at Golden Gate on Apr. 29, 2023.
The determined effort that got Balnikhov (26: 7-5-4) back on track paid a smooth $12.80.
Silence the Noise
What do you do when you put out the worst performance of your career? Go right back out there and compete like you’ve never done before.
That’s exactly what 3-year-old filly Gun Song did when she scored the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) one start after missing the podium for the first time in her young career.
Following a tough fourth in the Gulfstream Park Oaks on Mar. 30, the Mark Hennig charge rebounded in Nikola Jokic-esque fashion with a strong 3 ¼-length decision on Saturday at Pimlico.
While that’s what was expected from the 2-1 closing line choice, the fact she did so with such a dominant display silenced any doubts swirling around her abilities.
The hard-nosed score paid $6.60.
Forget about Someone?
Leave No Trace was everywhere on Saturday at Aqueduct.
The 4-year-old filly flipped the script in the $175,000 Vagrancy (G3) with a stunning three-quarter length triumph as the board’s longest shot (8-1).
It took a masterful performance from veteran rider Jose Lezcano to hold off even-money favorite Big Pond, who entered the 6 ½-furlong contest without a graded stakes score.
That didn’t change, as Leave No Trace, who won the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga in 2022, was able to add a second graded title in her fifth try since the momentous occasion.
The Philip Serpe protégé appears to be getting back in the swing of things, as the Vagrancy represented Leave No Trace’s second straight win.
Saturday’s pleasant surprise paid a healthy $19.60.
Just One Ticket to Paradise
For some, paradise is warm weather, clear water, and sandy beaches. For Smokey Smokey, Xanadu is eking out the $150,000 Paradise Creek Stakes by a neck.
The Ramon Vazquez mount needed every last inch of his long frame to fend off Mattingly in the title race on Aqueduct’s Sunday afternoon card.
Through eight career starts, Smokey Smokey has fared fairly well, going 2-2-1. In particular, she’s performed admirably in two attempts at the stakes level, winning one (Paradise Creek) and finishing second in the other (Animal Kingdom last out on Mar. 23).
That kind of upward trajectory is a welcomed sight for the Michael Maker trainee, as she possibly works her way into more competitive bouts.
At 6-1, Smokey Smokey paid a crisp and clean $15 for the win.
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