Commissioner too good for Pimlico Special rivals

Commissioner made it two stakes wins in a row in taking the Grade 3 Pimlico Special. Content to sit just outside and behind the early pace-setter, last year’s Belmont Stakes runner-up pounced in the stretch and was going…going…gone!

The start was good for all, but when no one was overly eager to take the lead, Encryption and jockey Paco Lopez kicked it up a notch, easing past Transparent to their inside. From his far outside post, Commissioner was able to outsprint his inside rivals and get a good spot behind and to the outside of Encryption. The rest of the field bunched up behind those three with the exception of Top Billing who spotted the field quite a few lengths and trailed early.

Encryption and Commissioner continued to show the way, setting splits of :23.54 for the first quarter, :48.16 for the opening half and 1:12.74 for three-quarters of a mile. Cat Burglar moved up into the third running position with Transparent in fourth along the rail. Vyjack and Page McKenney came next with Top Billing continuing to trail the field.

Turning for home, Commissioner and jockey Javier Castellano put away Encryption and set down for the stretch drive. While most of the field simply spun their wheels, Page McKenney loomed large in the center of the track. Though he firmly took over second place, his best was just not enough to catch Commissioner, who crossed under the wire the winner by 2 1/2 lengths. He ran the 1 3/16 mile in 1:56.09.

Winning jockey Javier Castellano stated after the race, “He was very strong today. He minded so well. I was able to tuck in around the first turn and he was just galloping along. He can go 24 (seconds) and 48, that’s him. I didn’t ask until we turned for home. The more distance the better for him.”

Runner-up Page McKenney did not exit the race in as good condition as he began it. Trainer Mary Eppler explained, “He has a pretty bad cut on his ankle and it’s bleeding pretty badly. We have the vet coming over to the barn now. He’s hit the board in all of his stakes races. I’m very pleased with the way he ran today.”

Cat Burglar ran on for third and Top Billing closed from last to capture fourth. Encryption faded to fifth and Transparent and Vyjack completed the order of finish.

Bob Baffert, trainer of third place finisher Cat Burglar, thought his charge did well despite the disadvantage. “He ran a good race,” Baffert stated. “He’s coming off a layoff. It’s taken him a few races. We weren’t going to beat the winner.”

As for fourth place finisher Top Billing, jockey Joel Rosario thought things could have gone better. “They were going well early on and then they kind of slowed down on the backstretch,” Rosario lamented. “I knew he was running at the end. He just couldn’t catch the winner. He was coming and coming and coming but just couldn’t get there.”

Tapiture, Kid Cruz, and Albano were scratched. Tapiture will next race in the Grade 3 Lone Star Handicap on Monday, May 25. That race is for 3-YOs and up and will be contested at 1 1/16 mile. Kid Cruz was scratched in favor of the Mountainview Handicap on Friday, May 30. The Mountainview is also for 3-YOs and up but is carded at 1 1/8 mile.

As the 6/5 post time favorite, Commissioner paid $4.60/$3.00/$2.40. Runner-up Page McKenney returned $5.00/$2.80 off 7-1 odds, and a show bet on Cat Burglar was worth $3.00. The $2 exacta paid $24.00, the $1 trifecta returned $52.80 and the $1 superfecta was worth $184.70

By A. P. Indy and out of the Touch Gold mare Flaming Heart, Commissioner is a homebred for WinStar Farms and is trained by Todd Pletcher. With today’s victory, he has put together a 12: 4-3-2 race record for purse earnings of $797,237.

Winning trainer Pletcher was understandably pleased with his colt’s performance and already looking ahead to the immediate future. “This was awesome. I’m very happy,” he exclaimed. “Once he gets into that rhythm, you can keep on cruising. Right after the Skip Away, we talked about it and decided to go to the Pimlico Special. We’ll see how he comes out of it. It’s 22 days to the Brooklyn Handicap, so that’s possible.”