Black-Eyed Susan 2024: Ranking the field 1st to last

A competitive field of eight fillies have been entered in Friday's Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico. The race might lack a star, but is a good betting affair with four horses between 5-2 and 9-2 on the morning line.

There is an opportunity for some solid payouts in vertical wagers and with that in mind, I rank the field from first to last below.

1. Corposo, 5-2. She invades from California after running just a half-length behind Kinza in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2). Kinza would be 2-5 in this spot. The daughter of Vino Rosso made a nice middle move before flattening out in a good effort for a filly who was coming straight out of a maiden win. Peter Eurton's filly needs only moderate improvement to get the job done on Saturday.

2. Whocouldaskformo, 6-1. This well-bred filly has shown steady improvement on the Beyer Speed Figure scale in every start of her career and can be right in the mix with another step forward. The best way to speed up her progression might be to get this closing filly more involved early on. The addition of blinkers and Luis Saez signal the intention to place her in contention early, which could make all the difference.

3. Gun Song, 9-2. Her first two races as a 3-year-old make her the filly to beat in this spot. But she disappointed when running fourth in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) last out and enters this race as a bit of a mystery. Was her effort in the Gulfstream Park Oaks just a bad day at the office or was it the result of increased distance and no Lasix? Her three races without Lasix have clearly been a step down from her two races with Lasix. If she returns to her best form, she will be a handful, but that is no guarantee.

4. Call Another Play, 8-1. The local filly could have been claimed for $40,000 just three starts back, but she is in razor sharp form and has relished stretching out in distance. She faces a big step up in class, but her numbers are not far off of the top contenders and she is peaking at the right time.

5. Lemon Muffin, 4-1. D. Wayne Lukas' filly would be favored in here off of her victory in the Honeybee Stakes (G3), but that race is starting to prove to be more of the exception rather than the rule. The Honeybee was her only victory in eight career start,s and she has taken a step backward off that win with two poor efforts in a row, including an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

6. Recharge, 7-2. The speedy filly was feasting on lesser competition at Sunland, Remington and Houston before tiring in a fifth-place finish in the Fantasy Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park. She will have to duel with Gun Song early and is awfully low odds for a runner who still must prove she can handle this level of competition.

7. Ringy Dingy, 10-1. If you are willing to blame the mud for her poor effort last out at Aqueduct, then a case could be made for this filly. But I am not convinced that she has the class or stamina to be a factor in this race with her lone stakes win coming at one mile at Delaware Park.

8. Jeanne Marie, 20-1. She was no match for Call Another Play at Laurel Park last out and faces much stiffer competition in this spot. She likely will press the early pace, but it is hard to imagine her sticking around for a piece.