Cicada Winner Lost Raven Headlines Miss Preakness
Lost Raven is one of 13 stakes winners to date from the first crop of youngsters sired by Uncle Mo. In Friday’s $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico Race Course, owner Mike Repole is hoping his 3-year-old filly becomes Uncle Mo’s seventh graded stakes winner, a lofty list that includes Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Preakness Stakes (G1) favorite Nyquist.
Repole campaigned Uncle Mo and kept a significant interest when the colt went to stallion duties at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. Like Wood Memorial (G1) winner Outwork, Repole also bred Lost Raven, who comes into the six-furlong Miss Preakness off a victory in Aqueduct’s $125,000 Cicada. Like Uncle Mo and Outwork, Lost Raven is trained by Todd Pletcher.
“She’s a filly that we’ve kind of tried to stretch out a couple of times and she’s run competitively,” said Pletcher, whose strong stakes arsenal includes the exciting Stradivari in Saturday’s Preakness. “She’s a very consistent, hard-trying filly. We’ve identified her forte as shorter races. She’s had a nice freshening and she’s trained well. We’re looking forward to getting her into a graded stakes at six furlongs. I think she’ll like that.”
Ten 3-year-old fillies were entered Sunday for the 31st Miss Preakness, including the Graham Motion-trained Keeneland maiden winner Ultra Brat, another daughter of Uncle Mo.
Trainer Steve Asmussen entered the duo of Simple Surprise, winner of a turf stakes at Saratoga last summer in her second start, and Oaklawn allowance winner One True Kiss.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby with Preakness-bound Exaggerator, has Santa Anita’s Landaluce winner Right There in the Miss Preakness.
Rounding out the field are the speedy She’s All Ready and R Girls a Charmer; California shipper Moment Is Right, and Keeneland allowance winners Quick Release and Banree.
Mei Ling Tops Field of 10 in $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff (G3)
Pletcher also has Mei Ling in the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff (G3) at 1 1/8 miles on Preakness Eve. The 5-year-old daughter of 2003 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker led most of the way in Aqueduct’s April 10 Top Flight (G3) before finishing second by a half-length to the well-regarded Carrumba.
“She’s just a real steady, solid show-up-every-time and give you a big effort kind of filly,” Pletcher said. “She’s in good form and her kind of forward running style should suit Pimlico well.”
Others in the field of 10 are Bobby Flay’s multiple stakes-winner America; graded stakes winners Ahh Chocolate, Super Majesty and Tiger Ride; stakes winners Theogony and Savings Account; Engagingly, runner-up at 20-1 in the La Troienne (G1); and 2014 Alabama (G1) narrow runner-up Joint Return. Camille Claudel rounds out the field.
The Allaire DuPont winners include 3-year-old filly champions Serena’s Song and Ajina, as well as Stopchargingmaria, who won the stakes last year en route to taking the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1)
Source: Maryland Jockey Club