Pimlico: Gun Song turns early lead into Black-Eyed Susan win

Her connections thought enough of Gun Song to make the 3-year-old filly an early nominee to the 2024 Triple Crown.

Although those dreams never materialized, the chestnut daughter of newly elected Hall of Famer Gun Runner pulled down a major prize Friday at Pimlico in the 100th running of the Grade 2, $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan.

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While winning trainer Mark Hennig was visiting the infield cupola for the first time following the Black-Eyed Susan, it was the fifth trip for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who previously won the race with Added Gold in 1998, Roar Emotion in 2003, Spun Sugar in 2005 and In Lingerie in 2012.

The Black-Eyed Susan was the first race for Gun Song since finishing a troubled fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on March 30. That marked her stakes debut following an eye-catching, 5 3/4-length allowance triumph over the same course Feb. 9.

Velazquez settled Gun Song in the clear in second to the outside of 18-1 long shot Jeanne Marie, winner of the Main Line Stakes at Parx Racing and runner-up last out in Laurel Park’s Weber City Miss on April 20. She ran the opening quarter-mile in 24.20 seconds and a half in 49.47. Call Another Play, the Weber City Miss winner, and Grade 2-placed California shipper Corposo alternated running third.

Jeanne Marie was still in front rounding the far turn through six furlongs in 1:13.16, but Velazquez had Gun Song poised to strike, which she did once the field straightened for home.

With minimal urging from her rider, Gun Song took her cue and went on with a powerful run through the lane to win by 3 1/4 lengths at a time of 1:51.39 over a fast main track. Corposo finished strongly to get second, a neck ahead of Call Another Play followed by Whocouldaskformo, Lemon Muffin, Ringy Dingy, Jeanne Marie and Recharge.

Gun Song ran twice as a 2-year-old, winning a six-furlong, maiden race by a neck in October and finishing third as the favorite in a seven-furlong allowance, both over a sloppy Aqueduct racetrack. Second to subsequent Ashland (G1) winner Leslie’s Rose in a Jan. 11 allowance test at Gulfstream Park, she returned with a command performance next out.

The Black-Eyed Susan was the second straight try around two turns for Gun Song, who fetched $400,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March 2023. Her sire won 12 of 19 career starts and nearly $16 million in purses, capping his career with five consecutive Grade 1 victories including the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic to clinch 2017 horse of the year honors and the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in his racing finale.