Pimlico Lover Embarr Takes Dahlia

Embarr and jockey Forest Boyce teamed up to win for the fifth time, beating 25-1 longshot Ask Me Anything in the $77,500 Dahlia Stakes for fillies and mares this afternoon at Pimlico Race Course. The Dahlia was one of two stakes races on Saturday’s 10-race card.

Owned, bred and trained by Susan Cooney, Embarr and Boyce tracked Ask Me Anything in the one mile turf contest, edged to the front at the top of the lane, lost the lead a sixteenth of a mile from the finish line and battled back to win by three-quarters of a length. Charged Cotton joined the battle late in the race and finished a very close third.

“I wanted to be sitting about three, four lengths off the pace. There wasn’t a lot of speed. I didn’t want to be that close but she decided she wanted to be there so I let her do her thing,” said Boyce.  The rider has won five times aboard the daughter of Royal Academy, including the 2011 Broadmede Stakes at Colonial Downs.

Embarr is a perfect three-for-three at Pimlico.

“I was confident because Susan and Pat (Cooney’s husband steeplechase rider Pat Cooney) would have her fit,” added Boyce. “They do such a good job and she is just so consistent. She can be a funny horse but we get along well and she has never run a bad race for me.”

Embarr’s winning time was 1:37.35 and she paid $8, as the second betting choice. The 5-year-old mare is 7-of-16 lifetime with earnings of $224,484.

Julie’s Love, the 7-10 favorite, finished fourth.