Pletcher calls audible with Black-Eyed Susan hopeful Moana

Overnight rain that carried into Saturday morning forced trainer Todd Pletcher to call another audible with 3-year-old filly Moana’s preparations for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Friday, May 19.

 

Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Moana, an impressive maiden winner at Keeneland last month, galloped over a sloppy, sealed main track at historic Pimlico Race Course shortly after her Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning stablemate Always Dreaming returned from the track.

 

“She galloped a mile and a quarter right after we were finished with him,” Pletcher said. “I thought about working her and it looks it might clear up this afternoon. We’re probably going to work her tomorrow, as long as I’m happy with the track, even if it’s wet. We’re kind of running out of time now.”

 

A sloppy track also caused Pletcher to postpone a planned work on Friday for Moana, who will be making just her third career start and stakes debut in the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan, which is supported by six stakes, three graded, on the undercard.

 

“She’s a quality filly, [one] we’ve always thought a lot of and feel like she’s a true two-turn-type filly. I think the mile and an eighth will suit her well,” Pletcher said. “She lacks a bit of experience and seasoning but hopefully she can make up for it with natural ability.”

 

Trainer Rodney Jenkins said Saturday that Hillwood Stable’s Shimmering Aspen, riding a three-race win streak, would most likely make her next start and stakes debut in the Black-Eyed Susan.

 

Shimmering Aspen is also nominated to the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) on the undercard. The Miss Preakness is run at six furlongs, while the Black-Eyed Susan is contested at 1 1/8 miles.

 

“We’re going to probably enter both races. When the entries come out I’ll make a decision from there. I’m leaning toward the Black-Eyed Susan,” Jenkins said. “She’s doing well and that’s the way I want to go, but I don’t want to overextend her either. She’s just run the four times and only lost once. She’s doing good. If the race looks decent, we’ll go in the Black-Eyed Susan.”

 

Third behind subsequent stakes winner Star Super in her debut last summer, Shimmering Aspen has won her last three races by 16 ¼ lengths, none of them longer than the seven-furlong allowance of her last start April 29 at Laurel Park.

 

With jockey Steve ‘Cowboy’ Hamilton aboard, Shimmering Aspen breezed six furlongs in 1:15 at Pimlico Wednesday. Hamilton will be up no matter which race she runs next weekend.

 

“When I worked her over there the other day she galloped out better than she worked,” Laurel-based Jenkins said. “She didn’t really work that impressive to me. Stevie Hamilton gave her a nice easy work instead of knocking her out for the race, and I was so impressed the way she galloped out. We’re pleased with her.”

 

Jenkins also plans to run Top of Mind, second by a half-length in the Commonwealth Turf Cup (G2) last fall, in the $250,000 Longines Dixie (G2) Saturday, May 20. Also owned by Ellen Charles of Hillwood, Top of Mind worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 Friday morning at Laurel.

 

“He’s doing great. He had a heckuva nice work yesterday in the slop and he acted like he liked that,” Jenkins said. “He worked good. He’s always a horse that works in like a minute, minute and one going five-eighths and he did that yesterday. He seemed to come out of it so far good. He’s a decent horse. We’ve had a lot of fun with him.”