Pimlico wrap: Balnikhov wins Dinner Party, 1 of 5 graded races

Balnikhov, who trailed the field in the early going, wrested a lead from Running Bee in midstretch and went on to register a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Dinner Party at Pimlico.

The 123rd running of the 1 1/8-mile Dinner Party for 3-year-olds and up on the grass was the eighth of nine stakes, five graded, worth $3.3 million in purses immediately preceding the by the 148th Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

Pimlico’s oldest stakes race and the eighth-oldest in the country, the Dinner Party was contested at two miles for its 1870 debut, won by Hall of Famer Preakness. The distance has changed eight times over its history, returning to nine furlongs in 2023.

With the win, Balnikhov ($12.80) is now eligible for a $2.5 million bonus should he go on to win the $750,000 California Crown John Henry (G1) on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in January 2025 at Gulfstream Park.

The Dinner Party marked the first graded-stakes win at Pimlico for international riding star Frankie Dettori, aboard for Southern California-based trainer Phil D’Amato. It was the first win for 5-year-old Balnikhov since his rallying nose triumph in the San Francisco Mile (G3) in April on the turf at Golden Gate Fields.

Balnikhov was unhurried early in the race, trailing the field as 35-1 longshot Helms Deep went a quarter-mile in 26.42 seconds over the soft going as Grade 1 winner Highland Chief and Running Bee ran stride for stride in second with English Bee on the rail in third, 5-2 favorite Beatbox on the far outside and Grade 1-winning millionaire Atone between them.

Given a ground-saving trip by Dettori, Balnikhov was tipped off the inside midway around the turn and set down for a drive at Running Bee, who had taken over the lead after going six furlongs in 1:18.71. Able to sustain his run, Balnikhov cruised past and went on to win in 1:58.90.

D'Amato called the win a "breakthrough performance" for Balnikhov.

“He was running into good form. I gave him some time off, and he ran a really good race in the San Francisco Mile," he said. "I thought this horse is kind of on the upswing. He came back with a really good breeze. We kind of had this race in mind. The connections were going to be there at Pimlico, and we were able to get Frankie Dettori, and everything seemed to work out. Frankie gave him a masterful ride, saving ground, angling out and proving best."

Crabs N Beer, sent off at 14-1, made a strong late run for second, three lengths ahead of Running Bee, who was a half-length better than Highland Chief in fourth. Atone, Eons, English Bee, Beatbox and Helms Deep completed the order of finish. Adhamo, Emmanuel and Funtastic Again were scratched.

Balnikhov was making his 15th career start in graded company and 14th in a row, also winning the 2022 Bryan Station (G3) and placing five other times including running third by a half-length April 27 in defense of his San Francisco Mile title. Overall, he has a record of 7-5-4 from 26 starts and is within reach of $1 million in purse earnings.

The Dinner Party takes its name from an 1868 gathering in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. where Maryland Gov. Oden Bowie and others met, wagered and ultimately laid the foundation for the building of Pimlico Race Course, which opened in 1870.

Super Chow devours foes in Maryland Sprint

Super Chow, who had a two-race win streak snapped in his prior start, resumed his winning ways Saturday with a front-running 1 3/4-length score in the Grade 3, $100,000 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano guided Super Chow ($10.40), a Lea Farms color-bearer, to his seventh career stakes victory and third against graded company in the six-furlong Sprint for 3-year-olds and up. He also won the Toboggan (G3) and Tom Fool (G3) over the winter at Aqueduct, where he most recently ran third in the April 6 Carter (G2).

The winning time was 1:11.19 over a main track rated good.

Super Chow broke alertly and set solid fractions of 23.23 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 45.49 for the half, pursued by fellow graded winner Prevalence and 2022 Maryland Sprint winner Jaxon Traveler on the outside. Castellano and Super Chow straightened for home in command and were never threatened through the lane, with Prevalence holding second and multiple stakes winner Prince of Jericho rallying up the rail for third.

Coastal Mission, Jaxon Traveler and Bourbon Bash completed the order of finish. Little Roo Roo was scratched.

Castellano said Super Chow was able to set comfortable fractions through the early stages of the race, paving the way for a strong finish.

“He was able to dictate the pace," he said. "The first quarter, you can see, he's a fast horse. He can go 21 and he went in 23-and-change. That was the key to winning the race."

It was the first Maryland Sprint win for both Castellano and trainer Jorge Delgado, who earned his first career graded victory with Lightening Larry in the 2022 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico. Super Chow won an optional claiming allowance that fall at Pimlico, and ran fifth in last year’s Chick Lang. 

Fluffy Socks is comfortable winner of Gallorette

Millionaire mare Fluffy Socks, already a three-time graded-stakes winner, added a fourth in dominant fashion to snap her seven-race losing streak in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Gallorette at Pimlico.

For her victory Fluffy Socks ($3.20), favored at 3-5 in the field of six, earned automatic entry and travel incentive to the Prix Jean Romanet (G1) on Aug. 18 at France’s Deauville-La Touques Racecourse.

It was the second straight stakes win for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and the third Gallorette in a row and sixth overall for trainer Chad Brown, who won previously with Zagora (2012), Pianist (2013), Watsdachances (2015), Technical Analysis (2022) and Whitebeam (2023). Ortiz also rode Whitebeam.

Blissful, trained by Cherie DeVaux who won three stakes on Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan (G2) program, set an easy pace of 25.60 seconds while pressed to her outside by Tequilera, who took over the top spot after half in 50.59 seconds while Fluffy Socks, campaigned by Head of Plains Partners, and Ascendancy raced side-by-side behind them. Tequilera still had the lead leaving the far turn, but it was short-lived as Fluffy Socks surged past and drew clear to a 7 3/4-length triumph in 1:49.79 over a turf course rated soft.

Five Towns, winner of Laurel’s Park’s Dahlia on April 20 in her Gallorette prep, made a late run for second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Tequilera, followed by Blissful and Ascendancy. Sweet Dani Girl, Dana’s Beauty and Ninja Abarrio were scratched.

Brown said he was proud of the way his mare handled the soft going.

“I know she was a heavy favorite and she was supposed to do what she did," he said. "It was no given, given the soft turf and the slow pace. She has failed before at slow paces. I was really proud of her that she was able to overcome that. Irad really navigated his way off the rail and got her into good ground in the center of this course and she was really able to motor away. I feel now it’s time to step back up into a bigger race. She has been close in some very big races. She has been consistent, I will give her that. For a horse to have wins in our barn from ages two to six, is pretty impressive. Not all horses can stay healthy and have a sustained career like that."

Fluffy Socks is a homebred daughter of Grade 1-winning millionaire Slumber, also trained by Brown. Winner of the 2020 Selima as a 2-year-old in her only previous trip to Pimlico, she had previously enjoyed graded success in the 2020 Jimmy Durante (G3), 2021 Sands Point (G2) and 2023 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) last May, her most recent victory.

Gallorette retired in 1948 as the world’s leading money-winning mare, with earnings of $445,535. She won 21 of 72 starts and placed in 39 stakes, capturing the 1945 Pimlico Oaks and being named champion handicap mare of 1946. She was elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1962.

Frost Free goes gate to wire in Chick Lang

Frost Free, stakes-placed in back-to-back starts, broke running and never looked back to break through with a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico.

Making his eighth career start and first outside the Midwest, Keene Thoroughbreds-owned Frost Free ($5.60) and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. finished up in 1:11.39 over a main track rated good. It was the first Chick Lang win for both Ortiz and veteran trainer Brett Creighton, who notched his first graded stakes win.

Asked if he was concerned about the off track given that Frost Free finished a well-beaten third in an Oaklawn allowance race run over a sloppy racetrack, Creighton said he wasn't given the colt's added maturity in his recent starts.

"He's matured and grown up," he said. "He's improving with every race. He's got speed. And the competition, I mean, we fit." 

Frost Free broke alertly from post 6 in a field of eight as the 9-5 favorite and headed right for his usual spot on the lead, going a quarter-mile in 23.24 seconds chased by the threesome of Cats by Five on the rail, Catahoula Moon to the outside and 35-1 long shot Sweet Soddy J between them.

The half went in 46.66 seconds as Frost Free began to gain separation with Cats by Five the lone threat coming up the inside, but the winner held sway despite drifting out slightly approaching the wire. Cats by Five, attempting to give Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen his seventh Chick Lang win, was 1½ lengths ahead of Mr Skylight in third.

Catahoula Moon, Market Street, Petingas Twin, Sweet Soddy J and Classic Joke completed the order of finish.

Frost Free began his career at Lone Star Park last June before joining Creighton at Oaklawn Park in December. The gray or roan son of millionaire Frosted has hit the board in five straight starts including a third in the one-mile Hot Springs Stakes on March 23 and a second in the six-furlong Bachelor on April 27 in his lead-up to the Chick Lang.

Run as the Hirsch Jacobs Stakes from its 1975 inception to 2009, the Chick Lang was renamed in honor of the racing industry legend widely known as Mr. Preakness, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 83.