Wide‑Open Black‑Eyed Susan Offers Strong Betting Opportunities
LAUREL, Md. — Much like Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, Friday’s Grade 2 $300,000 Black‑Eyed Susan Stakesfor 3‑year‑old fillies shapes up as a wide‑open, competitive race, lacking the division’s top‑tier names but promising plenty of value for bettors.
With no graded‑stakes winners among the 10 fillies entered for the 1 ⅛‑mile race — the 13th on a 14‑race card — the event presents an easier assignment than the Kentucky Oaks, where My Miss Mo had been entered but later scratched by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
“Competition‑wise, this is a much better spot,” Joseph said. “She should be the second choice or possibly the favorite.”
My Miss Mo Seeks Breakthrough Win
A daughter of Uncle Mo, My Miss Mo enters from a runner‑up finish in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 28, her first start around two turns. She set the pace there before being caught by Prom Queen, trained by Brad Cox, who went on to finish fifth in the Kentucky Oaks.
“I thought it was a good effort,” Joseph said. “Brad’s filly was really good that day.”
Joseph acknowledged that his filly will need to overcome an outside post and possible early speed pressure from several others.
Consistent Winners Step Up in Company
Trainer Steve Asmussen takes a shot with Braken Poppa, who arrives with four consecutive wins, all against Louisiana‑breds, including two stakes. Although she has not raced beyond a mile and 70 yards, Asmussen said her two‑turn experience was a factor in choosing this spot.
“Off a very successful Fair Grounds meet, I wanted to take a nice swing,” he said.
Ivy Girl and Holly’s Holiday Sharpen Form
Ivy Girl and Holly’s Holiday enter off impressive long‑shot victories at Laurel and Oaklawn Park, respectively.
Ivy Girl, trained by Amelia Green, rallied from last to win the Weber City Miss Stakes (1 1⁄16 miles) on April 18, following a similar come‑from‑behind victory in the Main Line Stakes at Parx. Both wins came after Green added blinkers.
“At the half‑mile pole, I wouldn’t have been surprised if [Victor Carrasco] eased her up,” Green said. “Any other jockey would have thought they had no chance — all credit to him. We told him he’d be pedaling the whole way. We didn’t know it would be that far back the whole way.”
The decision to add blinkers came after Ivy Girl finished second to Miss Fulton in a February allowance race. Miss Fulton subsequently won the Beyond the Wire Stakes before finishing fourth to Ivy Girl in the Weber City Miss.
Also in the field is A. P.’s Girl, runner‑up in the Weber City Miss after two straight wins at Fair Grounds for trainer Peter Eurton.
Holly’s Holiday, trainer Kenny McPeek’s entrant, won the Valley of the Vapors Stakes at Oaklawn at 21‑1 odds. She broke alertly and rated behind rivals before splitting horses at the top of the stretch under Emmanuel Esquivel to win by a measured margin.
“She’s got natural speed if you need it, but she’ll stalk too,” McPeek said. “Her first race this year she was only 80 percent fit and managed to dead‑heat for the win. She’s trained exceptionally. My filly’s going to want the extra ground too.”
Flavien Prat will ride the filly, a full sister to Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks winner Velocity.
Jumping the Gun Aims to Rebound
Jumping the Gun, second to Zany in the Grade 2 Demoiselle last December, returned from a five‑month layoff to finish third as the 6‑5 favorite in the Weber City Miss.
Trainer Andrew Simoff said he had expected better.
“I thought that was a great spot — didn’t seem real tough. She got hung wide and made a bit of a premature move. I thought she could overcome it and she didn’t. I was disappointed.”
Despite the setback, Simoff reports the filly has trained well since and will have Luis Saez aboard.
Additional Contenders
Majestic Lucia, a daughter of McKinzie trained by Victor Barboza Jr., has won two straight, including a first‑level allowance April 4 at Tampa Bay Downs that already produced two subsequent winners.
Savor It, a recent Parx allowance winner for Uriah St. Lewis, and Haute Diva, who finished last in the Gulfstream Park Oaks, round out the field.
Overview
Without a graded‑stakes winner in the lineup, the 2026 Black‑Eyed Susan could reward value seekers among the 10‑horse field. My Miss Mo’s speed, Braken Poppa’s consistency, and the improving form of Ivy Girl and Holly’s Holiday combine to create a compelling and unpredictable renewal of the traditional Preakness eve feature.
