Margie’s intentions are closer to getting a wet black eyed Susan

Photo: Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire

Baltimore

After a thunderstorm delayed a $300,000 grade 2 on Friday
Black-eyed Susan Stakes There was a true stream running along the home stretch rails for 67 minutes. It didn’t look like a place.

It must have worked for the backstretch Margie’s Intent. Flavienplatt put her on the pack along the rails before approaching the standing water coming out of the second turn. He didn’t avoid unfolding the stream on purpose, but by going wide, Platt kept his 5-2 post-time favorite safely along the makeshift coastline.

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Whether it was strategy or fortune, whether it was important, it all worked out in the end.

Racing for the first time from a Louisiana company and leaving Louisiana, Margie’s intentions were caught up in the final six strides of what turned out to be a three-quarter-long victory with pacesetter Paris Lily (5-1) and her jockey Joel Rosario. It gave her new trainer, Brad Cox, her second victory at Blackeyed Susan.

“She let me work for that,” said Pratt, who won the 3-year-old Phillies race for the first time. “I turned backwards (Paris Lily) and I thought I was in a good place. Joel seemed to be getting very easy towards the house, but my filly was brave enough to dig into it.”

Paris Lily, a mare of light that bred in Godolphin’s house, saved an entire 1 1/8 mile around Pimlico’s sloppy sealed main track. She switched to her left lead with the final advance and reluctantly settled in second.

“She kicked for the house, but there were just too many horses on the outside at the end,” Rosario said.

It must have been a bitter medicine for Brendan Walsh to swallow. He trains Paris Lily. He was training Margie’s intentions.

“She put on a collar and it’s a bit disappointing that she ran incredibly well,” Walsh said of Paris Lily. “There are no complaints. We tried to do what we did, and it worked (almost) well. We couldn’t complain. We went to the lead. They were right behind us. (Rosary) He did what he had to do.

In Cox’s first race, Margie’s intentions were pushed beyond her longest previous start at one mile and 70 yards. This was the last time on March 22nd, Walsh, the Crescent City Oaks at Fairgrounds, finished second.

“We thought she wanted Miles and 8th grade,” Cox said. “And she needed it all to get there, knowing the momentum would continue towards the house.

Kinzie Queen (9-1) went from 8th to 3rd place. Reply (9-2), Amarth (7-2), Liam in the Dust (6-1), Princess Aliyah (17-1), Moon Cache (32-1), Runnin N Gunnin (10-1) completed the finishes in that order.

Margie’s intention victory times were 1:52.05 after the early split of 22.73, 46.38, 1:11.57, and 1:38.31.

A majority share of Margie’s intentions was recently purchased by Winster Farm in Baron Stubble and maintained ownership.

“Trograph’s Jerry Brown really liked her,” said Winster boss Elliot Walden. “We saw her at a two-year-old sale (Okara breeders sales). …We bought her personally (this spring). We handed her over to Brad. Brendan did an amazing job with her. We have a lot of horses with Brad.

With the victory, the daughter of Honorary AP ran her record 6:3-2-0. With the number one money of $180,000 on Friday, she raised her wallet income to $294,880. She broke the maiden with a slop at the fairgrounds and escaped on January 18th at 11 length.

So about the weather. Did sudden changes in conditions affect Prat’s strategy?

“No,” Pratt said. “I was going to ride her the same way. The only thing I did was know she won by sloppy things, so I didn’t mind it.”

What do they say about leading horses into the water?