My Miss Mo Determined Winner of Black-Eyed Susan (G2)

102nd Running of 3YO Filly Fixture Caps Preakness Eve Program

LAUREL, MD – Averill Racing, Mathis Stable, and Tristan De Meric’s My Miss Mo, runner-up in back-to-back graded-stakes, broke through with a determined effort to hold off Jumping the Gun through the stretch and win Saturday’s $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Laurel Park.

The 102nd running of the 1 1/8-mile fixture for sophomore fillies was the centerpiece of a spectacular 14-race program featuring six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses that served as a fitting prelude to Saturday’s 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for the third straight race, My Miss Mo ($7) went off as the 5-2 favorite over eight rivals and covered a fast main track in 1:52.24 to give trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his second straight win on the program following Navajo Warrior’s victory in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3).

Breaking from outermost Post 9, My Miss Mo wound up three wide into the first turn as Savor It took the early initiative after a quarter of a mile in 24.14 seconds. Gaffalione maneuvered My Miss Mo into second racing in the clear two wide up the backstretch with 23-1 longshot Miss Fulton Gal on the rail in third and Jumping the Gun fourth.

The half went in 49.10 with My Miss Mo having closed the gap on Savor It and Jumping the Gun looming boldly on the far outside after a sweeping move under Luis Saez. My Miss Mo wrested the lead away from a retreating Savor It exiting the far turn and straightened for home with Jumping the Gun in pursuit.

Jumping the Gun, the 3-1 program favorite that was dismissed at odds of 6-1, ranged up outside My Miss Mo and was poised to go by, but My Miss Go dug in resolutely under Gaffalione and found another gear, edging clear late to win by 1 ¾ lengths.

It was a length back to A.P.’s Girl in third, 4 ½ lengths in front of fourth-place finisher Majestic Lucia. They were followed by Miss Fulton Gal, Holly’s Holiday, Braken Poppa, Ivy Girl and Savor it. Haute Diva was scratched.

My Miss Mo was making her sixth career start and first outside of her native Florida. She was second on debut last fall before graduating by 12 lengths, both against state-breds, then ran fourth in the six-furlong Sandpiper in December at Tampa Bay Downs.

This year My Miss Mo was second to She Be Smooth in the one-mile Davona Dale (G2) at odds of 26-1 Feb. 28 and a 2 ¾-length runner-up behind Prom Queen in the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at 7-1 odds. Prom Queen went on to run fifth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Making its debut in 1919 as the Pimlico Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan was not run from 1932-36 and again in 1950 and was renamed upon its 1951 return to honor the Preakness and Maryland’s state flower. Nine of its winners have gone on to be named champion 3-year-old filly, including Hall of Famers Davona Dale, Real Delight, Royal Delta, Serena’s Song, Silverbulletday and Twilight Tear.

Among other prominent Black-Eyed Susan winners are Hall of Famer Gallorette; Nellie Morse, the only filly to also win the Preakness, in 1924; But Why Not, Caesar’s Wish, High Voltage, Vagrancy, Wide Country and Wistful.

$300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Quotes

Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (My Miss Mo): “She was very game at the end, and I am proud of her. She was challenged and she dug in, and it worked out great. Congrats to the owners. They were patient. We had to scratch out of the (Kentucky) Oaks. It was the right decision. This was a better spot for her. Everything works out the way it is supposed to in life. I try to trust my faith. I did not look at [missing the Oaks] as a disappointment, maybe for the owners it was, but for me, my philosophy is different. What is meant to be … today was the right race. No regrets.

“She was very gutsy. This filly, we liked her from the beginning. We thought she showed so much speed that she was going to be a sprinter. We were wrong. We didn’t see the goodness until we stretched her out. She is a different filly going longer.
“Emotion has to come naturally. It’s not like White Abarrio, it’s not like Skippy [Skippylongstocking], it’s not like the Pegasus. But it means just as much. I am grateful to be in this position and thankful to all the owners. God has blessed us to be here, and we are grateful to be here, and we appreciate being here because it’s not easy to be here. It has been a journey. I’m grateful.”
Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (My Miss Mo): “Coming from the outside post, we wanted to get forward. She breaks alertly, so just wanted to not get ahead of ourselves, but let her get forward. That way we wouldn’t lose too much ground going into the first turn. I was very confident. Going down the backside, I kept having to take a pull. She was wanting to get going a little bit, but she was doing it very easy. So I tried to sit as long as I could. She was traveling beautifully. So I just let her be. As soon as I called on her at the eighth pole, she found another gear. She did it well.
“It’s just a combination of things. Experience, maturity and more confidence in herself. I think last time, going two turns for the first time, we really got to see the best of her that day. Obviously, she took a step forward, and that’s what we were expecting from her, and she showed up big for us.”
Trainer Andrew Simoff (Jumping the Gun, 2nd): “She ran well. Turning from home, I thought I had it, but she just hung that last sixteenth a little bit. But she’ll do that. I was talking to Luis [Saez] and he said maybe wait a little longer, don’t make the lead at the quarter pole, just see what happens.

“We’ll see how she comes back and look at the Delaware Oaks. That’s my track. Run her right out of their stall. That’ll be our next stop.”
Jockey Luis Saez (Jumping the Gun, 2nd): “We had a beautiful trip and were in a good spot throughout. I knew there was going to be speed from the outside. We were in a good stalking spot. The winner was on top turning for home. I thought we were going to run on by, but the winner still had horse. We were second best today.”
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (A. P.’s Girl, 3rd): “I had a beautiful trip. I broke good. I followed the 7 horse [second-place finisher Jumping the Gun]. I took my time and she felt good running underneath me. I really broke great and felt like we had a good chance. I was biding my time, but when we turned for home, they really picked it up and ran away from me a little bit. She really tried and ran a good race. I’ve never ridden her before so now I know her a little bit better. She’s a nice filly.