BALTIMORE, 05-17-13---CJZ Racing Stable’s I’m Mom’s Favorite won a head-bob to take first money in the $100,000 Ms. Preakness Pink Warrior Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico Race Course.

 Reaching the lead in deep stretch under jockey Sheldon Russell, I’m Mom’s Favorite appeared to have the race in hand until longshot Flattering Bea came flying from far back to narrowly miss edging the 4-5 post-time favorite. I’m Mom’s Favorite’s margin of victory was just a nose. Behind Flattering Bea came Lighthouse Bay, with front runner Tread tiring to finish fourth.

I’m Mom’s Favorite covered the six furlong distance in 1:12.51 and she paid $3.80. The winner is based at the Fair Hill Training Center in the stable of Tony Dutrow and was winning for the third time in four starts. Her best previous stakes performance was a third-place finish in the Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct in March.

MS. PREAKNESS PINK WARRIOR QUOTES

Anthony Dutrow (trainer, I’m Mom’s Favorite, winner)– “When I watched the race, it was uncharacteristic of how she had run before. She got herself out of the race and she finished up well. After listening to Sheldon, he chose to ride her that way. He felt that she was very good the whole way around there.

“Having run her four or five times you have an expectation when the gates open. Sheldon was very confident and comfortable with it, but she had never run that way before so I wasn’t.”

Sheldon Russell (jockey, I’m Mom’s Favorite, winner)– “We got off to a really rough start. I was a bit surprised having the filly so far back, but she handled it fine. When I tipped her out at the top of the stretch, she came running. When I hit the front, I don’t know if she got a little bit lost or what. I just tried to keep her focused and I was lucky to just hold on.”

Crystal Pickett (trainer, Flattering Bea, 2^nd)– “I was asking myself, Why did she have to be squeezed at the start?  I am tickled to death with her. She always tries hard and I thought we had got it at the last jump.”

Grant Whitacre (jockey, Flattering Bea, 2^nd)– “We got squeezed back at the start when the ‘10’ came down on us. I would have preferred to be a lot closer. She gave me her run and tried real hard.”

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.