Bosserati, Loon Cry, Accomplished Girl Loom Large in $100,000 The Very One

BALTIMORE – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bobby Flay’s Pretty Lavish, who began her racing career with a pair of victories in Ireland and the United States, will be looking to rebound from a disappointing stakes debut in Friday’s $125,000 Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

The 54th running of the one mile Hilltop on the turf for 3-year-old fillies for is among six stakes, three graded, worth $1.05 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the 101st running of the $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies, serving as a fitting prelude to Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

“She’s coming out of the Florida Oaks (G3), which she was a little disappointing,” said trainer Graham Motion of Pretty Lavish, who finished eighth as a 7-1 choice in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March. “But I was kind of asking quite a lot of her. She’s only run twice in America, so it was a big step up for her. I freshened her up a little bit when we left Florida.”

If there is some optimism to be taken from that lone loss, it’s the fact that the filly that won the Florida Oaks, Nitrogen, followed up that performance with victories in the Appalachian Stakes (G2) at Keeneland and Edgewood Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Irad Ortiz, Jr., is scheduled to ride Pretty Lavish in The Hilltop, which features a field of nine fillies, including Danbro Farms LLC’s Me Governor, Heider Family Stables LLC’s Sigh No More and Wertheimer Et Frere’s Obeissante.

Me Governor has already amassed more than $200,000 in earnings from nine starts for trainer Carlos David, including a victory in a listed stakes at Aqueduct in November. Jose Ortiz is assigned to ride the Kentucky-bred daughter of The Factor.

Sigh No More will be making her U.S. debut for trainer Brendan Walsh after making her first seven career starts in Ireland, where she won a Group 3 stakes at Leopardstown in October.

Obeissante, a lightly raced daughter of Into Mischief, will be making just her third career start for trainer Todd Pletcher and is coming out of a maiden victory last month at Gulfstream Park.

Completing the Hilltop field: Princess Attitude, Play With Fire, Pure Majestic, Complexity Jane and White Rocks.

Bosserati, Loon Cry, Accomplished Girl Loom Large in $100,000 The Very One

Joel Politi’s Bosserati, who has enjoyed success at Pimlico Race Course, will be trying to capitalize on her affinity for the track’s grass strip in Friday’s five-furlong, $100,000 The Very One Stakes for fillies and mares.

The 5-year-old Maryland-bred mare has won two of her three turf starts at Pimlico.

“She’s awesome,” said trainer Brittany Russell. “She’s so consistent.”

The only loss of Bosserati’s turf career at Pimlico came in last year’s running of The Very One when she finished a disappointing ninth.

“She didn’t run good here last year,” Russell said. “Looking back, we thought we had her ready. I think we have her tighter at this point.”

Waterville Lake Stables’ Loon Cry reeled off three consecutive turf wins last year for trainer Christophe Clement before finishing her 2024 campaign with a pair of defeats in listed stakes at Aqueduct.

Gentry Farms’ Accomplished Girl has amassed more $630,000 in career earnings in 20 lifetime starts. Steve Asmussen trains the 5-year-old mare.

J R Sanchez Racing Stable LLC’s Pinotslilgirl could also make her presence felt in the turf dash for trainer Rudy Sanchez-Salomon. The 4-year-old filly, who was been claimed three times in the past 14 months, has five wins in 17 lifetime starts.

“She’s a very nice horse,” said Sanchez-Salomon. “I love her because I think she’s a better horse on the grass than on the dirt. She can handle both. She’s got a lot of speed. Hopefully we get lucky.”

Completing the expected field are Anaita, Pleasant Embrace, Shoshanah, Mendy’s Honey, Gift of Gab, Moonlit Kiss, Mudslide, Admiral Hopper, Simply Stated and Maggie’s Girl.