Tesio Tops Six-Stakes Card at Pimlico

Stakes winner Ghost Bay and the consistent Noteworthy Peach are interesting longshots in the seven-horse field entered for the April 18 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the local prep for the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 16.



Carded as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race card, the 1 1/16-mile, $100,000 Tesio is one of six stakes being offered at Pimlico with total purses of $575,000.



Along with Top of Mind and Bodhisattva, Ghost Bay is one of three Triple Crown nominees in the field, where Godolphin Racing's All Hands is the 2-1 morning-line favorite off an impressive maiden win last month at Aqueduct Racetrack.



Ghost Bay, a Maryland-bred colt by Ghostzapper  —Hope Bay, by Smart Strike, was third in his first two starts last year, not beaten by more than 3 1/2 lengths, before coming from dead last to capture the Maryland Juvenile Futurity Dec. 27 at Laurel Park.



Following a three-month break from competition, Ghost Bay returned to run fifth, beaten 12 lengths, in his 3-year-old debut in allowance/optional claiming company at Laurel. With regular rider Forest Boyce aboard for trainer Lawrence Murray, the colt raced unusually close to the pace before fading down the stretch in the race won by Tesio entrant Noteworthy Peach, with Top of Mind, also entered in the Tesio, second.

           

"I was very disappointed in his last race. It was very uncharacteristic for him. He was in front early, which is not the way he ran his three prior races. I was expecting him to always be a come-from-behind horse," Murray said. "I don't know what to expect in the Tesio. Certainly, the outcome of the last race wasn't what I was looking for.

"He always breaks well and then takes himself back and makes a run. That day he was just very sharp for some reason. I don't know if it was the fact he hadn't run in 90 days or what, but it was kind of a surprise to see him run like that. I'm hoping he goes back to relaxing and making one run."

Non Stop Stable's Noteworthy Peach, a winner in two of three starts this year, will try stakes company for the first time in the Tesio for Gary Capuano, who won the 2003 Tesio with Cherokee's Boy. A gelded son of Read the Footnotes—One Green Peach, by In Case, bred in Maryland by William M. Steinbuch, Jr., Noteworthy Peach has a 2-2-0 record from five starts.



"We're going to give it our best shot and if everything goes good, we'll see how he does," Capuano said. "It's exciting. It's good to have a horse that might be competitive in those kinds of races. I'm looking forward to later in the year because he may just get better and better. He acts like the farther he goes the better he's going to get. He's still got to prove it."

Winless in two starts at age 2, Noteworthy Peach  broke his maiden in a $40,000 one-mile maiden claimer Jan. 9 to open his sophomore campaign before his victory over Top of Mind.

"He really stepped up last time. He ran a huge, huge race," Capuano said. "Sometimes, those 2-year-olds when they turn 3 they'll make those big jumps. Hopefully he'll be able to repeat that. My only question would be whether his best races are a one-turn mile. He definitely ran well going two turns at Laurel, but not like he did last time. He had kind of a rough trip and when he got outside he really kicked in and finished up that last quarter brilliantly. Hopefully he can go back to that race or at least close to it, anyway, and have a competitive chance."

         

Like Noteworthy Peach, Hillwood Stable's Top of Mind is making his stakes debut in the Tesio. Unraced at 2, the son of Curlin  —Over the Edge, by Thunder Gulch, has run twice this year, rolling by 3 3/4 lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight Feb. 13 prior to the March 28 race at Laurel.

           

"He ran a nice race the other day," trainer Rodney Jenkins said. "He got beat when that horse closed down on him really quick. It was a good race, and I think he should move up off of that effort."



The most experienced horse in the field is Bodhisattva, who has a record of 2-1-4 in 10 starts for owner-trainer Jose Corrales. The colt by Student Council  —Dr. Cheryl P., by Talk is Money, was bred in California by Andy Stronach. He is coming off a second in the Private Terms Stakes March 21.

Laurel maiden winner Slick William and Jack O Liam are both cross-entered in the Tesio and a 1 1/16-mile Pimlico allowance on Friday.



The $100,000 Primonetta Stakes, for fillies and mares going six furlongs, marks the U.S. debut of 2014 Korean champion 3-year-old filly Queen's Blade, who has earned the equivalent of $971,290 while winning seven of 15 starts, with five second-place finishes. The Korean-bred daughter of Menifee—Harboring, by Boston Harbor, won both the Korean Derby (KOR-II) and Korean Oaks (KOR-II) last year.



Multiple graded stakes winner Istanford will be seeking her first win of the season as the 4-year-old daughter of Istan  —Aerocat, by Tale of the Cat  , makes her third start of the year in the $100,000 Dahlia Stakes, for fillies and mares going a mile on turf. Trained by Mike Stidham, the filly won three stakes in 2014, including the San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT) and Arlington Classic (gr. IIIT).