Miss Ella Takes Aim at Miss Preakness Title

After winning the first two starts of her career, including an easy score in the Adena Springs Beaumont Stakes (gr. II), Miss Ella will try to continue her roll Friday, May 15 in the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness Stakes (gr. III) at Pimlico Race Course.

Unraced at 2, Jack Swain III homebred Miss Ella has come out firing this season, posting a three-length victory in a six-furlong maiden special weight race March 11 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Graham Motion before taking the Beaumont, contested at about seven furlongs, April 12 at Keeneland. 

The daughter of Exchange Rate   will return to six furlongs Friday for the Miss Preakness, where 10 other 3-year-old fillies have been entered. One of those rivals is a familiar foe in Tommy Ligon and Michael Pressley's Divine Dawn, who finished second to Miss Ella in the Beaumont.

"We like running at Pimlico," said Divine Dawn's trainer Larry Jones, who with Lovely Maria on May 1 claimed his third Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) victory. "We won the Miss Preakness with Wildcat Bettie B (in 2006), and we've won the (Allaire duPont Distaff Stakes), with Buy the Barrel (in 2008). I know these races always come up tough, but we like that."

After an off-the-board finish in her first try on turf, the Stormy Blues Stakes April 18 at Pimlico, Streamsong will return to sprinting on dirt where the Kodiak Kowboy filly registered two wins in her first three starts.

"She came out of her last race in great shape," said trainer Tim Keefe. "She's worked in company and I couldn't be happier. She likes dirt, I think she's going to be a sprinter, and I think she can get this six furlongs. I think she can do this."

Breaking from the inside in Friday's field will be Kaleem Shah's Enchanting Lady, a two-time stakes winner who will try to bounce back off a ninth-place finish to Promise Me Silver in the Eight Belles Stakes (gr. III) May 1 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Bob Baffert and sent off the 5-2 favorite in the Eight Belles, Enchanting Lady raced wide and never threatened.

Besides purse money and a trophy to the owner, the winner of Friday's race will be eligible to a season to Ghostzapper  , who is standing this season for $60,000 at Adena Springs Kentucky.