Interstatedaydream Speeds to Allaire du Pont Victory

Turning back an early stretch bid from 21-1 longshot Misty Veil , favored Interstatedaydream  inched clear late to score her first victory of 2023 in the $100,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff Stakes, the kickoff stakes race of Black-Eyed Susan Day May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.

Flurry Racing Stables' Interstatedaydream ($3.40), last year's George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) winner, had been third initially in 2023 in the March 11 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park and later fourth in the April 21 Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Exiting those graded events, she took command early in the 1 1/8-mile Allaire du Pont Distaff with comfortable fractions of :24.35 and :48.93 under jockey Florent Geroux, while facing only token early pressure from Falconet . 

On the second turn after three-quarters in 1:12.72, Misty Veil launched a three-wide bid to challenge, but Interstatedaydream kept her at bay for a half-length margin of victory. Misty Veil tired in the closing yards but held the place by a half-length over a rallying Le Da Vida .

The winner, a William Graham-bred 4-year-old daughter of Classic Empire   out of the Uncle Mo   mare Babcock , was timed in 1:49.32 on a fast track. Brad Cox trains Interstatedaydream, a grade 1-placed filly whose record improved to 5-2-2 in 10 starts with earnings of $604,069.

Train to Artemus Rides Rail on Turn to Victory in The Very One

In other ungraded $100,000 stakes action on the card, Train to Artemus  found daylight at the head of the lane in Friday's The Very One Stakes and ran down front-running Spicy Marg .

The 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar  raced five furlongs on a firm turf course in 55:81. She paid $8.60.

Paco Lopez rode the winner from just off the pace for trainer Kelly Breen and owner M and W Stables.

Bred in Kentucky by Ken and the late Sarah Ramsey, Train to Artemus is out of the Kitten's Joy  mare Pay Day Kitten . Train to Artemus initially raced for her breeders before she was claimed by her current connections for $35,000 last summer at Saratoga Race Course.

Her win on Friday was the second stakes victory after a black-type score in the Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February. She is 8-for-15 overall.

Spun Glass  ran third in the turf dash. Thundering Creed  was fourth and Whiskey and Rye  fifth.

Rising Into Stakes, Aspray Remains Perfect in Hilltop Stakes

Two races after Train to Artemus scored her victory, Ran Jan Racing's Aspray  improved to 3-for-3 in capturing the Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The Chad Brown-trained daughter of Quality Road   outkicked existing stakes winner Breath Away  by a half-length.

Jockey Flavien Prat guided the filly with an eighth-to-first wide rally from behind a fast pace. She raced a mile on turf in 1:34.10. She returned $10.60 to win for a $2 wager.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Aspray, out of the Galileo mare Up , initially scored when debuting in an off-the-turf maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 14 before notching a follow-up victory there on turf against first-level allowance optional claiming runners March 22.

Hang the Moon  was a distant third behind the top two finishers, followed by Up and Down  in fourth and Thirty Thou Kelvin  in fifth.