Happy Like a Fool Speeds to Miss Preakness Victory
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Happy Like a Fool wins the Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Happy Like a Fool had never encountered a wet track in three starts on dirt, but she thrived on the off going in the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.
After a clean break from the inside post in the field of nine, the 3-year-old Distorted Humor filly took command under pressure in the backstretch, maintained her advantage through the turn in the six-furlong sprint, and drew off in the stretch to win by 6 1/2 lengths over Artistic Diva.
Artistic Diva, who came into the Miss Preakness undefeated in two starts and shipped to Baltimore from Southern California, applied the pace pressure but was no match for the Wesley Ward-trained winner. Artistic Diva held for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of longshot Buy Sell Hold.
"She had a perfect trip," said Artistic Diva's jockey, Javier Castellano. "We followed procedure. My horse kept her speed. We were head-to-head with the winner. At the quarter pole, the winner took off and opened up. ... My filly ran good, just second best today."
Happy Like a Fool finished off the six furlongs in 1:10.12 under jockey Tyler Gaffalione after she clicked off fractions of :23.05 and :46.13 through a half-mile.
"She broke really well," Gaffalione said. "I just chased her out of there to get position. When I asked her at the top of the lane, she really responded. ... It's pretty sloppy. It's not the worst thing, and she could handle it."
Favorites Good Move (8-5, sixth) and Almond Roca (7-2, eighth) were never seriously involved and finished far back.
"She broke running, but when she felt that muck, she wasn't really happy," jockey Luis Saez said of his mount, Good Move, who came into the race undefeated in two starts.
The Miss Preakness was the second graded win for Merriebelle Stable, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Happy Like a Fool, who took the Oct. 15 Matron Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park two starts back. She also earned a group 2 placing overseas when she finished second in the June 21 Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot. Her 2018 debut was a fourth-place run in the April 8 Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3).
Bred in Kentucky by Ward, out of the Sky Mesa mare Lastofthsummerwine, Happy Like a Fool has a 3-1-0 record from six starts and $257,697 in earnings.