English Bee, Ickymasho, Wild About Star Shine

Two months after Calumet Farm homebred English Bee had a troubled trip and finished fifth in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, the son of English Channel  made a triumphant return to the turf in the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.  

"I thought he was really unlucky last time at Tampa," said trainer Graham Motion. "He kind of got stopped coming off the turn right as he was ready to make his move."

Real News broke on top to take command of the one-mile test under jockey Joel Rosario and set a slow pace on the rail, maintaining a two-length advantage over Thomas Shelby through a half-mile in :48.70. 

Stalking the pace in third, English Bee, with Jose Ortiz in the irons, was eased out to the three path at the far turn and got in front of Real News by a head. Asked for more, English Bee maintained his lead and scored his first stakes win by a half-length as the dueling pair hit the wire in 1:35.60. 

"He broke really well. He was up front in the race," said Ortiz. "For a 3-year-old lightly raced in the game, he's very professional. He put me into a great spot, and when I asked him to go, to push (Tybalt) at the three-eighths pole, he ran very well. He's certainly moving forward. He's a big, strong colt." 

Fellow Motion trainee Shootin the Breeze finished third. Post-time favorite Current bumped with the third-place finisher leaving the gate. Unable to recover despite saving ground on the far turn, the Todd Pletcher trainee was a nonthreatening fourth. War Film, Gearhead, Tybalt, and Thomas Shelby completed the order of finish. 

Motion, who had seven horses entered on the Preakness Day card, said he was pleased that his plan to bypass Churchill Downs in favor of a start in Maryland allowed English Bee time to improve off his Florida effort. 

"We all decided to wait for this race," said Motion. "We decided to skip Churchill and wait for this. He's a real pro. He's never done anything wrong. I'm glad to start off with a win. We run a lot of horses today, so I've got no pressure now." 

Bred in Kentucky out of the graded stakes-placed Kitten's Joy  mare Evil Kitten, English Bee has a 3-1-1 record from six starts and earnings of $120,150. Evil Kitten has a 2-year-old Red Rocks colt named Evil Rocks and a Grey Swallow yearling filly. She foaled a full brother to English Bee March 28.  

Ickymasho Makes Quick Work of Field in Searching Stakes

Triton Stable's Ickymasho made it look easy in the $100,000 Searching Stakes as she grabbed the lead at the start, carved out leisurely fractions under Ortiz, and rolled to a 3 1/4-length victory over Vevina in the 1 1/2-mile turf stakes.

A winner of the Bewitch Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in her most recent start at the same distance, the 7-year-old daughter of Multiplex posted her second win in 10 starts since arriving in North America last year.

"After she won the Bewitch (April 26), we were planning on waiting and running her at Woodbine. She was doing so well, though. She was acting like she wanted to run," owner Joe Miller said. "(Trainer) Roger Attfield is a big believer in taking advantage of that. It was his call to run her here, and it was the right one. If all goes well, we'll look next to the Dance Smartly (G2T) at Woodbine (June 29)."

Ickymasho, who has been worse than third only twice in her North American starts, took all the suspense out of the Searching by opening a clear lead through fractions of :51.62, 1:17.18, and 1:41.91. The 1-2 favorite led by four lengths in mid-stretch en route to her 10th win in 40 starts.

"She was the favorite, and she can handle the distance, which is a big battle in these long races. I rode her with a lot of confidence," Ortiz said. "She relaxed well on the lead, and when I asked her to run, she responded well. It was very easy. The whole way around was very comfortable."

Bred in Great Britain by Allseasons Bloodstock out of the Mark of Esteem mare Icky Woo, Ickymasho covered the 12 furlongs in 2:29.58.

Matthew Schera's Vevina was a clear second by 3 1/2 lengths over Moyglare Stud Farm's Homeland Security.

Wild About Star Scores Upset Win in The Very One Stakes

The $100,000 The Very One Stakes for fillies and mares going five furlongs over the firm turf produced a tremendous win for the Louisiana breeding and racing entity of Evelyn Benoit when her Louisiana homebred Wild About Star caught heavy favorite and pacesetter Jo Jo Air late for a 1 3/4-length triumph.

Jo Jo Air, a 3-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy who was in receipt of six pounds from the older distaffers in the nine-horse field, jumped out to an early lead and made all the pace until weakening in the final furlong. Wild About Star, making her first start for Delaware Park-based conditioner Jose M. Camejo, stalked Jo Jo Air until taking command near the eighth pole, stopping the timer in :56.93. The winner paid $13.

The victory was the first in stakes company for Wild About Star, who increased her bankroll to $188,200 gleaned from six wins and four placings in 16 starts. 

"It was time to step out and see how we could do against other people," Benoit said. "It's not easy to win in Louisiana, especially at the Fair Grounds (Race  Course & Slots). Everybody there means business."

Prior to her trip to Maryland, Wild About Star competed primarily in Louisiana-bred stakes before she was sent to Camejo, who has about 40 horses in training for Benoit. The 5-year-old mare is a daughter of Benoit's Louisiana-based stallion Star Guitar  out of the multiple stakes-winning Wildcat Heir mare Wild About Marie, who was purchased by Brittlyn Stable for $165,000 from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency to the 2012 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

"I couldn't be happier if I won the Preakness," an overjoyed Benoit said in reference to the featured race on the card. "This is like the biggest dream come true in my life."

Benoit said the mare's success is a big boost for Star Guitar, who stands at Clear Creek Stud in Louisiana, where his 2019 fee was $7,500.

"She's out of his first crop, and I've wanted to have this opportunity in front of a large crowd to show that in Louisiana we can breed nice horses," the owner/breeder said.

"(Benoit) wanted to promote the stallion all over the place, so she decided to run (Wild About Star) here after she worked," said Camejo. "She was feeling really good. She was ready for this race."

Video: James W. Murphy S. (BT)

Video: Searching S. (BT)

Video: The Very One S. (BT)