BALTIMORE – Kent Desormeaux, who won the Pimlico Special last Saturday and pilots Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus in today’s Preakness, continued his hot riding yesterday with he took Jostle to victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
Coming from several lengths off the quick early pace (:22.2, :46.1) set by last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Cash Run, Jostle made her move leaving the backstretch, took command on the far turn and easily held off the late rally of 2-1 favorite March Magic down the stretch to score by 2½ lengths.
“I made the lead prematurely,” Desormeaux said. “I didn’t think she’d get there that easily. When she did, she idled, and that caused some concern. But at the eighth pole, when she felt the presence of another horse [March Magic], she took off again.”
Asked if his recent stakes victories at Pimlico were an omen for the Preakness, Desormeaux smiled and said, “I certainly hope so.”
Jostle ran the 11/8 miles in 1:52.2 to pay $13.80, keying a $37.40 exacta. Impending Bear out-photoed Cash Run for third in the field of seven three-year-old fillies.
Jostle, trained by John Servis, won three stakes as a two-year-old, including the Grade 3 Selima at Laurel and the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct. In her last out she was second to March Magic in the Grade 3 Comely at the Big A.