Mylady Curlin Wins Golden Award in Allaire duPont Distaff

May 17, 2019

Last of Seven Stakes, Four Graded, on Black-Eyed Susan Day Program

BALTIMORE – Sather Family’s Mylady Curlin dueled the length of the stretch with Golden Award before getting her nose down on the wire to win Friday’s $150,000 Caplan Brothers Glass Allaire duPont Distaff (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

The 26^th running of the 1 1/8-mile Allaire duPont for fillies and mares was the last of seven stakes, four graded, worth $1.15 million on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan Day program that served as a fitting prelude to Saturday’s 144^th Preakness Stakes (G1).

Mylady Curlin ($8.60) extended her win streak to three races in her stakes debut, finishing up in 1:47.64 over a fast main track. Gio Game was five lengths behind Golden Award in third, with Another Broad fourth.

The winning time was the fastest in 15 editions of the duPont to be run at nine furlongs, besting the 1:48.70 set by Ajina in 1998. Run as the Pimlico Distaff from 1992-2005, the duPont was contested at 1 1/16 miles from 2002-13.

Jockey Luis Saez settled Mylady Curlin on the lead, setting fractions of 24.23 and 47.89 seconds tracked by Golden Award and jockey Tyler Gaffalione to her outside. The two leaders remained together around the far turn after six furlongs in 1:11.50 and were set down for the drive through the stretch, neither willing to give an inch, as Mylady Curlin won the head-bob.

It was the second stakes win of the afternoon for trainer Brad Cox, following Covfefe’s track record-setting performance in the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3).

$150,000 Caplan Brothers Glass Allaire duPont Distaff (G3) Quotes

Brad Cox (Winning trainer, Mylady Curlin): “We’ve liked her from the get-go. She’s a nice filly. She ran a big race at Keeneland the other day [Winning an optional claimer on April 25]. Even though it was a four-horse field, she had a wide trip. Luis [Saez] rode her that day; the only thing I asked him to do [today] was to ask her to run away from there. I think having the lead and the rail was a nice place. I thought she fit well with these horses on paper. She got some good figures. The one thing I was concerned about was running her back a little quickly off the allowance race, but she was training well and looked good.”

Luis Saez (Winning jockey, Mylady Curlin): “She broke pretty well. I was running pretty good – last time I rode her at Keeneland she tried so much. Today, she had a clean break and was in the lead. And more distance, it was better, and when she came to the stretch it was really a battle. I had the feeling I had it all the way. At one point she [Golden Award] got there, but I felt I had it.”

 About Pimlico Race Course

Legendary Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the Middle Jewel in horse racing’s famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed, American Pharoah and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

The Stronach Group is North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, home of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@marylandracing.com or call 954.658.7156.