After finishing second and third in two earlier stakes appearances, Interstatedaydream broke through Friday with her first stakes tally in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico, defeating 12 rivals in the nine-furlong Preakness eve test for three-year-old fillies.
Ridden by Florent Geroux, the 6-1 chance tracked in close pursuit behind pacesetter Beguine, who set fractions of :23.34, :46.65, and 1:10.46. Interstatedaydream bid for the lead approaching the turn for home, kicked clear down the stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths from 2-1 favorite Adare Manor. Radio Days rallied up the inside for third, one length behind the runner-up.
Owned by Flurry Racing Stables and trained by Brad Cox, Interstatedaydream returned $14.20 after completing the course in 1:48.73 over a fast track.
“I was very shocked to see she was the price she was going into the gate,” Cox said. “She wasn’t getting a lot of respect, and I really thought she fit well with this group.”
The order of finish was rounded out by Divine Huntress, Favor, Morning Matcha, Miss Yearwood, Distinctlypossible, Midnight Stroll, Candy Light, Luna Belle, Beguine, and Missy Greer.
Interstatedaydream is from the first crop of 2016 champion juvenile colt Classic Empire, who notably lost the 2017 Preakness (G1) by a head to Cloud Computing in his final career start. Interstatedaydream was one of Classic Empire’s first winners last summer, taking her debut by a head at Belmont Park going 5 1/2 furlongs last June.
After running second in the Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga in August, Interstatedaydream was sidelined until Mach 13, when she captured a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Oaklawn by 8 1/4 lengths. Back in stakes company for last month’s Ashland (G1) at Keeneland, Interstatedaydream set the pace before weakening to third, more than eight lengths behind the winning Nest, who would go on to finish second in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
“She just wasn’t ready for it,” said Cox on the decision to skip the Kentucky Oaks with Interstatedaydream. “It would have been back a little too quick, throwing too much at her too quick. I thought this made the most sense.”
Improving her record to 5-3-1-1, Interstatedaydream also beefed up her bank account to $351,225.
Bred in Ontario by William Graham, Interstatedaydream most recently sold as a $175,000 OBS April juvenile. She was produced by Babcock, an Uncle Mo half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured.
