Emollient headlines Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Emollient, winner of the Ashland Stakes, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Friday's $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-old fillies is the sister event to Saturday's 138th Preakness Stakes and has a field of nine.

Trained by Bill Mott, Emollient will break from post 7 with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. On April 6, Smith guided the filly to a nine-length front- running victory in the Ashland at Keeneland.

"She's extremely impressive. There were times early on in her career that she showed signs of brilliance, and she showed it today," Smith said after the impressive win versus 12 rivals.

The Ashland win came just a week after the Juddmonte Farms' filly was a distant fifth behind Dreaming of Julia in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Emollient has won three of six career starts for $441,900.

The 2-1 second pick is Fiftyshadesofhay, co-owned by Mike Pegram and trained by Bob Baffert. The filly will be ridden by Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Joel Rosario from post 3.

Fiftyshadesofhay won the Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 26 and then finished second to champion filly Beholder in the Las Virgenes. In her most recent start, Fiftyshadesofhay was third to Beholder in the Santa Anita Oaks.

With a pair of wins in eight starts, Fiftyshadesofhay has banked $192,490.

Here is the Black-Eyed Susan field from the rail out: Manuka Honey, Edgar Prado, 10-1; Lady Banks, Julian Pimentel, 30-1; Fiftyshadesofhay, Joel Rosario, 2-1; Petit Trianon, Victor Carrasco, 20-1; Walkwithapurpose, Jose Lezcano, 5-1; Maracuya, John Velazquez, 6-1; Emollient, Mike Smith, 9-5; Toasting, Javier Castellano, 20-1 and Marathon Lady, Robby Albarado, 12-1.

Post-time for the Black-Eyed Susan will be 4:47 p.m. (ET).