Revolutionary favored in Pimlico Special
Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) – Revolutionary, winner of last year’s Louisiana Derby, is the 5-2 morning line favorite versus eight rivals in Friday’s $300,000 Pimlico Special at Pimlico Race Course. The 1 3/16-mile race is conducted at the same distance as Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Revolutionary will break from post 6 with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith again riding. The four-year-old colt, owned by WinStar Farm, has earned $1,167,600 with four wins in 11 starts.
This year, Revolutionary won an allowance race in January before getting back to stakes company. On Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park he came in a disappointing seventh behind Lea in the Donn Handicap but rebounded with a second to Will Take Charge in the Oaklawn Handicap.
Making his second start of the year is Moreno the 7-2 second pick. Trained by Eric Guillot, the 4-year-old gelding will be ridden by Joel Rosario from post 3.
“The distance suits him. The speed suits him and his running style,” Guillot said. “He’s a front runner. I think my horse has to be the favorite.”
Moreno opened his 2014 campaign with a third behind Imperative and Game On Dude in the Charles Town Classic four weeks ago. As a 3-year-old, he posted a win in the Dwyer Stakes along with a third in the Jim Dandy and consecutive seconds in the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby. The gelding closed 2013 with a 10th-place result in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Moreno has banked $791,940 in 16 lifetime starts.
Trainer Bob Baffert’s Cat Burglar is the 4-1 third choice in the nine-horse field. Rosie Napravnik will be aboard the chestnut colt and start from post 2.
Cat Burglar’s owner Michael L. Petersen lives in Maryland which prompted Baffert to enter the colt in his first stakes.
“The owner is from the area – he lives in Maryland. So I thought we’d bring him over there and give him a race and see how he handles it,” Baffert said.
Cat Burglar has won his last two starts at Santa Anita and has won half of his six career races for $126,700.
Here is the Pimlico Special field from the rail out: Valid, Orlando Bocachica, 10-1; Cat Burglar, Rosie Napravnik, 4-1; Moreno, Joel Rosario, 7-2; Golden Lad, Jose Lezcano, 6-1; Carve, Jesus Castanon, 5-1; Revolutionary, Mike Smith, 5-2; Major King, Xavier Perez, 50-1; Prayer For Relief, John Velazquez, 12-1 and Bourbon Courage, Leandro Goncalves, 15-1.
The Pimlico Special post time will be approximately 5:52 p.m. ET.
Categorized in: Horses