Tipsheet: 2023 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes

A total of 12 three-year-old fillies was originally entered, but after scratches, 10 will travel 1 1/8 miles on the Pimlico main surface in Friday’s $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2).

Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Selections

• #9 Faiza
• #8 Balpool
• #4 Merlazza
• #7 Comparative

Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Wagers

• $1 superfecta: 9 with 4,7,8 with 4,7,8 with all
• $1 superfecta: 9 with 4,7,8 with all with 4,7,8 

Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Contenders

#1 SACRED WISH (10-1): This Weaver trainee finished second in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in her route debut and gets the rail in the big field for her local bow. The dark bay Not This Time filly has never run a bad race and can clearly make noise in the feature with another move forward. John Velazquez will pilot the Kentucky-bred.

#2 PATE (20-1): The Dixie Belle S. runner-up was outrun in her two-turn debut when sixth in the Fantasy S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park last time out. This chestnut daughter of Super Saver comes in fresh for her second route endeavor on this occasion, but she would be something of a surprise even with Jose Ortiz taking the reins.

#3 HOOSIER PHILLY (10-1): The Amoss trainee was dominant as a juvenile but has yet to build upon her impressive 2022 campaign. This gray daughter of Into Mischief has kept fine company this year, however, and is training like a horse sitting on a big race too. The Kentucky-bred retains the services of regular pilot Edgar Morales.

#4 MERLAZZA (6-1): This top-three contender from the Brad Cox shedrow is a head shy of being unbeaten in four career tries to date in advance of her graded debut. The Don Alberto homebred rallied into a dawdling pace to annex her first stakes trophy last time out, and I feel that she could pick up a check late from off the pace on Friday. Feargal Lynch has the assignment.

#5 FROSTY O TOOLE (15-1): Reportedly to be scratched.

#6 MIRACLE (10-1): Would have been the top pick, but reportedly to be scratched.

#7 COMPARATIVE (12-1): This Godolphin homebred has shown marked improvement of late and could be the ‘now’ horse in the cast with continued ascension. The bay daughter of Street Sense exits a game allowance win at Keeneland when battling back after being passed in the stretch and has worked in fine fashion in the interim as well. Luis Saez has the return call atop the filly.

#8 BALPOOL (8-1): This Rob Atras trainee has won three of her four races this season, led by a runaway win in the off-the-turf Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct last time out. The Uncaptured filly was a runaway allowance winner two back, and I feel that the Florida-bred will appreciate the move to two turns in this affair. The dark bay will never be far back with Manny Franco in the silks.

#9 FAIZA (7-5): The unbeaten daughter of Girvin is the class of the cast and a deserving favorite in the big field. This Bob Baffert trainee is 5-for-5 with four graded tallies to her credit and can run from on or off the pace with equal effectiveness as well. The $725,000 purchase prepared for this contest with four solid morning drills and will have Flavien Prat in the controls.

#10 TAXED (15-1): The Collected filly has been runner-up in two of her last three affairs, including a nice showing in the Fantasy in her most recent appearance. This gray three-year-old ran her best race to date with blinkers off in her latest try and smoked a bullet five-eighths at Churchill Downs to ready for this test. Rafael Bejarano gets the call.

#11 CATS INTHE TIMBER (30-1): This Honor Code filly earned her first stakes win at Laurel Park last time out but faces a much more difficult task in this spot. Trained by the always dangerous Brittany Russell, the Kentucky-bred will appreciate the added ground on Friday but has to get much faster to challenge for the upset beneath Jevian Toledo.

#12 TOWHEAD (20-1): The Mike Maker trainee draws widest in the tilt and comes off a pair of unplaced efforts in the graded ranks as of late. This chestnut daughter of Malibu Moon possesses the tactical speed to overcome the post in the early going, but she would need a lifetime-best performance to make the frame with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons.