One-Mile Event Tops Four Grass Stakes Worth $500,000 July 24 at Pimlico

LAUREL, MD – Godolphin homebred Pixelate, coming off a victory in last month’s Prince George’s County over the track, is one of seven graded-stakes winners among 28 horses nominated to the $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) Saturday, July 24 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The one-mile BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up is one of four grass stakes worth $500,000 in purses on the program, joined by the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby at 1 ½ miles for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash sprinting five furlongs and $100,000 Big Dreyfus going 1 1/8 miles, both for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Pixelate posted a third consecutive bullet workout Sunday over the all-weather surface at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., going a half-mile in 48 seconds. All three have come since the 4-year-old City Zip colt, winner of the 2020 Kent (G3) at Delaware Park, rallied to beat fellow BWI Turf Cup nominee Logical Myth by a length in the 1 1/8-mile Prince George’s County June 13.

Also exiting the Prince George’s County are Eons, Talk Or Listen and English Bee, who respectively ran third, sixth and seventh. Eons, 5, saw his winless streak extend to 10 races since capturing the 2019 Kent after encountering trouble last out, finishing just a length behind Logical Myth.

Eons’ Arnaud Delacour-trained stablemate Talk Or Listen chased the pace in the Prince George’s County before fading, though beaten less than four lengths. In his previous start, the 5-year-old gelding ran second by a length to Somelikeithotbrown in the 1 1/16-mile Dinner Party (G2) May 15 on the undercard of the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1).

English Bee won the James W. Murphy at Pimlico, Virginia Derby (G3) and Parx Fall Derby in 2019 but has been unable to win since, running second in the Canadian Turf (G3) and Wise Dan (G2) last year. A 5-year-old son of turf champion English Channel, he was also seventh in the Dinner Party, beaten 2 ½ lengths.

Field Pass, trained by Mike Maker, won the Jeff Ruby (G3), Transylvania (G3) and Ontario Derby (G3) in 2020 and has finished fourth in three of four starts this year including the Wise Dan last out June 26 at Churchill Downs and Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) April 9 at Keeneland.

Mr Dumas, winner of the 2019 Commonwealth Turf (G3), has yet to race since capturing a Keeneland allowance last October. California-based Neptune’s Storm made his 2021 debut running second in the June20 American (G3) at Santa Anita. Graded wins have come in the 2020 San Francisco Mile (G3) and 2019 Hill Prince (G2).

Also nominated are Oak Bluff Stables’ 6-year-old Therapist, four-for-seven lifetime at one mile with earnings of $671,865 for New York-based trainer Christophe Clement, fellow multiple stakes winner Rinaldi, owned and trained by James Bond; and Augustin Stable homebred Corelli, who beat Pixelate by a neck in the April 24 Henry S. Clark at Pimlico and was most recently third in the June 5 Monmouth (G3).

Wootton Asset and Doubleoseven, respectively third and fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Kent July 3, are among 20 sophomores nominated to the Bald Eagle Derby. The Kent was the season opener for Wootton Asset, second by a nose in the Laurel Futurity last fall at Pimlico, and the turf debut for Doubleoseven, stakes-placed sprinting on dirt.

Also nominated are Michael Matz-trained filly Line Dancing, third in the Edgewood (G3) April 20 in her 2021 opener; Eamonn, fifth in the Kent; Indian Lake, third by less than a length in the 7 ½-furlong Sussex July 8 at Delaware Park; Experienced and Vikram, debut maiden special weight winners for Jonathan Thomas, who also trains Corelli; and Shackled Love, winner of the March 13 Private Terms over Laurel Park’s main track.

Line Dancing is also one of 29 nominees to the Big Dreyfus, along with four from Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown – 2021 Endeavour (G3) winner Counterparty Risk, Feb. 6 Suwannee River winner Great Island, third in the May 15 Gallorette (G3) at Pimlico; German Group 2 winner Kalifornia Queen and Nay Lady Nay, winner of the All Along at Laurel and Matchmaker (G3) in 2020. Speaktomeofsummer, winner of the 2020 Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga, multiple stakes winner Summer in Saratoga and Sosua, undefeated in three career starts, are also nominated.

The Sensible Lady Turf Dash also attracted 29 nominees including multiple stakes winners Street Lute, yet to run on grass; Caravel, bred, co-owned and trained by Maryland-based Liz Merryman, and Jakarta; Ellanation, Dendrobia, Quiet Company, Can the Queen, Introduced and Spun Glass, the top six finishers from the July 4 Jameela at Pimlico;  Gotta Go Mo, second to Caravel in the five-furlong The Very One May 14 at Pimlico; and Miss Auramet, runner-up behind Caravel in the June 25 Goldwood at Monmouth Park.