Gun Song enjoyed a perfect stalking trip under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, taking command at the top of the stretch and drawing clear to win the 100th edition of the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) on Friday at Pimlico Race Course.
Gun Song is now trainer Mark Hennig’s first Black-Eyed Susan winner
Aboard the chestnut filly for the fourth time this year, Velazquez perched Gun Song just off moderate fractions of 24.30, 49.47 and 1:13.66 set by Jeanne Marie before advancing on the turn to take over from the fading front-runner. The chestnut daughter of Gun Runner went on to hit the wire in 1:51.39 for the 1 1/8th miles, 3 ¼ lengths ahead of the late-closing Corposo.
“Once I put my hands down at the 3/8ths pole, she was relaxed and when I asked her at the quarter pole, she responded nice to me,” said Velazquez, who scored his fifth victory in the race for 3-year-old fillies and first since 2012. “I didn’t know she was going to open up that much, but she did it nicely. I thought it was going to be a much faster pace, but it didn’t show up.”
Gun Song’s Success and Future Prospects
The 2.30-1 favorite in the field of eight, Gun Song returned $6.60 for a $2 win bet and earned $180,000 for her owner, Lee Lewis. She is 3-1-1 from six lifetime starts, 2-1-0 from four starts this year, her only out-of-the-money performance coming when fourth after an eventful trip in the Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 30.
“Other than her last race, she always finishes very well,” said trainer Mark Hennig. “I had a little doubt about the distance after her last race. But I didn’t have enough doubt not to try this.”
Purchased for $400,000 by Lewis at the OBS 2-year-olds in training sale last March, Gun Song ran twice as a 2-year-old, breaking her maiden in October and finishing third in an optional claimer in December, both at Aqueduct Racetrack. She returned in 2024 at Gulfstream Park to finish second to subsequent Ashland (G1) winner Leslie’s Rose in a Jan. 11 optional claimer, then scored her first win of the year going a mile in another optional claimer on Feb. 9.
Finishing third, a neck behind Corposo, was Call Another Play. Checking in fourth was Whocouldaskformo, who was followed under the wire by Lemon Muffin, Ringy Dingy, Jeanne Marie, and Recharge.
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