Second in the COVID-19-postponed Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course last fall, Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown returned in this year's regularly scheduled 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 turf event May 15 to set a course record.
In his 5-year-old debut, the April 9 Maker' Mark Mile (G1T) at Keeneland, Somelikeithotbrown faded from the lead to seventh in a hot-paced race. But Saturday the son of Big Brown showed plenty of energy down the lane as he took over from the early leader and powered home to a final time on the firm course in 1:40.09.
Somelikeithotbrown was ridden by Jose Ortiz as he stalked the pace in second. Flying Scotsman showed the way through opening fractions of :23.78 and :47.33, but was only a head in front by the time he ran six furlongs in 1:10.52. Somelikeithotbrown emerged in front at the top of the stretch and ran on to win by a length.
"Jose and I talked about it. Last time that horse (Flying Scotsman) broke a step slow, came to our outside and he never settled in the Maker's Mark and it cost him in the end," Maker said. "I told Jose, 'If the horse goes, let's see if we can't get to the outside of him and see you in the winner's circle.'"
Talk Or Listen got up from fourth to take second, and Midnight Tea Time came from seventh in the stretch to finish third. Sacred Life and Bye Bye Melvin finished fourth in a dead heat. Flying Scotsman, English Bee, and Kuramata completed the order of finish.
Somelikeithotbrown paid $7.60 for a $2 win ticket. He has earned $842,838 from a 7-4-2 record in 19 starts. He continued a strong weekend in Baltimore for Maker, who won the Maryland Sprint Match Series Stakes (G3) a race earlier with Special Reserve, and on Friday won the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) with Army Wife and the Pimlico Special Match Series Stakes (G3) with Last Judgment.
The Dinner Party is the third graded win for the bay, who captured Turfway Park's Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at 3 and Saratoga Race Course's Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) at 4. During his juvenile season, he was also third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).
"I have ridden this horse before in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf as a 2-year-old, and it has been a long time since I have ridden him. He's matured a lot," Ortiz said. "He showed me some speed early on, and I got him to relax on the first turn and that was the key. He relaxed nicely and from the half-mile pole to the three-eighths pole I was just waiting and waiting and when I asked him to go he did."
Somelikeithotbrown was bred in New York by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables. He is out of the Tapit mare Marilyn Monroan, who also produced stakes winner Jolting Joe. Marilyn Monroan's latest foal is a yearling filly by Hard Spun . The mare was bred to Mendelssohn for 2021.
"We have a lot of options," Maker said of future races for Somelikeithotbrown. "He's run well at Saratoga multiple times. He's a New York-bred, so we'll look at a couple of those races as well."
