Black-Eyed Susan Undercard Lures Top Fillies

Quality extends beyond the trio of graded stakes May 15 at Laurel Park into three ungraded events. That depth is first apparent in the $125,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf, which follows the Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) on the stakes program. Favored in the Hilltop is Live Oak Plantation's returning Ultimate Love, who rattled off three victories in the Mid-Atlantic region last year before heading West and finishing a close fifth as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar. "She ran pretty well," trainer Michael Trombetta said of Ultimate Love's Breeders' Cup finish. "She just didn't run good enough to beat the top horses in the world." The Curlin filly has been training at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland ahead of her 3-year-old debut. She returns to a Laurel Park turf course over which she earned a pair of victories last September, including a 4-length score in the Selima Stakes. Her principal challengers in the seven-horse field appear to be Use Me (IRE), a Keeneland maiden winner in her second career start; Laurel Park allowance winner Coach Mazzula; and stakes-placed, graded stakes-dropping Brat Pack. Margie's Intention Back for More in Maryland Fittingly on Black-Eyed Susan day, last year's George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) winner at Pimlico Race Course Margie's Intention returns in the $125,000 Allaire duPont Distaff Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the Laurel Park main track. Margie's Intention, trained by Brad Cox for Delta Squad Racing, Michael Dubb, and Madaket Stables, is winless in four starts since her Black-Eyed Susan triumph but has finished on the board in each of those defeats. To prevail, she will have to reel in Team Valor International's Queen Azteca, a front-running allowance optional claiming winner at Keeneland last month, and defeat six other foes. Queen Azteca, a versatile Sharp Azteca filly who took the 2025 UAE Oaks (G3) at Meydan Racecourse, pursues her first stakes victory in the United States. "She has shown she can go seven-eighths to 1 3/8 miles; she can stalk; she has been on the lead," trainer Rudy Brisset said. "I have liked what I have seen from her in her last three races." The Weekend Comes Early for Saturday Flirt In contrast to the route of the Allaire duPont Distaff, pure turf sprint speed will be on display in the 26th running of the $100,000 The Very One Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Laurel grass. Mrs. Fitriani Hay's Saturday Flirt is favored with a class drop into ungraded company. The 4-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn is 4-for-6 for trainer Wesley Ward, with her only defeats coming in a pair of group/grade 2 events. Golden Lion Racing's recently acquired Lost and Found, now trained by Brittany Russell, makes her stakes debut after reeling off consecutive allowance optional claiming victories over the all-weather Tapeta surface at Turfway Park. She broke her maiden on turf earlier in her career. Seven other fillies and mares oppose this duo.